Skechers GOrun Ride: The Review

I've had the GOrun Ride for close to two weeks now. I was planning to put in a lot more mileage on the shoe before coming out with a review. But then, after using the shoe for the past two weeks and even putting it through a short 12.4K race last week and with the shoe covering a total of 60KM or so, I thought a review would be appropriate. The wife has also been running with the shoe and this review will cover her views and opinions on the shoe as well as mine. I did an initial out of the box take that you can check out here.


The GOrun Ride is basically a second edition (so to speak) of the original GOrun. In fact, aside from the slight variation in design motifs on the sides of the shoe, you wouldn't even know it was a shoe with entirely different characteristics. It still has the nice soft breathable upper mesh of its predecessor and is just as flexible. The Resalyte outsole albeit with some difference in technology is still there though the GOrun looks slightly sleeker.

The GOrun (top) & the GOrun Ride (bottom)
The main difference of the GOrun Ride is that it basically has more cushioning than the original GOrun. There are two things that I first noticed immediately about the shoe. The first was the very noticeably less 'bump' in the arch that was very prominent in the original GOrun. The second was the lack of ground feel. I'm so used to the GOrun and it's more minimalist feel that the lack of ground feel was pretty obvious to me. Though it's a little heavier than the GOrun, the weight difference was hardly noticeable.

The outsole still consists of the same independent circular sensors of its predecessor albeit with the sensors spaced out a lot more to minimize pebbles getting caught in between which was an issue with the original GOrun. It worked pretty well too with only two or three pebbles getting caught in my outsoles the entire times I've been running with the shoe.

The extremely durable and harder GOimpulse pods are also basically located in the same locations with the exception of an additional two nearer the front and one at the toe, which I thought was a good idea based on the wear of my older GOrun which didn't have one. The five pods in the centre are linked together and was branded 'Mickey Mouse' by the wife ... LOL!

Since the wife had her shoe two days earlier than me, she gleefully took it for a spin. She loved the cushioning of the shoes and said it felt like walking on marshmallows (her own exact words). She didn't feel the pounding of the road unlike the GOrun. In fact, with the GOrun Ride, she even recorded faster running times and was pretty ecstatic about it. The only thing that spoiled it for her was the blister that cropped up and ruined her run.

The blister on the wife's foot ...
She thought it was the insole problem cos I messed with it the day before and didn't really put it back properly which she said made the shoe feel lopsided. But after adjusting the insole and changing her socks to a pair of Injinji's for the next run she still developed blisters on the same spot. Once again, she recorded faster times until the blisters cropped up. To say she was disappointed was putting it mildly. While she loved the shoe and found it perfect for her, she just couldn't take the blistering issues.

My shoe arrived two days later and I took it for a test run the moment I got home. Excited la ... LOL! Upon hitting the roads, the plush, cushioned feel came into play immediately. It was very easy on the feet with the added cushioning. The cushioning for a shoe this light was pretty amazing! Took it slow and easy to really get a feel for the shoe.

I didn't notice or encounter any issues with it and was running comfortably throughout. The plush, cushioned feel was a welcome relief when you get tired and decide to stomp your feet cos it absorbed the impact of 'lazy feet' nicely. Finished the run with legs that were still pretty fresh. I must say that I'm actually loving the shoe!

The only problem I initially had with the shoe was on my first run, it got a little hot on the feet and I don't mean that in the sexy kinda way. I could relatively feel the difference in temperature compared to the GOrun. But I put it down to over eagerness to test the shoe and the fact that I ran in blistering evening weather and with a pair of black socks to boot. Subsequent runs proved to be otherwise and the fact that I ran in basically wet conditions probably helped with any 'heat' issues that I had on that first day.

The bigger side motif of the GOrun Ride (bottom) ...
I found the shoe kept water out pretty well too, in part due to the larger side design motifs, whether by design or by luck, I don't know, since the next couple of runs in the shoe were in wet weather conditions and the insides were hardly wet even though I purposely ran through puddles of water.

The grip was just as good as the GOrun and I was confident enough to up the pace without the worry of slipping on the road. The GOrun Ride was also able to handle sudden changes in pace without any noticeable effects on the legs. At the time of this post, I'm actually liking it as a nice pair of trainers cum race shoe and would recommend it to runners who like the GOrun but found it a little too thin or minimalistic for their feet. This would be the ideal shoe for them.

Now, the wife still wasn't satisfied. Since we're both more or less the same running shoe size, she decided to try mine and the first thing she said to me was, 'honey, your shoe is nice and wide, mine is a lot more narrow!'. She decided to try running in mine the next day.

The wife's 'narrower looking' shoe (left) compared to mine (right) ...
She came back from her run smiling ear to ear and with NO blisters. She felt more comfortable running in my shoe which gave her feet more room and wasn't as narrow and tight on her feet. I'm suspecting her version is one size too small for her which makes the shoe seem narrower and tighter on her feet, hence the blisters.

Well, since she likes the shoe so much, I've let her use my pair to run in until I can get a size up for her, but until then I guess I'm going to have to share my GOrun Ride with her since it suits her well.

