Our takeaways from The Running Event 2022 in Austin, Texas
Highlights from Skechers include the all-new Speed Beast, Maxroad 6, and Ride 11
Can Skechers ride the Hyper Burst train the whole way through 2023?
Not fully inclusive of all 2023 shoes
Our love for Skechers goes way back to the first version of the Razor, a lightweight daily trainer/tempo/race day shoe that had a much bigger impact on the run industry than a lot of people realize. Reason being, Skechers was one of the first (maybe the first?) brands to actually employ a nitrogen-infused, supercritical midsole in their Hyper Burst foam. It was (and still is) lightweight, responsive, with excellent energy return, and eventually, every brand had its own version of it.
Unfortunately, the Skechers performance division has always been an afterthought in the Skechers portfolio, and has flown under the radar for years, its excellence known only by hardcore running shoe nerds. Whether that will change remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that Skechers has a legit legacy and has consistently produced a solid lineup of shoes at a fair price point. The Ride series is one of the better daily trainers money can buy, and the shoe we recommend to most beginner runners. The Maxroad 5 was one of the best shoes of 2021, and the many variations of the Razor (maybe too many, tbh), have always been solid in their execution.
A Whole Bunch of Skechers Shoes
That said, as other brands have begun to copy Skechers’ homework (which is saying something, considering Skechers’ overt copying of other brands’ designs), and as Skechers has milked the Hyper Burst for all its worth over the last five years, we weren’t sure what to expect in 2023.
So when we met with Skechers at The Running Event, our expectations were a bit tempered. However, after talking with Tony Macey, Senior Director of Run Development, and seeing the product coming in 2023, we have to say– we’re pretty excited about the updates. From the Ride 11 to the Maxroad 6 to the all-new Speed Beast, Skechers has upped the ante with more foam, better designs, and fair price points for all of it.
Check out what’s coming in the overview below and see if it’s time to finally give Skechers a shot (we promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised).
Skechers Speed Beast (Women’s)
STACK/DROP: 40 mm heel, 36 mm forefoot (4 mm drop)
WEIGHT: 8.8 oz./255 g (Men’s 9) | 6.8 oz./193 g (Women’s 7)
RELEASE DATE: February 2023
PRICE: $185
NOTABLE FEATURES: An all-new shoe in the Skechers lineup, the Speed Beast is a high-end racing shoe at a comparatively low price point ($185). A generous layer of Goodyear rubber provides a lot more durability over their other race shoes, while a forefoot, winged H-plate gives that pop off the toe. The shoe also employs their high-end foam, the Hyper Burst Pro, which is the lightest and bounciest midsole in their arsenal.
Skechers said this shoe will be best used by 2:15-2:45 marathoners, which seems to be a thing more and more shoe companies are pushing (Salomon also has a race day shoe that claims the same use-case). Not sure exactly how that works, but they go into more detail about it on our YouTube preview.
Weight-wise, the Speed Beast falls at the higher end of the spectrum of race day shoes (8.8 ounces), which is the same as the Alphafly Next% 2. It also hits the stack height limit of World Athletics’ competition rules, at 40 mm in the heel.
Honestly, we’re not sure how we feel about this shoe right now, especially since only two of us here at Believe in the Run are 2:45 marathon runners. Also, why wouldn’t it work for slower runners? Guess we’ll find out.
Either way, even if it makes for a solid tempo shoe with a long lifespan, the $180 price tag is in line with other shoes like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 or Adidas Takumi Sen 9.
Skechers GoRun Ride 11 (Men’s)
STACK/DROP: 38 mm/32 mm (6 mm drop)
WEIGHT: 9.8 oz/281 g (Men’s 9) | 7.6 oz/215 g (Women’s 7)
RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2023
PRICE: $120
NOTABLE FEATURES: The core daily trainer in the Skechers arsenal, the GoRun Ride has always been consistently solid. Lightweight and responsive, with just the right amount of cushion, the Ride is a no-brainer shoe that will work for just about any runner. Again, when someone is looking for a shoe recommendation, we will often tell them to give this one a chance, and we have yet to hear about anyone who’s had a bad experience in the shoe.
