Skechers Aero Burst Review: Bursting onto the Scene

Introduction to the Skechers Aero Burst

KALEB: If there’s one thing Skechers is, it’s bold. And on one hand, I say that because of the literally bold colorways, on the other hand, I say that because they keep boldly revamping their running shoe lineups in a world that thinks Skechers are for kindergartners, and they’re doing a dang good job at it. On the other, third hand I keep for situations just like this, Skechers is bold because they sent me another unicorn-colored shoe no more than six months after I roasted the tar out of the Razor 5 colorway I received. Either Skechers doesn’t read our reviews, or they were entertained enough to want more (Probably the former, though my ego tells me I really just nailed it with the “color blindness test/boat” line for some Skechers exec).

But the boldness pays off. Despite looking like your childhood imaginary friend threw up rainbows all over the Saucony Endorphin Trail, I really enjoyed the Razor 5’s performance underfoot. The S might as well be a giant L for all the stigma behind it, but Skechers is willing to keep putting in the work to make quality trainers.

So it was a pleasant surprise when two Skechers boxes showed up on my doorstep — one containing a daily trainer, the Aero Spark, and the other containing the max cushion chonker of this review, the Aero Burst.

The Aero Burst has 42 mm of HyperBurst Ice cushioning, a carbon-infused forefoot plate for rocker, and a slab of Goodyear rubber underfoot, all aimed toward max-comfort cruising. As usual, Skechers touts its American Podiatric Medical Association-approved design, and as usual, no one gives a single podiatrist-certified, arch-supported flip about that, so let’s get straight into this review.

LINDSAY: I’m going to open with a dad pun and address the elephant in the room: the Skechers Aero Burst is literally bursting with color — at least it is in the pair I was fortunate to receive (hello highlighter yellow and neon pink). The other womens colorways are actually pretty great (looking at you white on white) so I won’t harp too much on that, but man this shoe burned my retinas when I first unboxed it.

Let me back up a bit, though. I just needed to get that off my chest, and I do feel much better.

Skechers is really out here trying to be somebody in the running world now. Of course, let’s not forget that Skechers has been there for all of our feet since they were teeny tiny. Lighting up and rolling us through the best years of our grade school lives. Well, some of us. If you remember my review of the Skechers GoRun Ride 11, you know that I actually did not grow up wearing Skechers, so my opinion is completely devoid of nostalgia or loyalty. Which feels sort of sad.

Anyway, I’m completely capable of pulling myself together for the sake of this review. We at Believe in the Run really liked the Skechers GoRun Ride 11, so how does this new line of Aero shoes match up? Let’s get into it.

CHAD: I’m all about making a visual statement with a running shoe, whether it be in design elements or colors. I, unlike Kaleb, was a big fan of the sparkle-dot midsole of the GoRun Razor 5, and I truly applaud Skechers for swinging for the fences on a regular basis. Why be bland and boring when you can be colorful and exciting?

However, the aesthetics of a shoe only get you so far. The Skechers Aero Burst is the brand’s newest max stack trainer, designed to chew up miles with its supercritical Hyperburst Ice midsole and rocker profile. I had previously run in and reviewed the Skechers Ride 11 and Max Road 6, neither of which worked for me well due to some inherent instability that left my ankles aching. So, while the others Lindsay mentioned that BITR liked the Ride 11, don’t count me as one of them.

But, with this new performance Aero line featuring the Spark, the Burst, and the Tempo, has Skechers hit a home run, or is it just a weak fly ball?

What we like about the Skechers Aero Burst

KALEB: I enjoyed the Razor, but the Hyperburst formulation underfoot was definitely firm. In the Aero Burst, however, the Hyperburst Ice cushioning is a dream. 42 mm of wide, stable plush is what you get with this shoe. It’s not so soft that it’s quicksand, but it has a nice squish and a surprisingly nice pop as well, thanks to the rocker geometry and supercritical midsole. The wide base makes for great inherent stability, and the Goodyear rubber underfoot makes for a confident ride.

I was surprised at how well the Aero Burst could handle uptempo speeds; it takes some hauling to get it up to speed, but it carries the momentum well once it’s there. This is by no means a workout shoe, but it’s always nice to know you won’t be stuck at one pace, even on recovery days.

Above the foot, a mesh upper keeps the foot firmly locked down over all the cushioning. I felt like I barely needed to pull the laces to get the perfect fit, which is one of those underrated and overlooked features in a good shoe.

I’ll actually put the colorway in the Good section this time. Skechers loves its rainbows like a kindergartner on their first art project, but the mostly white shoe with the multi-colored fades near the bottom of the midsole at least makes it look like the unicorn is still alive, not bleeding all over the place like in the Razor.

Finally, at $150, this max-cushion trainer is at least $10 cheaper than most other shoes in its category, like the New Balance More or the Brooks Glycerin, for a high-quality performance that rivals them.

LINDSAY: Something you can always count on with brands that have stood the test of time, like Skechers, is that they stick to their core values. For Skechers, that means meeting the high standards of the American Podiatric Medical Association with every shoe they develop, and also including backed companies like Goodyear in their outsole development.

Let’s talk about this max cushion shoe. The tongue is plush; a feature that continues right into and around the ankle. Much like most shoes now, the upper is a breathable engineered mesh that wasn’t overly warm or heavy, considering how much cushion is in this bad boy. There is also a nice heel counter if that’s your sort of thing.

The insole is removable, but I thought the arch support was quite comfortable, so I opted to leave it in. It worked nicely with the gel-like midsole, which felt bouncy thanks to the carbon-infused plate. The Skechers foam known as HyperBurst Ice is featured in this shoe, and it’s exactly as described: lightweight and responsive.

