Yep, another shoe that is about a year old and with all the new super shoes coming out, it is one that a lot of runners are forgetting how good it is.

The Skechers GoRun Ride 8.

The GRR8 had a lot of great reviews when it first came out, but like most things in the running world after 3-4 months, they are now old news and becoming a forgotten shoe.

Well, not by me.

I am a bit late to the GRR8 hype train, but not to the GoRun Ride line, having run in versions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. So I am very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of this line of shoes. That being said, after 50 miles the eighth version of the GoRun Ride line is the best of the bunch by a long shot.

As you can see below I have done a lot of different runs in the GRR8s, although nothing faster (injuries are getting in the way). They are a put them on and forget about them kind of shoe that I run any distance I run nowadays comfortably and confidently. Which is so important to the injury prone runner that I seem to have become this year.

Fit

The GRR8s run big, well long. I typically wear size 8.0 or 8.5 in most brands/models and I have a feeling that I could go down to a size 7.5 based on where my finger is in front of my big toe on the shoe. That is one of biggest problems I have with Skechers brand of shoes is the inconsistency in sizing across their lines, some run big, others small for me.

Otherwise, the size 8.0 fits well enough that I have no issues with blisters, premature wear on the uppers and does not bother my balky right foot and the Tailor’s Bunionette that gets grumpy so very easily. About the only thing I would change is making the heel cup a little more snug, while it has not been an issue and I have not had to use a runner’s knot to make it fit a bit better, that might be a little of the loosey-goosey feeling I get sometimes.

Weight

They will never be confused by me for go faster or race day shoes, while they are fairly light for daily trainers they get heavy pretty quickly when you attempt to pick up the pace for any length of time. Yes, I am getting spoiled when it comes to what running shoes and daily trainers should weigh. Although many runners could use them as part of a one or two shoe rotation without too many issues.

Ride

I love the ride that the Hyperburst midsole provides. It is cushioned, but firm enough that it is not sloppy. Yes, I can pick up the speed in them if I choose to, but my primary use for the GRR8s are for easy and recovery runs, while I heal from my assorted ouchies and so far it has done a great job on those kind of runs.

Appearance/Upper

The bright yellow/black upper’s colorway are definitely Harold colors and can be seen from a long distance away. As a neighbor commented on them the other day, when I went by “Saw it was you coming down the road from the corner and knew who it was by the shoes right away.” I chuckled said “hi”, waved and kept running as they were laughing at me.

Usually I have not been a fan of knit uppers, but Skechers did a great job on the GRR8s in my opinion and even got the tongue right, which I have found for most knit uppers is the hardest thing to get right.

However, I have a feeling that if I attempted to wear them in colder weather I had better have on my Merino wool socks and hope that the wind is not blowing too much. Great during the summer, but up heah in Maine, from late October to the end of April having a less airy upper, i.e. warmer shoes is often a nice thing. Not everyone lives in warm weather climates most of the year,

Outsole/Midsole

As so many others have said Hyperburst is the real deal and I have to agree, it is a great feeling midsole that has let me get back to running a bit sooner than I thought that I would be at this point. It is light, cushioned-yet firm enough to be comfortable and lets the GRR8s be a more flexible shoe than previous editions have been for me.

There is plenty of stack height to protect your feet from most road hazards (very little road feel) and when I run on the dirt road down back it will smooth out most of the smaller rocks and stuff, so that I don’t notice them. Which to my way of thinking is a good thing.

I am not a huge fan of the outsole, not a lot of grip (I would prefer something like the one on the Forza 4), on wet roads or down back on the dirt road after a rain, they can be a bit unstable on the ground and I don’t quite dare to open up my stride going downhill on wet pavement or making a hard turn without slowing down to ensure remaining upright.

There is not a lot of wear on the outsole, but it is more a decent weather or treadmill style of outsole and not something that I would want to wear outside in crappy weather, ungroomed trails or the winter just because of the lack of traction in the design. I can see the GRR8s making it to 300-400 miles without too many issues.

The Reality is that

I like the Skechers GoRun Ride 8s an awful lot. They have done everything I have asked of them so far.

Although 50 mile reviews can sometimes be like fool’s gold and things change for me once the shoes get over the 100 mile mark, I have a feeling that for what I am using the the GRR8s for (recovery and easy runs), that they are going to be fine for the long haul.

Skechers took the biggest problem I had with the GRR7 and lowered the ankle wells slightly so that they do not rub against the ankle bone as much and either put holes in the upper or blisters on my ankles.

Overall, I am very impressed with the GRR8 and they have become my goto running shoes for most of my running now. I have to actively think about using other shoes in the rotation, because I reach for these first.

However, as we head for colder and nastier weather up heah in Maine, I will be looking for a pair of running shoes that will have better traction and are not quite as airy, to get through the winter that will be here before we know it. If I lived in a more southerly clime, the GoRun Ride 8s might be great year-round shoes outside, but up heah, I have a feeling that during the winter months they will be great treadmill shoes.

Unfortunately, with the pandemic still ongoing, me going to the gym to use the treadmill is not happening anytime soon, so getting another pair of GRR8s at this point and time doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I am pretty sure that I will be doing all of my running outside this winter season.

Now to get some more rubber off the outsole of the GRR8s and see how they hold up over the next few hundred miles.