Skechers Go Run Ride 10: Soft and Steady
By Contributors Andrea Myers and Ryan Flugaur, and Senior Contributor David Salas
I (Andrea) have never run in a Skechers shoe before. I was impressed by the great reviews the Max Road 5 received last year and have been hoping to get an opportunity to test a pair. I was very excited when a pair of Go Run Ride 10s showed up at my door. On paper, the Go Run Ride 10 looks tailor made for me: lower drop (6mm), lightweight, responsive cushioning, and M Strike, which Skechers says promotes a mid-foot strike pattern. I found the shoe to (mostly) live up to its hype and really appreciated the lightweight cushioning when my legs and feet were tired.
Price: $124.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 8.4oz, 238g (men's size 9), 6.8oz, 193g (women's size 7)
Stack Height: 34mm heel/28mm forefoot
Drop: 6mm
Classification: cushioned neutral trainer
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
Andrea: The
Skechers Go Run Ride 10 is a lightweight, neutral daily trainer that
strikes a nice balance between cushioning and responsiveness. It has
Skechers HYPER BURST cushioning, which I found extremely comfortable and
protective without feeling unstable or marshmallow-like. The Go Run
Ride 10 also features Skechers' "MStrike" technology, which refers to a
the rearfoot and forefoot rocker design of the sole. Unlike many high
stack height shoes, the Go Run Ride 10 retains some ground feel, likely
due to the flex grooves in the outsole. The mesh upper is extremely
comfortable and accommodating and the Goodyear Rubber outsole provides
excellent traction and durability. The Go Run Ride 10 will be an
excellent daily trainer option for runners looking for a lightweight,
cushioned shoe.
David: The Skechers GORun Ride 10 is a lightweight neutral training shoe that provides a soft underfoot ride with a touch of responsiveness. The upper and fit runs a little long which does seem to make security a little off when running in on off road conditions, but the Goodyear outsole seems to help with balancing this out. The shoe feels like it wants to transition quickly off of the midfoot into the forefoot which does seem to fall in line with the M strike philosophy from Skechers.
Ryan: The Skechers Go Run Ride 10 is a neutral, daily trainer that offers a buttery soft ride thanks to the HYPER BURST midsole. The shoe performs well during a variety of paces but is best suited for easy and longer days. The softer midsole paired with a slightly rockered sole creates a nice ride, however, their M-strike technology may not be for everyone as it promotes a more mid-foot strike pattern. The upper is roomy, sometimes too much, and may lack that secure fit when picking up the pace.
FIT
Andrea: The
Go Run Ride 10 fits me true to size in my usual women's 9.5. The
forefoot is on the wider side, which I like, and the high volume mesh
upper is soft and comfortable. There is a small, somewhat rigid external
heel counter that wraps around the calcaneus medially and laterally.
There is also a Skechers "S" logo present on the outside aspect of the
heel that also provides some stability to the upper in that area. The
internal heel collar is lightly padded and non-intrusive. Overall, I
found the rearfoot to be extremely comfortable and completely
unnoticeable while running. The non-gusseted tongue is padded and is
held in place by lace loops over the mid-portion of the tongue. I did
not have any issues with the tongue moving or any irritation of the
dorsum of my foot or ankle. The laces have some mild stretch do a good
job of overall foot lockdown. The one issue I had with foot stability
was due to the higher volume mesh upper. I experienced a lot of
medial-lateral foot translation any time I took a turn or made a
sideways move (like when avoiding a hole in the sidewalk or an
overhanging branch). I think Skechers could add structure by adding
overlays the entire length of the upper, or reducing the volume of the
upper.
David: The GORun Ride 10 fits true to size in my Men's 9.5, though a little long. As long as I locked down the upper well things seemed to be ok though. The mesh upper is pretty lightweight throughout and has mild reinforcement engrained in the mesh itself. The width through the heel, midfoot, and forefoot is all normal, not leaning towards the narrow or wide end. The tongue is padded well and allows for you to lace tighter, which helps with the length issue mentioned earlier. The upper does have some stretch to it so a good lockdown is necessary, especially if taking the shoe off road. The lacing system has a wrap like material over the dorsum of the foot to help with more improved lockdown. There is a shallow heel counter present that is moderately rigid but padded well enough. The midsole is on the softer end and so I do feel the upper security could be a little better either with overlays or more internal reinforcement with the mesh itself to prevent excessive movement at the foot. Overall the upper is comfortable though and does well enough with easily runnable conditions.
