In production · road · Tempo / Race day · $135
Firm, snappy carbon H-plate shoe for 5K–10K speedwork.
Built for tempo, race day, at a target pace of 6:00–8:15 /mi on road.
Skechers tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 36 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as explosive at 5/5 responsiveness.
A full-length carbon plate stiffens the forefoot and works with the foam as a lever: it smooths the transition off the toes and cuts the effort of holding fast paces. It also asks for speed — at easy paces a carbon plate feels stiff and does little for you, and it is the main reason super-shoes wear out sooner than trainers.
A 6 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 350 miles from the outsole, about $0.39 per mile at $135.
For the foams and plates Skechers uses across its line, read the Skechers brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
275 g / 9.7 oz
Level with the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
36 mm
Level with the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
6 mm
Level with the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$135
25 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
5 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~350 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Skechers line it is heavier than the brand's median (267.5 g / 9.4 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (35 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Adidas Adizero Boston 13(2024)
255 g / 9.0 oz · 36 mm · 6 mm drop · Carbon · $160
Rod-stiffened tempo trainer with a firm, purposeful ride.
Asics S4+ Yogiri
235 g / 8.3 oz · 40 mm · 6 mm drop · Carbon · $210
Asics S4+ Yogiri: 40 mm heel stack, 6 mm drop, 235 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Saucony Kinvara Pro
269 g / 9.5 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · Carbon · $180
A tall, plated long-run shoe carrying the Kinvara name into the super-trainer era.
Hoka Cielo Road 5
215 g / 7.6 oz · 36 mm · 5 mm drop · Carbon · $180
Short-course Hoka racer built for 5K to half-marathon turnover.