skechers pro speed/Go Run

bump

I have run over 70 miles per week and raced in the Go Run. I have found that I do not like them all that much for racing but love them for training

I honestly have never run 70 mpw. My opinion does not matter.

No one has run in those shoes, at least not a serious runner. Not even Meb runs in those shoes. They are modified for him. In other words, the bump in the middle is not present on his shoes.

nobodyis wrote:

No one has run in those shoes, at least not a serious runner. Not even Meb runs in those shoes. They are modified for him. In other words, the bump in the middle is not present on his shoes.

Yeah the bump in the middle is really weird. However, I feel the faster you run in these shoes, the less noticeable this bump is.

I bought a pair but have not run in them. I wear them to walk around in and they feel great. The toe box is definitely roomy. I had to get a half size smaller.

i confess... wrote:

I bought a pair but have not run in them. I wear them to walk around in and they feel great. The toe box is definitely roomy. I had to get a half size smaller.

The GoRun? You can't really walk in them. Because when walking, everyone heelstrikes. And that's really weird in that shoe.

I have run multiple weeks over 100 in them and they feel great. The elevated mid foot felt very strange at first but now I don't notice it at all. Definitely took about a week to get used to though.

SkechersMan wrote:

Yeah the bump in the middle is really weird.

Just standing at rest, the shoe does not feel like a normal shoe. It's not like the 'earth shoe' (low heel) concept from the '70's. I've never experienced a shoe like it.

The shoes are definitely designed to improve the efficiency of running. A different shoe is recommended for race walkers.

However, I feel the faster you run in these shoes, the less noticeable this bump is.

The rounded-wedge 'bump' is what makes these shoes a performance aid to improved stride mechanics.

I'm wondering whether Skechers sort of 'stumbled' into a real winner here. The larger 'shape-ups' actually do result in greater muscle activation, including the glutes, but they are radically rounded, and thought of as a walking shoe.

The GORun has a very flexible sole, with a much smaller rounded wedge than the shape-up concept. It turns out that this shape can improve stride efficiency, in effect reducing momentum losses thru the foot strike/plant/transition/push-off.

I believe when I walk in them, I don't tilt backwards. As for the bump, I noticed it initially but afterwards not so much. I suppose one time I did have to "jog fast" in these shoes to get to one area to another (i.e., watching the Trials..) and it felt very light and natural (oaky, it was on grass).

I will say, they feel better than the Nike Free 3.0 and just like them, I can only tolerate wearing the Sketchers GoRun for few hours. I still prefer the Pumas for short races. Running in the GoRun feels similar to the Newton shoes but much lighter.

i confess... wrote:

Running in the GoRun feels similar to the Newton shoes but much lighter.

I still have a pair of Newtons, purchased a couple of years ago (the racing green/orange version). However, I probably haven't put more than a couple hundred miles on them, because they felt "too hard" when running on pavement. And the polymer lugged-spring system sort of track's the shoe in-line, so-much-so that they induce instability off-road (at least for me), and are not thought of as a trail shoes.

Now whereas, I felt the built-in lugged spring system was too hard (i.e., too stiff), a couple of friends liked the shoe. Both of these guys are 15-30 pounds heavier than me. The point is, I felt the Newton spring system was "tuned" to a heavier person than me (I'm ~5'9", 143 lbs), and so I wasn't getting the same benefit. I considered the possibility of machining the spring-lugs down in width, in order to reduce their spring constant (i.e., the spring stiffness), and thereby optimally "tune" the shoe spring restitution to my weight, but never followed through.

Skechers! wrote:

I considered the possibility of machining the spring-lugs down in width, in order to reduce their spring constant (i.e., the spring stiffness), and thereby optimally "tune" the shoe spring restitution to my weight, but never followed through.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone that's tried what I describe above. One of my concerns in machining down the width of the Newton spring-lugs was that it may induce further lateral instability in the shoe, possibly resulting in other problems, so I didn't pursue it further. However, the possibility of having the shoe restitution (energy return) optimized to my specific weight/mechanics sound appealing.

That said, I feel I'm getting performance improvement from the softer GORuns. However, given the opportunity, there are a couple of changes I'd like to consult with Skechers on that could possibly improve the shoe further.

Doesn't Newton claim that the lugs will wear down but that doesn't matter? If it doesn't matter, why are they even there?

Huh? Those lugs are the built-in spring system that provides some energy return! However, the amount of energy return will depend on the non-linear spring constant and the rate of non-linear force loading.

Skechers! wrote:

However, the amount of energy return will depend on the non-linear spring constant and the rate of non-linear force loading.

I.e, the "tuning". That's great if the off-the-shelf tuning better fits your particular BMI and mechanics.

The Spira shoe supposedly used round steel! wave ( disc) springs, but I was under the impression people were not getting a ton of miles out of them before the springs tore through the polymer shoe. I've never tried the Spiras.

I have the Pro Speeds and like them. I like the energy return and feels like I'm cheating because one stride feels like taking two.

ReplySkechers wrote:

I have the Pro Speeds and like them. I like the energy return and feels like I'm cheating because one stride feels like taking two.

that's why meb ran so fast! he took half as many steps as everyone else!

"•Super light weight 10 to 15 oz. per shoe depending on size"

"super light weight", eh?

The GoRuns are 6.9 oz in men's size 9.

I'd like to get a pair of the Bodacious GloW-iN-ThE-dArK Orange MebRuns:

http://running.competitor.com/2012/01/photos/fast-flats-what-the-trials-qualifiers-will-be-wearing-on-their-feet_45222/attachment/489185558