Ryan: The Go Run Ride 10 fits true to size in my men’s size 9. I found the upper to fit slightly large allowing the toes to splay and swell during long/hot runs. The mesh material is breathable, and I was able to run during 80-degree days without my feet feeling too hot. People with narrow feet may feel the Go Run Ride 10 is too wide as the upper runs larger than similar shoes. The tongue is not attached to the upper, but the laces help to hold it secure over the dorsum of the foot. The tongue is lightly padded and feels comfortable over the dorsum of the foot. There is a semi rigid heel counter that wraps around the back of the shoe over both the medial and lateral direction and is well padded to prevent irritation or rubbing. Overall, I found the fit to be comfortable and was even able to wear the Go RUN Ride 10 in the clinic for 8–10-hour days with no issues.
PERFORMANCE
Andrea: I
found the Go Run Ride 10 to perform best at easy paces. The soft
midsole felt great on days where my feet and legs were tired. At faster
paces (even paces just slower than marathon pace), the instability of
the upper combined with the squishy midsole made the shoe feel loose and a
little sloppy. Runners who prefer a softer midsole may find otherwise,
as I definitely prefer a more responsive ride when running faster than
easy pace. The shoe feels like its stated 6mm drop and the ride is
pretty smooth. I think that the multiple flex grooves that run the
length of the outsole play a primary role in the smoothness of the ride.
As a midfoot striker, I found the MStrike design of the sole allowed me
to land at my preferred location at my lateral midfoot and promotes a
smooth progression to toe-off. The Goodyear outsole shows almost no wear
after 40 miles and I would expect above average durability from the
shoe. I appreciate that the rubber outsole provides fuller coverage than
other daily trainers I have tested.
David: The Skechers Go Run Ride 10 is definitely a daily trainer. The shoe feels best at rhythmic paces leaner towards the easier end, but the foam does allow for a little bit of uptempo. The weight of the shoe and bounciness of Hyperburst do give the shoe some appeal for long uptempo work if one really wanted to. The Hyperburst midsole is certainly soft underfoot, but balanced out a little bit by the Goodyear outsole that is full length. The shoe has a very small heel bevel that seems to work decent enough. The shoe certainly feels a little midfoot heavy where the shoe feels like it wants you to strike. We have seen Skechers do this in the past with the M strike technology and the shoe feels similar in the Ride 10. From the midfoot forward it transitions forward quickly with the heel being a little slower. For those that land a little further up front this could be a fun shoe to run in. Due the upper security and midsole integration this shoe definitely runs best on road or really well groomed runnable trail.
Ryan: The Skechers Go Run Ride 10 pairs with the faster Razor Excess 2. The Ride 10 is better suited for slower and recovery days while the Razor Excess 2, with a forefoot plate, can pick up the pace for tempo and interval training. For me, the Ride 10 feels best at slower paced daily mileage mainly because at faster speeds the upper can be challenging to lock down tight. The buttery soft HYPER BURST midsole feels great on longer runs as the cushion helps to keep the legs feeling fresh. The M Strike technology is designed to provide a more mid-foot strike pattern but for me it made transitions feel clunky. This feeling intensified at faster paces. I am a natural rearfoot striker so running in a shoe designed for a mid-foot strike made the heel bevel and rocker feel slightly off. Traction is provided courtesy of a Goodyear performance outsole and it does a very good job overall. I experienced no issues running over wet, gravel, or sandy surfaces. I also anticipate this shoe to perform well in winter conditions thanks to the small traction pods over the heel and forefoot. Durability is very good as it continues to display very little wear even after 45 miles. I expect above average mileage for the Go Run Ride 10.
STABILITY
Andrea: This
is a neutral shoe with minimal non-traditional stability features. The
arch fit insole provides comfortable support to the medial longitudinal
arch without being intrusive. The MStrike, which refers to the moderate
heel bevel and late toe spring, made landing at the lateral forefoot
feel very natural for me, but it guides motion rather than controlling
motion. I am normally sensitive to overly high arch support, and I did
not have any issues with the Go Run Ride 10. The small heel counter does
help to center the calcaneus in the shoe, but also does not control
motion. The most prominent feature regarding the stability of this shoe
is the higher volume, soft knit upper. The upper does not contribute
much to the stability of the foot in the shoe, and the result for me was
a lot of medial-lateral foot translation when turning. The overall
stability of the shoe would be significantly better if the upper was
refined in volume and more reinforced.