The GOrun Ride is slated to be out in stores early next month according to Skechers Malaysia, so if you're on a lookout for a good pair of shoes, wait till next month, try the shoe before deciding on anything else. I highly recommend this shoe. Hopefully, the shoe would come with a wider color range.

The two pairs of review shoes the wife and me got were so kindly provided by Skechers Malaysia though this review is from my own personal experience with the shoe and is in no way influenced by Skechers Malaysia.

Comments

  1. How nice to be sharing almost the same shoe size! Your wife very untung! ;p

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    1. Can also be disadvantageous cos when she borrows my shoe, I can't run in it and I'm loving the Ride at the moment!

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    2. haha

      I'm talking from HER point of view. ;p

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  2. Very tempting to try it out :)
    Especially after looking at Jamie and yours review on this shoes. May be it will fill the gap between my VFF and normal shod runs. I am looking for a pair of shoes for some of the runs when I felt I overdo in VFF. Tried New Balance MR00 but doesn't fit in.

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    to do it for you? Plz reply as I'm looking to create my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. thanks a lot
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  4. Can't wait for it to arrive in the stores! One thing I noticed while trying the GOrun at the MH run booth was that although my usual size (US10) fits well, it felt slightly 'loose' (I tried them without socks as suggested by the lovely lady). Tried one size down and it was a nice fit.

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    1. Yes, with Skechers you tend to go one size down. But give this shoe a try, it's really pretty cool.

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  5. How funny your wife prefers the men's shoe over the women's! Funny because I too prefer the men's due to the roomier toe box. I own 2 pr of the original Go Runs and LOVE them with the exception of a few issues that seem to have been fixed with the Go Run Ride (according to your review). I can't wait to check 'em out!!

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    1. The men's shoe is much wider, that's for sure. If you love the GOrun, you'll definitely ADORE the Ride!

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    2. I'm gonna go nuts waiting for it to be released!

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    3. I know how you feel. Let me check with them and get back to you.

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  6. Nick,
    I recently got a pair of Ride's and have loved them for treadmill running at the gym. Took them outside for a 5k, however, and found I had blisters in the same spot you did with the GOruns. I love these sockless inside, but not outside. Could you poll your wife for any advice on performance socks for women (or know what she uses)?

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    Replies
    1. Strange that you get blisters running outdoors and not indoors.

      While the shoe is touted to be able to run sockless, I would advise to seriously put on a pair of socks when running with the shoe.

      The wife uses the brand Injinji and it works well for her.

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  7. Glad I came across your post. I have been running in the women's shoes and have had the same problem as your wife. The shoes seem to fit great otherwise so I don't think I have the wrong size, but I'm starting to think they run narrow. I've never had to wear wide shoes before. Beyond 3-4 miles, I start to blister like your wife. I really love the shoes otherwise, so maybe I will try a pair of men's shoes as well. Thanks!

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    1. I think the women's is a little narrower than tye men's. Let me know if the men's version worked for you :D

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  8. I'm considering buying either model, and wanted to ask on what kind of surface you run - I run mainly in the forest and read that the GoRun is not really ideal for that as you can feel every tree root through the shoes. Any experience with that?

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    1. The GOrun series actually isn't really suitable for trail running, they're both a little too 'thin' to protect your foot from the hazards of trail running.

      I can feel the pebbles through the shoes (especially the GOrun) and I'm guessing tree roots would be have the same effect too.

      I think Skechers do make trails shoes but I'm not too sure cos I'm not a trail kinda person :D I hope the info helps though.

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    2. It does, thank you!

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  9. Hello there,

    Thank you for the excellent review. After reading this I just got up and bought the shoes.
    They are quite comfortable when running, and I really improved my performance.

    Unfortunately, and for the first time, I'm developing blisters (on the first metatarsal, on both feet) even when I run a quick 5k. The shoe doesn't feel to narrow, and fits like a glove...

    Any suggestions?

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    Replies
    1. Glad you found the review helpful. Are you running sockless? That could be one of the causes. I know I can't run sockless in the shoe.

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  10. Thank you Nick!

    Actually I only run sockless once, and prior to the blisters appear. I use to run in regular running socks, and never had a blister before.

    Anyway, now I started taping my feet in the injured areas to try and minimize abrasion. Seems to be working fine. Maybe my feet will slowly adapt to the shoes...

    Thank you for all your reviews, they were really really helpful. Keep it up!

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    Replies
    1. You're very welcome. It's good to know that the taping works. I guess some of us just don't have the feet mechanics to run sockless.

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  11. sir! good day! i am still undecided to whether purchase the Gorun or Gorunride shoe.. i am currently active in running with shoe size 11 and i am also pursuing for long road runs..what can you suggest for me? gorunride or gorun?

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    1. I'm no shoe expert and I'd say go for what feels right but personally, I'd recommend the GOrun Ride over the GOrun simply because it's so much easier on the feet and doesn't take as much time to adapt to compared to the GOrun. Hope that helps a little.

