The Skechers GOmeb Speed series has varied significantly in design over the years. Initially, the shoe was a versatile long distance racer that was designed for the marathon. That evolved into version 4 and 5, which each became lighter and more aggressive. The Skechers GOmeb Speed 6 HYPER manages to drop even more weight while going back to the original versatility thanks to the addition of a full length HYPER BURST midsole. An almost complete redesign (save for the pebax plate in the midfoot), the Speed 6 HYPER should be on your radar.
Specifications (per Skechers Performance & Running Warehouse)
Weight: 5.2 oz
Stack Height: 24 mm / 20 mm
Drop: 4mm
Classification: Racing Flat
HIGHLIGHTS
Matt: A super fast, snug fitting racing shoe. Updated with full length HYPER BURST and a brand new upper, the Speed 6 is ready to take on any race. Although most will find this shoe works best for 5k-10k, some will be able to take the updated cushioning to the half marathon distance and beyond. A word of warning: GO A HALF SIZE UP!
David: Fast, responsive, and having the ability to take you into the longer races if you're trained up to it; the Speed 6 HYPER is one of the most versatile racers on the market. The shoe features a PEBAX midfoot plate to help with force transmission, full HYPER BURST midsole for cushion and responsiveness, and GOODYEAR outsole for durability. This shoe is nearly the full package, being able to take everything 5k - half M for most, and full M for some. The shoe runs a half size small for nearly every one, so please order that half size up!
Nathan: What a great racing flat. Very light, but feels like it has protection and responsiveness due to the full HYPER BURST midsole and PEBAX plate. A snug and breathable upper tops it off, creating an all around beautiful shoe for race day.
FIT/UPPER
Matt: The Skechers GOmeb Speed 6 HYPER fits a half size small. I generally wear a men's size 10, and the size 10 was too small/narrow and caused chaffing issues. The size 10.5 however fits perfectly. So definitely consider going up a half size at least unless you are used to very narrow/snug fitting shoes. The upper has been completely redone with a new translucent mesh and a large external heel counter. The mesh fits snugly against the foot and the laces lock down the mesh extremely well. The heel counter is extremely prominent. While it does a great job of locking down the heel, it can cause chaffing issues for those who choose not to wear socks. I unfortunately lost a significant amount of skin from my achilles while running sockless in this shoe. So for this upper, definitely have a layer between your foot and the shoe. The entire fit is very snug from heel to forefoot. The toebox is tapered and reinforced as the Speed 6 has a racing fit. The midfoot is narrow and heel are both on the narrower side, but the midfoot can be adjusted somewhat with the laces. The fit is narrow overall, but the toebox especially opens up with the half size larger.
David: The upper is a translucent mesh similar to the XCR, XCS, and SPEED TRL shoes that released. The feel of the upper is very light and breathable, and holds a little more of a synthetic feel to it (rather than traditional softer linen meshes). Overall the shoe does run small and I would recommend people to size up 0.5 size (normal, even narrow feet) or 1 full size for those with wider feet. With the adjustment in size the upper is incredibly light, breathable, and mobile without hot spots. The heel counter may be the most tight fitting portion of the shoe (great for stability) but in 9.5 my normal size cut up my achilles pretty good with each run so far, with socks on. After sizing up, the counter still rubbed a little, but not as concerning (no blood). As long as you size up, the upper is great. The foot is locked down super well and the toe guard in the front of the shoe helps it maintain some structure. The tongue is seemingly not there with how light it is, with added holes for ventilation. The fit is overall narrow (heel especially) but should be pleasantly snug with the size up.
Nathan: I typically wear a men's size 9, but I loved the fit of a 9.5 in this shoe. The half size up gave just enough additional volume to the toe box without sacrificing the security from the midfoot or heel cup. For shorter racing, I could see purchasing your traditional size, as other testers have had success, but given the low volume forefoot, most will do well with a half size up, which may make it more versatile for longer races (half and full marathon) given the room for feet to swell. Other than the forefoot volume, the fit is great for a racing flat. The lacing locks the foot in great, I experienced no heel slippage, and the translucent mesh upper settled in nicely without any creasing.
