Here's a real quick review of a new trail shoe I was able to test out.
A Nice Ride
Skechers GObionic Trail Shoes
I would
be lying if I said I wasn’t skeptical upon receiving the Skechers GObionic
Trail Shoes from my friend Christian Griffith.
As most trail runners are, I am sort of a shoe snob and generally stick
to my favorite brand and style. My
favorite brand isn’t Skechers and I don’t usually run minimalist, so this shoe
was starting with its back up against the wall.
Upon my
initial inspection, I found a pretty sharp looking shoe. The upper is fully synthetic material. I received a pair in a Charcoal/Blue color
scheme, which I liked. I believe there
are 3 or 4 more different color schemes available. I immediately noticed how light they were,
which I expected as they are billed as a minimalist shoe. I also saw a fairly aggressive looking sole. I immediately couldn’t wait to get them out
on some technical trails, although I also had the memory of some painful runs
in other minimalist shoes once I put them to work on technical rocky
trails.
For my
first run I chose a short (5mile) rolling trail that had numerous roots and
rock gardens strewn throughout. It was
hot and humid. Upon putting the shoes on
I noticed that they were very comfortable.
Skechers touted a ‘Second Skin’ feel to the upper, and they were
right. I kicked the ground a few times,
and then off I went. I hit the trailhead
and some golf ball sized gravel and instantly winced. I had remembered feeling everything underfoot
in other minimalist shoes. I instantly
noticed that these felt like some of my more padded and substantial trail shoes
that I normally wear. That made me smile
and then I took off.
Thud! I caught a root. Crunch, caught a rock. I stayed upright, but began to look down at
the shoe. It was then that I noticed the
enormous toe box on these shoes. I am
not used to running in a shoe like this, and I was catching things on the trail
that I normally wouldn’t. I forged ahead
keeping in mind that I had to pick up my feet a little more, thankfully these
shoes are so light that it wasn’t a problem, but I slowed my pace. Upon completion of the run I loved everything
about these except for the larger toe box.
I wondered if I could get used to it.
Otherwise, they seemed light as air with a bunch of cushion for a
minimalist shoe. I also noticed less
lower leg fatigue than other comparable shoes.
I
waited 10 days before I used these again, as I had a race the following weekend
and didn’t have the guts to try something totally different race day or in
recovery. The next couple of times I
wore these I went on longer, but less technical trails. After the first three miles I got the
confidence to really ‘open up’ these shoes, and I flew! I had no issues with the toe box and I continued
to notice the nice cushion. I also found
the sole very aggressive, which I liked.
The material on the upper portion of the shoe acts as a moisture wicking
fabric and pulls the sweat away from your foot.
It’s clearly evident as I could actually see the outer getting wet.
My
final run to date in these shoes came yesterday. The shoes were broken in by now (about 30
miles), and I chose Jeep roads with a baby jogger. I never noticed that the shoes I had on weren’t
my normal trail shoes. I literally flew across
the trails with no issues. I REALLY
loved these shoes on the fast and flat trails.
All in
all, I like these shoes. It is a
minimalist shoe for the non-minimalist runner.
Everything I want in the minimalist style; lightweight and aggressive with
enough cushion to have a comfortable ride.
I give these shoes my seal of approval, which might not go that far, but
at least I am a seasoned ultra-runner. I
don’t know how long it will take me to wear these shoes out, after close to 40
miles they show no signs of wear, but when I do I just might buy another
pair. The shoes appear to be retailing
at about $80 bucks, so the price tag isn’t bad either. Good job Skechers!
Ryan Cobb