The Ride 11 takes things to the next level. Starting with the all-new Hyper Burst Ice, the shoe seeks to offer a softer, more plush (but still stable) ride. This is done with a carrier foam to give a firmer base. A supercritical sockliner adds to the plushness, which is kind of the core story behind this shoe. We also get the carbon-infused H-plate in this version, which we’ve seen in other shoes like the Maxroad 5 and Persistence. Honestly, we can never really tell if it makes a difference, but what the hell, why not have it.
Arch support is there with the Skechers Arch Fit insole, and the standard Goodyear rubber gives solid traction on the outsole.
The main thing here is the significant increase in stack height, now 38 mm in the heel. All while managing a sub-10-ounce weight for a standard men’s 9. Oh, and did we mention it’s only $120? Seriously, that is an incredible price point for what you’re getting in this shoe. Talking to Skechers, this version of the Ride will actually replicate more of the Max Road 5 feel in a more traditional daily trainer, so that’s very exciting. And while we don’t have the shoe in-hand just yet, we did to a step-in walk around on the floor of TRE, and we can tell straight away that Skechers has something special going on here. Can’t wait to get it out into the wild.
STACK/DROP: 41 mm heel, 35 mm forefoot (6 mm drop)
WEIGHT: 10.9 oz/309 g (Men’s 9) | 8.5 oz/241 g (Women’s 7)
RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2023
PRICE: $140
NOTABLE FEATURES: As we’ve already noted, the Skechers Max Road 5 came out of nowhere as one of the best shoes of 2021. The ride was smooth and the rocker rolled perfectly through the stride. The balance of Hyper Burst and density of the foam provided just the right amount of comfort and energy return from everything from daily running to weekend long hauls. Personally, if it wasn’t for the mediocre upper, it would’ve been the shoe of the year for me. We didn’t see a new version in 2022, but it looks like Skechers did the damn thing and took it up a whole new level for the Max Road 6.
This one still has the rocker, but it’s even more aggressive, and comes with a 41 mm stack of Hyper Burst Ice. Again, a carbon-infused forefoot plate seeks to give a bit of extra propulsion in the toe. The outsole pods were a little lacking in last year’s version, so we were excited to see a much-improved design with a generous layer of Goodyear rubber for better traction and durability. All that to say, this is a big comfort cruiser that is made to eat up big miles. Can’t wait to get this one on our feet.
Want to learn more about how our review process works? Check out this guide.
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Thanks for the Skechers review. The one thing that stands out for me is that these models have all gotten a lot heavier. Part of the attraction for me originally was that the responsive, well-cushioned Ride and MaxRoad were both under 9 oz. I even used the Ride in some of my half marathons. Now, both models would be strictly for longer training runs, not for any races. I just hope they don’t add another ounce or two to the Razor Excess as well …
Actually, it’s worse than I thought.
Ride 10: 8.4 oz
Ride 11: 9.8 oz
Maxroad 5: 8.3 oz
Maxroad 6: 10.9 oz
And their new “race” shoe is 8.8 oz.
Looks like a “heavy” year for Skechers …
The argument against the H plate is because, as you say, it doesn’t seem to do anything and surely adds weight. In fact, the science doesn’t show that those sorts of plates do anything without super high end foam and if it’s full length carbon. I also don’t like the softer trend, the Rude 9 was great but the 10 was so mushy for me. Higher stack is trendy, but that too is kinda done for me when it’s all over the place. And note that I say all of this as someone who sung the praises to deaf ears, especially the Rude 9 and 3+
All that said, I totally get that YMMV
too heavy
Ok, I like to think I’m tough but fair, so in the spirit of fairness, I have to say this about the Max Road 6 that I just got. The men’s size 10 weighs 11.7 on our kitchen food scale but the shoe does not feel heavy at all, partly I guess because of the incredibly light, springy, and responsive HyperBurst, wing plate and whatever else is in or near the arch. This will be great for long runs and I’m now curious to see how the Ride 11 feels too — after all my complaining about the weight increases in these shoes over the previous versions.
Can’t wait to try the Ride 11!