RIDE
Matt: The midsole of the Speed 6 HYPER has been updated to full HYPER BURST and has dropped to 5.2 oz (men's size 9). The close to the ground feel, HYPER BURST and PEBAX midfoot plate provides a fast and smooth ride. The HYPER BURST provides additional cushioning that keeps the ride from being bone crushing firm, which is common in lighter weight 5k-10k shoes. No matter where you land, there is light cushioning that will keep you going far longer than expected. The heel does have a bevel and the forefoot is fairly flexible, providing a smooth heel strike and toe off. The midfoot is stiffer thanks to the plate however the ride, while bouncy, is not super aggressive. The midsole takes some of the bite away from the road but does more to stabilize the sole than provide extra propulsion. The Speed 6 HYPER is a fast ride but the extra cushioning for such a flat gives it the versatility to handle longer races if your body is ready for that.
David: I have a lot of good things to say about the ride and midsole of the SPEED 6 HYPER. First off, the shoe is very fast with only 5.2 ounces of shoe required to lift. On top of this, the hyper burst midsole provides an incredibly responsive ride for how much cushion it gives at the same time. Don't get me wrong, the shoe is firm and ready to race, but feels much smoother than a lot of the other harder flats on the market, especially when taken to roads. One thing I am a fan of is how the PEBAX midfoot plate plays into the dynamics of the shoe. The plate is still very light, but creates the heaviest portion of the shoe in the midfoot, so it almost cues the athlete (does not matter forefoot or heel striker) to slightly adjust their landing to the midfoot plate. The midfoot plate then transfers the forces into the forefoot. The design sort of reminds me of a the wave plate principle seen in various Mizuno shoes. The outsole contributes to the firm responsive ride in very positive way, making it snappy and smooth. This is also coupled with the midfoot plate and hyper burst midsole. Huge fan of the ride of this shoe. My only real criticism is that the ride feels smooth at all paces, it doesn't necessarily feel aggressive, or that it wants to push faster. If you can create the pace, it will feel nice, but the shoe won't feel super propulsive. Regardless, if something feels smooth at sub 5 paces, it's a dang good ride.
Nathan: This shoe feels even lighter than the 5.2 oz specs. The combination of the HYPER BURST and PEBAX midfoot plate make this shoe extremely responsive at race pace. I am a heel striker, and although it is only a 4mm drop, it felt comfortable landing back there with a smooth transition to the forefoot. The ride is a great combination of feeling connected to the ground thanks to the low profile, but has enough protection underneath to keep your feet from getting beat up on race day. Given the PEBAX plate, there is a stiffer ride, which is great for race day, and there was nothing holding me back from picking up the pace. I enjoyed that the PEBAX plate was only through the midfoot, as it gave slight flexibility to the forefoot for toe off and was a piece of making this ride so smooth. As evidenced in the GRR8, the HYPER BURST can be stiff for a springy toe off without an added plate.
STABILITY
Matt: The most prominent stability feature of the Skechers GOmeb Speed 6 HYPER is the massive PEBAX external heel counter and very snug fit in the rearfoot. I highly suggest reading my Thoughts as a DPT, section, but overall the reafoot is held fairly well in the shoe. The lacing system does a great job of holding the foot on the platform. The full HYPER BURST midsole would normally be a bit unstable, but the use of the PEBAX midfoot plate adds some stability in the midfoot. Other than that, this is a neutral racing flat. However, for those that need very light stability, the GOmeb Speed 6 HYPER may work better than other options in its class.
