with so many great reviews of the Skechers GORun 4 already being posted out there, it seems almost redundant (if not unnecessary) to provide a write-up about the GORun 3s ...
except that i really, really like this shoe.
the fact is that the GR2 has been a great performer for me - super-versatile for all kinds of training runs, and even getting me across the finish line in a marathon (although one of my worst, but due in no way to my footwear). when i first checked out the GR3s in a Skechers retail store some 18 months ago, i didn't give them much thought ... mostly because i was so taken by the GORun Ultra. but when provided with an opportunity by Skechers Performance Division Canada to put them through their paces, they have quickly risen to the top of my go-to arsenal.
what works about this shoe?
- light - what makes the GR3 a shoe that is really adaptable to speed and long-run workouts is that it doesn't weigh a ton. the kitchen scale tells me that my size 10s come in at just around 7.3 oz (or thereabouts).
- bright - i deliberately wanted to test out Skechers Performance's Nite Owl technology, which is a photo-luminescent colour-saturated material that absorbs light and then emanates it as a glow for visibility. in the daytime, these shoes are an unmissable bright alien green - and at night (after sufficient light exposure, of which natural daylight does the best charging job) it looks like each stride is being taken by neon glowsticks.
the picture doesn't do any justice to the aura on these shoes!
- airy - the change in the upper material (especially over the forefoot) to the triangular sub-layer and open-mesh covering certainly factors into its overall lightness as well as it being a well-ventilated shoe. i don't plan on trudging through a lot of mud and puddles with them, but i suppose that while its construction would mean that it provides less protection against moisture penetration it also would lend itself to decent drainage and evaporation.
- width - as with most Skechers Performance Division footwear to date, loads of forefoot room for adequate toe splay, plus a nice stretchy quality to that upper Power-Prene material.
- low-drop - by now pretty standard, the GR3 sports a 4mm offset from heel to toe, with the option to jack that up a bit to 8mm with the extra insoles included for a customizable ride.
- M-Strike - the distinctive feature first introduced in the original GORun, the mid-foot 'bump' provides subtle feedback about footstrike tendencies and encourages a more natural, under-the-center-of-mass landing. there is a definite roll/convexity to the outsole, in part accentuated by a scoop profile towards the heel portion. it may prove noticeable while walking but in the running stride it does exactly what it's supposed to - letting the runner know that the most efficient landing pattern is accomplished by not overstriding.
- tread - i like the pod-pattern on the outsole, with several key contact points being reinforced with rubber for durability and traction. otherwise it's the proprietary Resalyte that for me provides decent durability without adding mass to the shoe.
- pricepoint - c'mon, $75 USD? how can you go wrong - really.
as you might have already gathered, i do love this shoe. no question that it garners 5 out of 5 footprints from me.
*** disclaimer: i was provided with the GORun 3 by Skechers Performance Division (Canada) but was not obligated to provide a positive review. all opinions - however poorly expressed - are my own.
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