if you were around in the 80s, when you hear skechers you might fondly recall the fashion sneakers and high-tops in crazy colors... like keds on acid.
now the 80s are in the past, and skechers has a "performance" shoe division that makes serious shoes for running and other activities. they are still crazy colors though. :)
my team has worked with skechers before as race sponsors, and some of my teammates are ambassadors for them or even sponsored by them individually. so while training for last year's marathon, a skechers rep offered free shoes & a singlet to all the VCTCers who planned to run the marathon. hooray!
the go run rides arrived a few weeks later. eye-popping neon pink! whoa! when i took them out of the box, i instantly felt how light they were. quite a change from the asics gt-2xxx i've been wearing since i started running (not the same pair, silly, but the same "make"). reluctant to get them dirty or to screw up my gait or throw a wrench into my training, i set them aside for a while before bringing them into my rotation.
when i first put them on, they felt snug. i think i tied them too tightly. with the heavier, stiffer shoes, i like my laces pretty tight to minimize shifting of the shoe, but i find that's not necessary with these lighter, more responsive shoes.
the first time i wore them, striding on the sole felt very strange as it has less drop and a different shape than i was used to. but i never noticed it once i broke into a run. these are so comfy, no slide or sock grab. they made my asics seem like concrete blocks! no blisters, no knee pain and once i learned to leave the laces loose, no constriction across the top of the foot. these feel springy and airy. post-marathon, these have become my #1 shoe.
then a few weeks ago, the skechers rep sent out an email saying they were sending me a pair of their new shoes to test. score! the new go run m2s arrived in the mail a little while ago, but since the weather has been crummy i didn't wear them out til today. they are a screaming melon color. jazzy! i was told this shoe has more midfoot support than the rides (my current faves). out of the box, i was mostly impressed by how lightweight they felt! looking at the soles, i could see the midfoot difference. the shoe also has a minimal drop and is shaped to encourage midfoot strike. like the rides, the m2s came with an alternate set of laces in a different color (ivory).
putting them on, i felt the mouth was too small to allow an easy slide-in. the tongue is attached to the upper almost all the way down. though this is great for keeping the tongue in place, it's not great for getting the shoe on without scrunching up my socks. this should be less of a problem in warmer weather when i switch to thinner socks too. once on, i thought the fit of the shoe was good. these are so light and flexible, very comfortable. no rubbing at the heel or top of foot at all, and the toe box is very roomy.
about a mile into my 3-mile run today, it became clear i had tied the laces a bit too tight. need to remember to keep them loose like the rides. really appreciated the spacious toe box, especially when negotiating hills. i did feel a lot of impact to the ball of my foot, especially the right foot.
for their first outing, these did just fine. not gonna displace my rides just yet though!