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    2. that's what i thought because i already fitted both shoe and i am still confused what to purchase or maybe i will purchase both. lol. anyhow, i will take ur suggestion to get the gorunride.. thanks a lot sir! keep running!

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    3. You're welcome. The Ride would be a better bet, more or less the same shoe but with better cushioning for day to day running (and walking) that's easier on the feet.

      Have fun running in them.

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  12. Hi,

    I have a pair of rides and i love them..ive gone up from the rocker soles (arthritis sufferer)and have started running so needed a pair of shoes that suited that more and i think they are an awesome pair of shoes, i love how light they are and the cushioning is great, they are the only pair of shoes ive never really had to break in although i too get the blister on the side of the foot, i got them because they had a wider toe box for my wide feet (must be a design issue)my only issue with them though is they are not going to hold up too long, the soles are wearing out quite rapidly and ive only had them for 2 weeks! - if there would be another shoe that you would recommend that is just as great as the ride but more forgiving to the conditions ( i run on road)what would it be? Thankyou, Kris.

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    1. That's a little strange cos I've done close to 300 or so kilometers in them and they're holding up pretty well so far. In fact, I'm surprised that they're still pretty durable considering how soft they are. How many miles or KM have you done in them so far?

      You could always try the GOrun 2, that's a pretty good shoe though I'm still testing it out at the moment. Hope that helps, Kris.

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  13. Thank you for this awesome review. But i'm on the fence here. What is the difference between Go Run Ride & Go Run Ride Ultra?

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    1. They're both the same pair of shoes with just a cosmetic change to the upper.

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  14. I went to a Skechers store yesterday and got to try on all the different types of GoRun shoes in order to compare them. I am a woman who normally wears a size 8 shoe. I own a pair of GoRun Rides in size 8. Although I don't have wide feet (but do have a narrow heel) the toe box is a bit snug for me (but hasn't caused any real problems for me yet). Out of curiosity I tried a size 8.5 yesterday and I think I may go with that next time I purchase running shoes.

    I also discovered that the GoRun Ride Ultra, which has more mesh in the toe area, has more room in the toe box as a result. I would definitely stick with a size 8 in the Ultra. The fabric around the edge of the upper in the toe area of the regular Ride is more rigid feeling, which is what I think is responsible for the slight tightness I'm experiencing.

    I also tried on the equivalent boys' size in the Rides (my feet are too small to get a men's size)and found that the half size up on the women's shoe in the regular ride was more suitable for my feet than the boys' shoe (me having narrow heels and all).

    And of course I tried on the GoRun, GoRun 2 and GoBionic while I was there. I discovered that the styles that have a line of stitching on either side of the upper (toe area) bothers my two smaller toes when I bend up on my toes while standing (but not as much when running). Bottom line: The slightly extra padding in the tongue of the Ride makes it a much more comfortable shoe for me than any of the other ones. Plus the Ride has just enough extra sole cushioning to make it a much more comfortable running experience for me overall. (I'm a 54-year old woman who only started running a year and a half ago, so these old bones appreciate comfort - hah!)

    Summary: I'm sticking with my true size on the Ultra and going 1/2 size up on the regular Ride. I love them both!

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    1. Hi Janice, I've always advocated trying on all the shoes to see which works best and it's great that the Ride fits you well. I totally agree that the Ride is a much more forgiving shoe than the other ranges especially the GObionic. And keep up with the running. We're never too old to run.

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  15. Hi!
    I've just found the Skechers myself and I was wondering: How much more cushioning does the "GOrun Ride" have compared to the "GOrun 2" ?
    I've got some shin splints problems so I think I need a shoe that's cushioned without being a none-barefoot shoe. Hope that makes sense :)

    Also, is there a second edition of the Ride shoe? Ride 2?

    /Peter from Sweden

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    1. Hey Peter, the GOrun 2, though slightly more cushioned than the original GOrun is still no match with the cushioning of the GOrun Ride.

      The GOrun 2 is designed for speed hence the slightly lack of cushioning to keep the weight down.

      In your case, with the shin splints and all, go with the Ride, it's a much more forgiving shoe. See Janice comments up there for more info, she did some good practical research on the shoes :D

      The GObionic would actually mimic a barefoot feel without actually having to run barefoot but that shoe needs some slow transitioning into cos it's basically a zero drop shoe.

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    2. Thank you for the info!
      I had already ordered the GOrun 2, which arrived today, and I decided to order the GOrun Ride as well, to try them both out and keep the ones I like the most :)

      Hate that I can't go for a run in the ones I've recieved since I don't know if I'm going to keep them. I wanna try them NOW :D

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    3. Hey Peter, I know how you feel. I would have been tempted to run in them immediately too :D Whatever shoe you choose, they're both good shoes :D Happy running.

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    4. Ended up sending the Ride shoe back. The fit was very weird on my foot. The side of the shoe pressed against the side of my big toe in a strange way. and I don't think that would have been very confortable when running :(

      Kept the GOrun 2 though and I look forward to trying it :)

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