DAVE: GOrun is back. Let’s face it, it fell off the Earth a bit over the past few years. In fact, this is the first of the OG “GOrun” series I can actually run in since the early days of GOrun 1 and 2. From being far too minimal for me back in the day (when I worked for them) to last year’s GOrun 7 being completely ruined by a rough-collared stretch knit upper, this particular shoe in the Performance lineup never did it for me.
Well, like most good running companies do, they listened. The team over there did an outstanding job bringing this baby back to life, centering it around a more traditional running shoe upper (one with actual higher eyelets!)
Midsole is tried and true Hyper Burst. And in my opinion the best midsole in the game right now. If you’re asleep at the wheel, then get ready for some cold water to the face. Across the board, Skechers Performance is probably the most legit run brand right now. The GOrun 7+ Hyper backs all these statements up and brings a once-killer offering back to life.
MATT: I’m one of the newest members of the BITR team, so this is actually my first introduction to Skechers and its Hyper Burst midsole foam. Like literally everyone before they try Skechers, I had some preconceived notions (a bit snooty if I am being completely honest). Long story short, I was forced to reevaluate, as I was quickly won over by the Hyper Burst midsole in this shoe.
I was able to get about 25 miles in on these shoes through an assortment of short to mid distance training runs. Efforts spanned from Zone 1 aerobic recovery sessions up to a few hard and fast 10k efforts. I actually threw down a PR on one of my regular routes in the GOrun 7+ Hyper this past week.
DAVE: For starters, the collared laceless heel is gone. Eyelets traveled North and you can actually lace this thing up like a normal running shoe. Yes! So now, without the extra movement of your ankles, you can truly feel the plain nasty power of the Hyper Burst midsole without wiggling around.
Hyper Burst: I said it earlier. It’s gravy. Now with a better fit, the GOrun 7+ can haul. A very nice combo shoe smooth enough for easy days, and will give you some funkiness when you want it for Tempo or even fast enough for longer Vo2 max work.
Toe-off: Explosive, and would you look at that– no carbon plate! If you like forefoot pop like I do, giddy up!
MATT: These first few runs in the shoe brought me back to the initial bliss that I felt the first time I experienced Nike’s React foam early last year. There is a definite feeling of energy transfer and bounce that had me choosing this shoe when it came to putting in some of my faster miles of the week at the Faster Bastards “Wednesday to the Max” 10k runs.
As I mentioned earlier, I PR-ed that route and, in the process, found this shoe to be light and responsive enough for tempo and threshold workouts, but with plenty of support and cushion for mid-long sessions (10-15 miles).
The upper felt quite secure and there was no slippage in the heel area. The heel pull loop was also an underrated bonus (the triathlete in me appreciates how quickly I could slip, sockless, into these on race day or during a brick session).
THOMAS: What a difference an upper makes. The GOrun 7 had a knit upper, that to be blunt, sucked. It was bad enough that we skipped reviewing it. The new upper took this shoe from chump to champ. I love the Hyper Burst midsole that remained unchanged in the 7+, and now the mesh upper held the foot over the midsole with confidence. I never thought an upper could make this much of an impact, but this shoe is now a top daily trainer. My size 10.5 fit true to size if not a little long.
Shop Skechers GOrun 7+ Hyper
DAVE: I’m always a proponent of a longer tongue (what up Gene Simmons), but other than that, these guys and gals once again nailed it. Just wait and see what’s coming down the pike for 2020/2021!
MATT: While not an issue for me, this shoe definitely won’t work for wide feet (although Skechers is moving into the wide market for 2020). You may see an updated Yeti version. Overall, the shoe has a bit of a long and narrow cut, with the size 10 bordering on “half size too big” for me.
This is a bit nitpick, and easily solved by swapping them out, but the length of the laces fell in a weird “too long” zone that left me contemplating my style of double-knotting pre-run each time. A year ago, it seemed like every shoe company had this problem, so hopefully the curse of the long laces isn’t returning from the grave.
All that to say, if I’m dissecting the shoelaces of a shoe to look for negatives, you know this is a pretty good shoe.
THOMAS: While the upper is a leap forward from the knit upper they had on the midsole originally, it can still be improved. The upper puckers in some of the flex points, but with some more tweaks, it could really get to the same level as the Hyper Burst it’s attached to.
Shop Skechers GOrun 7+ Hyper
DAVE: Another do-it-all shoe from Skechers Performance division. The GOrun 7+ Hyper can work for a lot of runners. For the runner in a more traditional trainer like a Brooks Ghost, this shoe can act as a nice speedwork/race shoe of shorter distances, without going deep into the realms of the Speed Elite or even Razor 3, which may be too much shoe to handle.
For the fastie, it sits in a kinda grey area. Where does it fall between Speed 7 and Razor 3? I can tell you I’ll use the GOrun 7+ for general aerobic mileage days and some medium-long runs. I use the Razor 3 the same way. Faster shoes are the Speed and Speed Elite for those out of shape lung buster sessions and the occasional race when I want to embarrass myself.
There is no comparison to any other shoe out there right now. So don’t look for another brand comparison from me. Honestly, this is true for most of the lineup and that’s cool. Hyper Burst is unique. And that’s why the team at Skechers Performance is slayin’ it right now.
MATT: Overall, the Skechers GOrun 7+ Hyper was a surprise at worst and an absolute delight at best. Like I said, my skepticism was quickly put aside, and I see no reason why I won’t reach for this shoe again in the future. A spoonful of Hyper Burst helps the miles go down, and I’m excited to get some more daily dosages in with this shoe.
THOMAS: Here is another banger coming from Skechers. Their line up is undeniably one of the top lines in 2020. The only thing that gets tough now is where does this shoe fit into the Skechers Performance family? The Ride 8 Hyper, Maxroad 4, and the Razor 3 Hyper could all compete for your attention when it comes to a daily trainer. In my opinion, the GOrun 7+ Hyper is the closest to a traditional daily trainer. I would compare it to the Nike React Infinity, New Balance 1080 v10, and the Saucony Triumph 17.
You can currently buy it in the grey colorway on Skechers website by using the link below.
Shop Skechers GOrun 7+ Hyper
Have something to say? Leave a Comment
When does the black and green colorway come out?
I will be running a flat non-technical 100 miler. Will this be enough shoe to handle that or would gorun ride 8 be better? Which Hyper Burst shoes or which sub-8 oz shoes would you recommend for a 100 miler?
This would be a pretty good choice for that if you’re looking for a light shoe with cushion. Of course, HOKA Clifton, which is slightly above. Rincon as well.
Any thoughts on the M-Strike design and people that run with an efficient heel strike?
Personally, I think Skechers makes a bad or limiting decision by only offering M-Strike (midfoot strike) midsole options. The vast majority of runners heel strike. That is the reality of the running population.
The laceless GOrun 7+ version is weird, but cheaper, especially on clearance. If I re-lace with normal laces, does it work much better? This goes for all laceless shoes.
No reviews by females for female feet and physique…..what’s up with that? Does it have a longer tongue? That is out for me, causes pain in the shin with the repeated hitting on the joint. How is the heel? loose. tight?