I Think I'm A Skechers Guy

Skechers GoRun 2 - Gray/Blue - Size 12

After changing  my foot strike last year to more of a forefoot/mid foot strike, I experimented with a few different minimalist shoes.  I've always worn Brooks so I tried the Brooks Pure series, and also a couple of different Nike models - but none of those really worked for me. The challenge was finding something with enough support, but yet still minimalist in nature with a small heel to toe drop.

So earlier this year I decided to give the Skechers GoRun series a try.  I'm not big into celebrity endorsements, but I figured if Meb could finish 4th in the Olympics in them, they must be decent.  My first pair was a charcoal and red pair of GoRun Rides (read about them here).  I liked them, but didn't love them.  They were super light at about 7.9 oz, but they just didn't seem very stable.  They literally felt like a pair of laced up socks glued to a shoe sole. Like a running slipper.  They slid around on my feet no matter how tight I got them and just never felt like a snug fit.  I was afraid if I attempted any lateral movement, my foot would slide right off of the base of the shoe.  In fact on a couple of occasions, I got a hot spot behind my big toe in front of the ball of my foot from a little sliding in the shoe, but in fairness I actually think it was more related to my strike than the shoes.

So obviously, the first pair of Skechers took a little getting used to.  But after a while I found some modest success while wearing them in shorter races.  I PR'd in a half-marathon and 10K, and also ran my 3rd fastest 5K in them, which was great.  Because they were so light, they were awesome for track work and shorter races, but I had to change to something with a little heartier make up for the longer runs.  Wearing the Skechers GoRun Rides for an 18-20 mile outing just left my feet beat up and sore.  But other than that they weren't bad.

As I began my Chicago Marathon training a few weeks ago, I was looking for a fast and light, but durable and stable minimalist shoe that I could potentially wear the day of the marathon.  So I decided to give another pair of Skechers a try.  Last week I purchased a pair of gray and blue Skechers GoRun 2's.  They were about $65 from the Skechers website, which is really inexpensive for running shoes.  Plus, they are only about 6.6 oz, with a 4 mm heel to toe drop, so they met the light weight minimalist criteria.

I ran in them for the first time on Sunday for a 10 mile recovery run.  Like their predecessors, I didn't "love" them yet, but let's just say I "liked" them a lot.   The really performed fairly well.  The GoRun 2's seem to have a lot more stability than my first pair of GoRun Rides, and overall just hug my foot a lot better.  They don't seem to have as much room in the toe box, which might become an issue.  But there wasn't any sliding around of my foot at all.  Plus, the 10 miles didn't beat up my feet.  So they passed the first test.

I'll probably limit how many long runs I do in them - I mean they ARE still a minimalist shoe, and my 6'2" - 180 lb frame seems to need a little more cushioning and support.  But if I can make them work for a couple of 20-22 milers during training, I see no reason why I can't use them in Chicago.  But we'll see.  I'll keep you posted!
... be great today!