Written by David Barker - https://davidinrtw.wordpress.com

My local running shop (The Running Hub) suggested trying Skechers early in 2014.

GoRun Ultra

I first bought a pair of the Go Run shoes. These are a road shoe, but I found them very comfortable and they soon became my go-to road shoe. I’m now on my second set, and have two pairs: one at home and one in the gym at work.

Based on how much I liked these, it was an obvious decision to try a pair of the Go Ultra shoes.

First impressions – supremely comfortable. If you’ve not run in Skechers, they feel a little different. The foam in the mid sole feels very soft and spongy.

The Go Ultras have even more cushioning than the road shoes, but wearing them doesn’t feel like you are quite so elevated from the ground as when wearing Hokas.

Sole

The tread pattern looks pretty aggressive, and they cope reasonably well with the local clay and mud typical of UK trails. However at the same time they are not so aggressive that they are uncomfortable on roads.

The outsole material extends part way up the front of the shoe providing some protection when you kick the occasional rock or tree root.

The big test for these shoes was the Thames Path 100 (May 2015). I’d worn the shoes on a few short runs and even a 34 mile training run, and decided to try them on the 100 mile run. My normal shoe for this sort of event would be the Salomon Sense Mantra, and I made sure I had a spare pair ready in the crew car in case I needed to swap into them.

The first part of the route is paved and hard packed riverside paths. The latter part of the route takes in more fields and meadows, which can get muddy and churned up by livestock. The shows performed well in all conditions, and I never thought of changing them for the Mantras. The cushioning ensured they were comfortable all day (and night).

My main point regarding these shoes, is how little damage my feet suffered. I don’t often get blisters, but my toes often take a pounding, and  I rarely have more than 7 intact toe nails. However the wide toe box in the GoRun Ultra combined with the cushioning, left my feet in great shape. No blisters, no toe nail damage – happy feet and a happy runner.

I’ve not tried these shoes on technical rocky terrain yet, and so I’m not sure what the grip will be like on wet rock, but I’ll certainly try them.