The Goodyear outsole is as durable as one would expect. It offers good traction without being overly clunky. I appreciate the outsole’s full foot distribution, knowing that it will work regardless of foot strike. It’s a nice, smooth ride.

CHAD: Let’s get this out of the way first because Kaleb sort of hated it. I sort of dig the look of this shoe. The white and black upper with the ombre midsole going from red to yellow is pretty solid. The upper is breathable, and the tongue is gusseted, which automatically earns a shoe brownie points in my book.

Skechers ArchFit may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed the underfoot feel of this shoe in every way. My foot felt very well supported, and the ride was consistent every step. The HyperBurst Ice midsole isn’t as soft and plush as it would seem, but that’s a positive to me. Between the responsive feel and the rocker of the shoe, the heel-toe transition is very efficient and just keeps rolling you through easily.

Another thing I noticed is that the instability issues I suffered from in the Ride 11 or Max Road 6 were non-existent in the Aero Burst. I’m not sure if it is the changes in geometry or perhaps a better use of the carbon-infused H-plate, but I had absolutely zero issues with medial roll-in on my right foot, the one that tends to give me issues.

Lastly, I’ll put Skechers’ outsole up there with PumaGrip and Adidas’ Continental rubber outsole on the podium of best traction on the market. Skechers continues its partnership with Goodyear to provide the outsole rubber for this shoe, which felt incredible when it came to traction. I ran several times, both in the rain and just after the rain, and had no slippage issues, even when I tested it on various surfaces and the paint lines on the roads.

What we don’t like about the Skechers Aero Burst

KALEB: The tradeoff for using all that rubber and foam is weight. The Aero Burst tips the scale at nearly 11 oz. for a US M9. I get that it’s max cushion, made for easy miles and recovery runs, but I’m never looking to strap extra weight to my feet when my legs are fatigued. The bounce of the midsole helps carry the load, but like any max-cushion shoe, you’re not paying for speed. Looking at the bottom of the shoe, it feels like there could have definitely been some weight savings with the rubber and maybe some carved out foam without affecting durability much.

In all that foam, it’s a little difficult to tell if the carbon-infused H-Plate is doing a whole lot. I mean, Hyperburst Ice seems to be a fairly dense, stable foam setup; I’m not sure if adding some glorified plastic in there is helping performance or just adding to the weight.

LINDSAY: Remember that cushion I mentioned around the ankle? While the step-in feel is super comfortable, it was the first thing I felt when I started running. Just the tiniest bit of heel slippage turned a pillow of cushion into razor blades ready to chafe away at my ankles. I’m exaggerating; it’s not that bad and is easily resolved with a higher cut sock. Isn’t that all the kids wear these days, anyway?

Something none of my socks could save me from was the hot spot on the soles of my feet. This only happened at the very tail end of only one of my runs, and, granted, I was running on a path that had been basically baking in the sun all day. My first thought was, “Is this going to melt the absolute gel of a midsole?” The answer is a resounding no.

I also already mentioned the colorway I got was shocking, but that’s a moot point because the all-white shoe is so fresh (as are the other colorways, which are highly recommended).

CHAD: I am all for shoes being accommodating when it comes to fit, but I think the Aero Burst errs on the side of too accommodating. There were times I felt like my feet were sloshing around in the shoe, and my narrow right heel had a bit of heel lift at times. The lacing system makes it a bit tough to really cinch the laces tight, so it takes some adjusting to get the fit dialed in.

Like Kaleb, I noticed how heavy this shoe is on the foot when running. Over time, when the bounce in the shoes starts to fade a bit (which happened to me around mile four or five), each step afterwards felt like it took more effort to get the turnover I needed. No, this isn’t a tempo day shoe, but at the same time, I’m not sure I could see myself doing longer efforts in it either.

Final thoughts on the Skechers Aero Burst

KALEB: Skechers really has something special with the Aero Burst. And when I say “special,” I don’t necessarily mean terribly unique or cutting edge. But the Burst takes some pretty premium max cushion components and puts them in a relatively low-priced package in a way that doesn’t cut corners. Will I keep roasting the brand for being dorky? Probably. I mean, no one’s going to take me seriously if I strut around in them without a little self-mockery anyway.

But I think it’s fair to say that Skechers is beginning to actually turn the stigma ship around and create products that don’t just perform well, but aren’t laughable from a design angle either. I’m looking forward to logging easy recovery miles in the Aero Burst, and would happily recommend it to anyone looking to add a max cushion cruiser to their rotation without breaking the bank.

LINDSAY: With all the options on the market today, it’s relatively easy to find something that’s equally as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. The Skechers Aero Burst meets both marks for me, so add it to the list! Kudos to them for also including an eccentric colorway for the more brave souls out there who like a flashy ride.

This is a max cushion daily trainer that will last many miles. It’s bouncy, durable, and a solid shoe. I recommend it for longer recovery runs as it really absorbs impact well. It’s a bit too soft for a speed workout for me, but it sure does respond well, so don’t count it out for uptempo miles. It’s the second Skechers I’ve ever worn, and I haven’t tried a Skechers shoe that I don’t like.

CHAD: Skechers tends to get a lot of hate for various reasons, but there’s no denying that they have the ability to put out quality running shoes from time to time. I think the Aero line is going to end up being one of the big surprises of the year for 2025, with the Burst being a solid max stack daily trainer/recovery day option.

You can pick up the Skechers Aero Burst for $150 from Skechers by using the buttons below.