David: The Ride 10 is certainly a neutral shoe. The shoe itself does not provide too many means of stability throughout. The Hyperburst midsole is on the softer end. The upper is comfortable, but does have some stretch without too much reinforcement throughout. The Goodyear outsole with full coverage does seem to offset this a little bit, but this shoe will definitely give a hard time to those that need some stability. The softer foam does have some deformation underfoot when running and sometimes I can feel some foot translation not due to upper fit, but from its slight stretch when taking harder turns or navigating off road conditions. Stability in this shoe isn't amazing, but decent enough for neutral mechanics runners.
Ryan: Skechers states their Arch Fit insole is designed using scans of over 120,000 feet and comes with podiatrist-certified arch support. When removing and examining the insole, there is very little true arch support built in the material. I was surprised just how pliable it was with little structure over either the medial or lateral side of the foot. When putting on the shoes for the first time I was able to feel a small lump under the arch of my foot. However, over the first run this support broke down and after only a few miles it was barely noticeable.
I would question if this “special” insole provides any more support than that used in a typical running shoe. Don’t expect this insole to perform or feel like a custom built orthotic or even one that you would purchase off the shelf. When placing the shoe flat on the floor it was obvious that the shoe sits in slight valgus as the lateral side of the shoe is built up slightly higher than the medial. This places the foot in a slight amount of pronation at static stance. Runners with previous pronation injuries such as posterior tibial tendonitis may want to be careful with this shoe as this geometry can increase the potential for overpronation injuries.
Overall, The Go Run Ride 10 is best suited for those runners that prefer a neutral shoe and without previous pronation related injuries as the shoe provides no true support, especially on the medial side.
THOUGHTS AS A DPT / FOOTWEAR SCIENCE
MStrike Analysis
By Contributor Andrea Myers
Skechers
advertises its MStrike geometry as a feature that "promotes efficiency
in each stride" (by encouraging a midfoot strike), according to the
Skechers website. It is common for runners to think that rearfoot
striking is bad, unnatural, or results in greater injury risk. The
current running literature does not support these common misconceptions.
It is important for runners and clinicians to know that the vast
majority of runners are rearfoot strikers. A 2021 systematic review that
examined the relationship between foot strike pattern and injury found
that over 90% of the runners in the included 13 studies were rearfoot
strikers (Burke et al 2021). This is consistent with other studies,
including one that analyzed 1931 marathon runners, which found a
rearfoot strike prevalence of 93% (Kasmer et al 2013).
The Burke
systematic review analyzed 13 research articles that looked at the
relationship between strike pattern and injury. They concluded that
there is "a very low level of evidence to suggest a relationship between
foot strike technique and running related injury." They noted that of
the 13 studies, two thirds of them did find a relationship between
strike pattern and injury, but that these studies were of low quality
due to study design, low sample sizes, and possibly inaccurate
self-reporting methodologies. No wonder runners (and some health care
practitioners) continue to think that heel striking is bad and will lead
to an increased risk of injury. It is clear that better research needs
to be done to further clarify any relationship that may exist between
foot strike pattern and injury. It is possible that rearfoot strikers
may be at greater risk of certain types of injury (such as knee pain or
ITB syndrome) and midfoot or forefoot strikers may be at greater risk of
ankle or foot injuries.
For more information on this topic, check out Matt Klein's very informative article for Runners World on the topic of heel striking.
References:
Burke
A, Dillon S, O’Connor S, Whyte EF, Gore S, Moran KA. Risk Factors for
Injuries in Runners: A Systematic Review of Foot Strike Technique and
Its Classification at Impact. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. September 2021.
Kasmer ME, Liu XC, Roberts KG, Valadao JM. Foot-strike pattern and performance in a marathon. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2013;8(3):286-292.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Andrea: This is a great recovery day shoe, but does not work for me at paces faster than easy pace due to the softness of the midsole and the instability of the upper. I would recommend that Skechers refine the upper by reducing overall volume and providing some structure medially and laterally, possibly with overlays. I really like the extensive rubber coverage of the outsole and the MStrike/rockered sole, which made my preferred mid-foot landing very natural and comfortable. I hope that Skechers will keep these features while improving the upper.
David: The Go Run Ride 10 provides a pretty fun ride for a daily trainer but does miss the mark with upper security. The foam underfoot is pretty soft and does have some deformation. The Goodyear outsole helps with offsetting it, but the shoe needs more security up top. Though the mesh upper is comfortable, it does not provide great security when running in off road conditions or where you need to take a lot of turns. Reinforcing the upper more and fixing the length issue (runs long) should clean up the ride quite a bit.
