Originally posted on: August 22, 2014

Skechers GoMeb2Okay, so I have a few more than 50 miles on my Skechers GoMeb 2 racing shoes, yeah that’s right racing shoes. You know me – that guy who said back in February that I didn’t need racing flats and now have 2 pairs.However, it took a while to get to 50 miles, due to all of my wonderful injuries this summer. Then once my legs got feeling better and I started training little more seriously for some 5k’s, the mileage piled up on my Meb 2’s a lot quicker than I expected.Yeah, this is another one of those reviews of an older running shoe that is nearing the end of its cycle, (so it is not the hottest new running shoe out there, but there are enough of people who are still interested in this racing shoe that the post is still pertinent. I plan to do a post next week on why I think doing reviews of these older shoes is still relevant – at least in my mind  😉 .No I am not going to bore you with all the stats that the manufacturer or other sites that sell running shoes can give you.I am going to focus on how the GoMeb 2’s worked for me as an older, recreational runner, who wants to run faster, but ain’t no Meb or even really all that good 😉 .

Let’s get this out of the way. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this pair of Skechers GoMeb2′s from the local Skechers Performance Division representative after volunteering at the Skechers display booth at the Rail Trail Half Marathon & 5K, at no cost to me.  I was not required to write a positive review or any review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and your experience with the product might be different. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What are the GoMeb 2’s to Me?

I am not an efficient or light enough runner to comfortably run in the more minimal racing flats (even for short-distances) and had been looking basically at what some of the better runners are using for half to full marathon racing flats to be my 5K to 10K  race/speedwork running shoes.

Skechers GoMeb 2In other words I wanted a pair of racing shoes, that provided more protection/less road feel than the Ekidon’s or other similar light-weight racing flats I have tried recently, but at the same had a rockered sole and felt comfortable to me when I ran in them.

• The Meb 2’s are not minimal racing flats, they are longer distance racing shoe, a slight difference, but whatever you want to call them,  they have become my primary racing/speedwork running shoes and they are not flats.
• The Meb 2’s have the rockered Skechers sole unit that I love.
• The Meb 2’s feel comfortable when I run in them.

Which means they are exactly what I was/am looking for.

Fit

Initially, I was worried about this – a lot.While I tried on this model several times, before I got a pair (after all I was helping other runners try them on at the Skechers Booth at a couple of different events), but I was really concerned about the narrowness of the toe box and how long they seemed to get a good feeling in the toe box. The 7.5 was too narrow and the 8.5 way too long, so the 8.0 is what I ended up with, but they are still a little too long, which causes the fabric in the toe box to fold a little.

Skechers GoMeb2Luckily, that doesn’t  bother me when I am running, but feels weird/off a little when I am just walking around in the Meb2’s.One thing that I found was that I can’t run without socks (as much as I wanted to), there is a little ridge on the outside of right heel causes a blister and my heels on both feet had small blisters, but as long as I wear socks I don’t have any issues. However, I see other runners going sockless in them, so it might be that I just have wimpy feet 🙂 .

Skechers GoMeb2Something that I look for now in all of my running shoes now is that they do not have sewn in straps/overlays on the upper, which allows the upper to stretch a little more and in my opinion mold more to your foot.The GoMeb 2’s just has welded overlays, which do not bother my feet and have been wide enough that they do not bother my Tailor’s Bunionette like so many other shoes do.

Skechers GoMeb2Overall, while I expected the Meb 2’s to be very narrow when I first looked at them and not work for me.However, they surprised the hell out of me and fit my feet nicely.The GoMeb 2’s meet the comfort test, as long as I am running in them. They are not designed for just hanging around in.They are “gofast” shoes.

Feel

The first time I put them on, I wasn’t sure about how they felt, they are much firmer than my GoRun Ride 2’s and didn’t have that soft, comfortable feel that I had come to associate with Skechers shoes I have worn.However, they are racing flats and having a marshmallow feel in a pair of flats, is not what you want or need.

Skechers GoMeb2They are comfortable to run in and I have run well on the track, roads and yes, even down back on the dirt road with Bennie. On Tuesdays we have been doing a 2.0 mile or so time trial and as long as I am paying attention to where I am stepping, it is not a problem, (although the stability plate does help protect my feet a little from some of the rocks).The most important thing about the feel of these shoes is  –  that they do feel fast.

Durability

Really, I do not worry about durability or at least it is not a big deal when it comes to racing shoes. I get them to run fast in and expect to get 150 to 250 qulity miles max out them. After about 60 miles I am starting to see more wear than I did on the GRR2’s at the same point, but to be honest I do not care.

Skechers
GoMeb2On a dry night I wouldn’t hesitate to use these at the Quarry Road Trail race, rainy day the roads roads they work fine, but I wouldn’t run in them over at Bond Brook trails at race speeds, although others might.

How are they working?

While there are a lot of runners who would use the the Meb 2’s to race any distance up to a marathon.For me I am pretty sure that while I could race up to a half marathon in these shoes, I think I my legs would be pretty well beat up if I did.So for how I run and how much I weigh, weight does matter when it comes to shoe choice in my opinion and yeah I have to loose 10-15 pounds to use these for longer races. For now, I will use them up to a 10K and call it good.Beyond that distance, I would use a light-weight trainer like the GoRun  or GoRun Ride series, to provide a little more protection to my aging and oft-injured legs.Is that a concession to aging you are finally admitting to Harold?Yep, it sure is. I am choosing to have more protection and comfort, than the need for lightness and speed. Especially, since that guy who used to think he was pretty fast, is only a memory.

Where I run downbackI just recently started to add in speed work to my training and I have done most of it in my GoMeb 2’s and they have done everything that I wanted.On my 2.0 mile time trials down back with Bennie, I am getting into the sub 6:40 pace range for portions of the run and have had a sub 7:00 pace overall on a dirt road that has hills/rocks and doggie distractions.During track workouts, they do not get in my way, have the right amount of firmness to run fast on a cushioned track and I don’t feel beat up afterward.When I have done road speedwork (you know those tempo or fartlek runs) they feel great and this is where I think the GoMeb’s do their best work – fast stuff on the roads. They provide enough protection to be comfortable, but are light enough/have plenty of traction to go fast.

Overall

The GoMeb 2’s  my go fast shoes and I can’t wait until Sunday to do the Run for the Fallen 5K in Brunswick to see how they do under race conditions. I have a feeling that they will do better than this old body will 😉 .
From my perspective they are a solid racing shoe, that I will use a lot over the next few months. I can’t give a running shoe any higher compliment than to say it is one that I will use

ELabels: 50 mile reviewreviewrunning shoe reviewSkechers GoMeb 2