David: The Speed 6 is very stable for a racing flat. The GOODYEAR outsole firms up the shoe, reducing any give to outside forces. The upper locks down well with the translucent mesh that does not have much give, securing the foot in tight turns as well. The heel counter also does a great job of making sure the foot is not going anywhere. I feel that the heel counter may almost do too good of job and compress on the distal achilles a little much. In my normal size it cut me every time I ran, with the half size up it rubbed a little but was ok if I loosened up the laces a little. The rigidity of the plate and outsole help stabilize the plushness of the hyperburst midsole, making this shoe a good stable option on roads.
Nathan: Probably one of the most stable, low profile racing flats you will see. The upper is secure with the lacing system locking the foot down with no heel, midfoot, or forefoot slippage even at a half size up. The rigid plate, which stabilizes/counters the full HYPER BURST, and full contact outsole help control stability throughout the gait cycle.
SPEED
Matt: The Skechers GOmeb Speed 6 HYPER is a fast shoe. This shoe will excel at intervals, fartleks, short tempos, and races from 5k to 10k for most. I have used this shoe for both track and road intervals with huge success. The lightweight ride and extremely bouncy HYPER BURST midsole respond well to a variety of speeds. Given the lighter weight and close to ground ride, the GOmeb Speed 6 HYPER will work best for most in 5k to 10k distances. However, for those who are more experienced, the additional cushioning will allow for use up to the half marathon and beyond. The HYPER BURST midsole with only a midfoot plate feels great maintaining paces, getting into rhythms for longer periods and felt best during longer repeats for me. Although I have not used them for tempo runs, I expect they would naturally perform well. So despite the design being for faster paces, some will be able to use these for long distance races.
David: The SPEED 6 lives true to its name. It is VERY fast. I was able to get this shoe to 4:30 pace in some fartlek workouts and a comfortable 5:10 pace at some faster tempo moments. This shoe is more than ready to tackle a fast 5k or 10k. For some, it may even translate to half marathon and full marathon depending on efficiency and comfort of the runner. I plan on racing a half marathon in them very soon myself with intentions of going sub 1:10. I think the speed is in large part due to the weight (5.2 ounces) coupled with the brilliance of hyper burst cushioning and force transferring PEBAX plate in the midfoot. The ride is so smooth at all paces, it almost feels like you're always in a state of flow or rhythm running in this shoe.
Nathan: Absolutely love this shoe for speed, and is my top 10K racing flat. That isn't all though. The stability and durability of this shoe also make it a great options for some fartlek or other tempo training runs as well. For marathoners who like to feel connected to the ground, this may become your new favorite marathon racer. For most, this is a great 5K and 10K racing day shoe. The shoe carries effortless speed with the light weight and responsiveness of the HYPER BURST and PEBAX plate.
DURABILITY
Matt: The use of GOODYEAR outsole rubber is a welcome addition that adds a more durability to this shoe. The HYPER BURST midsoles tend to show early wear, but the rides remain the same even over long miles. I have over 300 miles on a pair Razor 3s and although I have chewed up the outsole, it is still very runnable. I have 15 miles on my first pair of Skechers GOmeb Speed 6 HYPER and I am seeing some mild wear in the posteriolateral heel. This is common with softer shoes, but the GOODYEAR outsole should hold this off for a while. At most I would expect 150 miles out of this shoe and some may be able to get far more. Overall, you are trading an incredibly light and responsive ride for durability.
David: As far as the outsole goes, the shoe features a GOODYEAR outsole that is probably just as durable as a minimalist trainer, so you will get your moneys worth in miles out of this lightweight racing flat if used for only racing. There isn't much of the outsole though, so if used for high training volume as well (workouts and racing), the shoe may not last that long. I have a little over 20 miles on my pair at this time and it is showing some where. I can see about 100 quality miles on this shoe before you begin to bust through the outsole and start beginning to strike the foam.
