Friday, January 15, 2016

Outdoor Retailer W16: Skechers Performance-Mini Review of the GoTrail Ultra 3, Forza, GoRun 4-2016


Skechers Performance
Skechers Performance generally allows press coverage only as shoes are released to the market. Launched or launching soon: 
Skechers GoTrail Ultra 3 Mini Review
Skechers GoTrail Ultra 3
It's seems like forever I have known and worn the exciting new GoTrail Ultra 3. I wear tested it. With a very soft, very cushioned yet stable ride, an outstandingly supportive upper that is more fabric than mesh, and a roomy high volume yet well held toe box, the Ultra 3 is Skechers first heavier duty, long run trail shoe. 

Skechers GoTrail Ultra 3

The Ultra 3 is nothing like the original Ultra except in being soft and flexible, amazingly flexible for such a massive 26mm forefoot stack and this due to the very deep flex grooves. I found the original Ultra to be a good recovery road shoe but very unstable as a trail shoe due to its unsupported upper and soft no outsole construction. Interestingly enough, I have found the Ultra 3's softnesses, combined with stack height, somewhat overwhelming and energy sapping on the road but more than decently agile, stable, energetic and flexible on trail. Usually a very soft shoe is not stable or much fun on trail but not so here. It's a great shoe on all but super off camber rocky stuff for me. My only wish, and I expressed it in my feedback in wear testing, was that the midsole be a touch firmer either by firmer foam or a touch less overall stack height.

A tremendous amount of effort and many iterations, I know! have gone into creating such a combination of overall comfort and support. A big part of making the upper supportive yet comfortable are the internal support straps at mid foot. 
Skechers GoTrail Ultra 3
Many iterations on those straps and I was amazed at the difference they made in support as they were tuned. The Ultra 3 has a decently lugged all terrain outsole and cool functional drainage ports, see picture below. 

GoTrail Ultra 3 with water pouring out the drainage ports
GoTrail Ultra 3 Stats: 10.8oz 30mm heel/ 26mm forefoot, 4mm drop. $120. Available Now.

GoRun Forza
The Forza is Skechers' first stability shoe. 10.8oz. 25mm heel/17mm forefoot, 8mm drop. $120. I tried it on and the Resalyte stability posting felt quite comfortable, far more comfortable than the usual very firm posting in stability shoes. The Forza also features Skechers 5 Gen midsole and the inner support strap we have found very effective in our testing of the GoTrail Ultra 3.

Update: See our review of the Forza here. A great shoe and we usually can't stand traditional stability/motion control shoes .
Stability
WEIGHT
10.8oz (Men’s size 9) / 8.2oz (Women’s size 7)*
MIDSOLE THICKNESS
Offset: 8mm / Forefoot: 17mm / Heel: 25mm UGGESTED RETAIL
$120
CATEGORY
Stability
WEIGHT
10.8oz (Men’s size 9) / 8.2oz (Women’s size 7)*
MIDSOLE THICKNESS
Offset: 8mm / Forefoot: 17mm / Heel: 25mm GGEthaSTED RETAI$120
Skechers Forza

Skechers Forza

GoRun 4-2016
The Run gets a new upper but otherwise is  largely unchanged. The upper is news.  It is now seamless Skechers'GoKnit. It felt very soft and foot conforming.  Like the Forza and Ultra the GoRun 4-2016  has the foot supporting strap at mid foot. Road Trail Run is testing the GoRun 4-2016 now and will have a review by February. At 7.7oz, it gains about 0.5 oz over the 2015 GoRun 4 which often seems to be the case with knit uppers. 18mm heel/14mm forefoot, 4mm drop. $105. On sale now.

Skechers GoRun 4-2016

Skechers GoRun 4-2016
The GoTrail Ultra 3, GoRun Forza and GoRun Run 4 are all available now from Running Warehouse!
Men's here
Women's here (Forza and GoRun Ride 4 only)

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Facebook:roadtrailrun.com Twitter: @roadtrailrun

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Great post Sam. Loving the GoRun Ulta Roads. Really looking forward to trying some of these.

Jonathan Phillips said...

Excellent post!

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