Ryan: I have two recommendations. First, I would like to see the heel bevel restructured to appeal to more runners, specifically rearfoot strikers. If the goal is to design a midfoot strike shoe, I would like to see more education regarding this so rear foot strikers are more aware of what they are purchasing. My second recommendation is to refine the upper. Providing a more secure lockdown will make it feel more comfortable at higher paces as well as cater to those runners with narrow feet.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR
Andrea: The Skechers Go Run Ride 10 is a lightweight, cushioned, neutral shoe that is best for easy miles. The high volume, knit upper does not provide the best foot lockdown, particularly when turning. Runners who prefer a more responsive shoe for intervals will find the Go Run Ride 10 to be too soft for faster paces, but those who like a lightweight, soft shoe for intervals may find the shoe more versatile than I did. For midfoot strikers, the Go Run Ride 10 feels very natural and it is nice to have a shoe designed specifically for this type of foot strike pattern.
David: The Skechers Go Run Ride 10 is a neutral daily training shoe for those who have pretty sound mechanics and want something a little softer underfoot. The shoe transitions pretty quickly from the midfoot through the forefoot and does feel like it leans on the M strike philosophy of Skechers a decent amount. The ride is pretty fun on road and well groomed off road conditions, but the stretch and security of the upper give it some issues in turning situations or moderately groomed trails. The Ride 10 is a lightweight daily training shoe that provides a pretty fun and bouncy ride but may lack some stability elements.
Ryan: The Skechers Go Run Ride 10 is a neutral, daily trainer best suited for slower runs but also designed to handle longer runs thanks to the softer HYPER BURST midsole. Runners with a mid-foot strike pattern will likely find the heel bevel smoother than I did due to the M strike technology. The upper is better suited for those runners with wider feet or prefer a larger volume toe box and runners with narrow feet may have a challenging time finding a secure lockdown. Overall, the Go Run Ride 10 is a comfortable daily trainer but some of its unique properties make it better suited for certain individuals.
GRADING
Andrea
Fit: B (Length true to size, wider than average toe box, but high volume upper does not promote adequate foot lockdown)
Performance: B- (Best at easy paces, too soft for faster paces, upper unstable in turns)
Stability: B- (neutral shoe, rockered sole promotes smooth transitions, but unstable upper limits use)
DPT/Footwear Science: B (the
majority of runners are heel strikers, so a shoe that encourages a
midfoot landing may not work for them. The running literature does not
support the idea that changing to a midfoot or forefoot strike will
reduce injury risk. Midfoot strikers may find the MStrike to support
their natural landing pattern.)
Personal: B (comfortable easy day shoe with lightweight cushioning, but unstable upper limits use)
Overall: B (I enjoyed the lightweight cushioning, lower stack, and MStrike, but stability of the upper needs refining)
David
Fit: B (Length runs long, lacing system is good, material needs a little more reinforcement to integrate with midsole better)
Performance: B (Best at daily paces but does still have pretty decent responsiveness, turns and versatility is limited by security of upper security and midsole integration though)
Stability: C+ (About as neutral as they come. Soft and quick underfoot ride with some foam deformation, upper security could be improved. Outsole coverage helps.)
DPT/Footwear Science: B (Transitions are fun throughout, though upper and midsole integration could be much better)
Personal: B (I do a lot of multi terrain runs. I like the ride of the shoe and like the bounce and quick transition, but the upper security has me struggling to want to reach for it more)
Overall: B (Neutral trainer with fun soft and bouncy ride though upper security could use quite a bit of work)
Ryan
Fit: B+ (Larger fitting upper. A comfortable shoe for walking and standing at work)
Performance: B+ (Best suited for recovery or slower paced days. Heel bevel designed for midfoot strikers.)
Stability: B (No true structural guidance incorporated in the shoe. Large volume upper makes it challenging for a secure lockdown. Don’t expect anything magic out of the “special” insole.)
DPT/Footwear Science: B- (A shoe that promotes a more mid-foot strike pattern may not work for everyone.)
Personal: B (Really enjoyed the HYPER BURST midsole. Heel bevel just felt off making initial contact to midstance feel slightly off)
Overall: B (The Go Run Ride 10 will cater well to the right runner. Individuals with a midfoot strike pattern as well as prefer a wider toe box will likely enjoy this shoe, especially at slower paces)
SHOP | SUPPORT DOR
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