Nathan: The GOODYEAR outsole has been a great addition to the Skechers line, as it is lasting much longer with less wear than previous outsoles that they have dropped. To keep the weight light, the GOODYEAR outsole is thin, so it will likely be one of the first things to go. Looking at the midsole, HYPER BURST holds up well over time, and the addition of the plate will help yield some of the deadening of foam that happens over time. Lastly, the upper has lasted me well on other models (SPEED TRL HYPER), so I expect this upper to pull its weight. So far, no loosening of the upper and the shoe is just as secure as it was on day 1.
THOUGHTS AS A DPT
Heel counters are a very common component of running shoes and it is believed that they stabilize the rearfoot (calcaneus). While rearfoot motion specifically has been implicated more with tibiofeomral rotation and midfoot pronation (citation), there is a lack of evidence as to whether a heel counter actually controls rearfoot motion. Most of the literature on heel counters are fairly old, but several have demonstrated that the calcaneus will move in the shoe regardless of whether a flexible or hard counter is used (Liu et al., 2017; Van Gheluwe et al, 1995). Others have demonstrated that heel snugness is more important than stiffness (Van Gheluwe et al., 1999). Recent literature has even demonstrated that biomechanical assessment of the foot analyzing shoe movement is only appropriate for frontal plane motion (think inversion/eversion), but not for transverse plane motion like calcaneal adduction/abduction (Trudea et al., 2017).
To summarize the above, heel counter stiffness does not seem to affect calcaneal motion or stability. Rather, it appears that how snug the heel fits is more important (Van Gheluwe et al., 1999). Knowing that stiff heel counters also can be painful or irritating for those with Haglund Deformities or sensitive heels, I highly suggest not using them and instead developing a heel lock system. Skechers has done this extremely well with the recent GOrun Speed XCR, XCS and TRL HYPER. Given that my heel is very sensitive to heel counters (and my half size down tore the skin off my achilles insertion), I highly suggest utilizing the heel lock system instead of a stiff counter given they have not been demonstrated to be effective at stabilizing the heel.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The Speed 6 HYPER is a really great road racing flat. However, the sizing and excessive heel counter needs to be changed. I do not usually have sizing issues with Skechers, but this does need to be fixed. The heel counter is so stiff and may cause irritation for some people, so I would highly suggest using the amazing heel lock system found in other great Skechers shoes. This is both due to comfort as well as the above evidence regarding their efficacy.
David: Overall the SPEED 6 is a great option for road racing. One obvious recommendation would be making the shoe true to size. Other than that with size adjustment, I would like to see the heel mechanism changed. Either a less involved counter and/or more padding for it, or a heel lock system similar to the other SPEED models from Skechers. I have no problems with the forefoot or midfoot. I potentially would like to see if they switch up the midfoot plate material to something a little more responsive to make the shoe more aggressive. It doesn't have to be a carbon plate, even the nylon plate from the SPEED TRL would be interesting to see.
Nathan: I'm going to have to reach for recommendations here as I think it hit the sweet spot in so many categories. For sizing, possibly increase the volume of the forefoot, but please don't lose the security that the midfoot and heel had.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR (Conclusion)
Matt: An extremely smooth, fast and snug fitting racing flat that will excel at 5k-10k distances for most people. Whether fast intervals or longer races, the Speed 6 will be able to handle it if you can. The ride is responsive, but surprisingly cushioned for such a lightweight racing flat thanks to the full length HYPER BURST midsole. The PEBAX plate in the midfoot adds stability as it has in previous models. The sizing though is snug and short, thus most people will need at least a half size up. The snug heel and heel counter will lock your feet in well, just be cautious if you are sensitive to stiff counters. Overall a fantastic upgrade that should definitely be on your list to try for 2019 if you are looking for a lightweight racing flat like this!
David: A very fast shoe for both elite and sub elite that will still agree with many recreational populations as well. The SPEED 6 is ready for everything you throw at it (5k to 10k for most, half marathon and marathon for others). The ride is firm, but cushioned just enough thanks to the hyper burst midsole. The PEBAX plate in the midfoot works wonders with transferring forces throughout the gait cycle for a smoother and more responsive toe off. The shoe does run small though! Even for normal and narrow sized feet, please size up a half size! If there are concerns about wide feet, potentially even a full size up! Overall though, I am very happy with the shoe. So happy I was willing to keep pushing in my normal size (cut my heels twice and stained my shoe...). So please size up and enjoy one of the best racing shoes out there.
Nathan: For those looking for a racing flat that gives you the sensation of being connected to the ground but does have a responsive and protective foam, this is your next shoe. Best for a 5K/10K, but some will also benefit from this shoe for a half and full marathon because of the protection it does provide. Depending on your foot type and how aggressively you race, you will want to size up for optimal fit as of now. Fast, light, smooth, and responsive. What more could you want?
GRADING
Matt
Fit 7.5 /10 (-2.5 for half size small, and PEBAX heel counter too aggressive)
Ride 9.5 /10 (-.5 for midfoot only plate. Super fast and smooth ride)
Stability 8.5 /10 (Stable for a racing shoe thanks to plate, snug heel and PEBAX heel counter)
Speed 10 /10 (As fast as it gets but would still like to see extended plate)
Durability 8 /10 (Early wear of lateral heel. GOODYEAR and HYPER usually last well)
David
Fit 8/10 (-1 for not being true to size, -1 PEBAX heel counter too involved)
Ride 9.5/10 (fluid, fast, would like to see if different material in midfoot plate makes more springy and aggressive)
Stability 9.25/10 (overly stable for racing flat in heel counter, toe guard great, plate helps)
Speed 10/10 (very very very fast, the only potential change I'd like to see is in ride critique)
Durability 9/10 (Midsole great, outsole durable yet very thin. if only racing shoe then it will work fine. High training volume workouts may have limited life)
Nathan
Fit 8.5 /10 (-1.5 for half size small)
Ride 9.5 /10 (-0.5 for low profile for longer races)
Stability 9.5 /10 (-0.5 for narrow platform)
Speed 10 /10 (Just great)
Durability 9 /10 (Outsole, HYPER BURST/PEBAX, and upper showing no wear)
Total Score: 90.5% (M: 8.7/10 D: 9.15/10 N: 9.3/10 )
Thanks for reading!
Editor's Note: As always, the views presented on this website belong to myself or the selected few who contribute to these posts. This website should not and does not serve as a replacement for seeking medical care. If you are currently injured or concerned about an injury, please see your local running physical therapist. If you are in the Los Angeles area, I am currently taking clients for running evaluations.
Matthew Klein, PT DPT OCS FAAOMPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists
Nathan Brown PT DPT MS
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Masters in Anatomy and Clinical Health Science
Movement Performance Institute Certified in Advanced Functional Biomechanics
David Salas PT DPT CSCS
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
***Disclaimer: These shoes were provided free of charge in exchange for a review. We thank the people at Skechers Performance for sending us a pair. This in no way affected the honesty of this review. We put at least 35-50 miles on trainers and 10-25 miles on racing flats prior to reviewing them. Currently we have 15 miles (Matt) and 22 miles (David) on our pairs. Our views are based on my extensive history in the footwear industry and years testing and developing footwear. If you are a footwear rep looking for footwear reviews or consultations on development, we are currently looking to partner with companies to assist, discuss and promote footwear models. Partnership will not affect the honesty of our reviews.
References
2. Trudeau., M., Jewell, C., Rohr, E., Fischer, K., Willwacher, S., Brueggermann, G., Hamill, J (2017). The calcaneus adducts more than the shoe's heel during running. Footwear Science, 9(2), 79-85
3. Van Gheluwe, B., Kerwin, D., Roosen, P. & Tielemans, R. (1999). The influence of heel fit on rearfoot motion in running shoes. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 15(4), 361-372.
4. Van Gheluwe, B., Tielemans, R. & Roosen, P (1995). The influence of heel counter rigidity on rearfoot motion during running. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 11(1): 47-67
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