Skechers Go Trail
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$80, 8 ounces, www.skechers.com
Designed to promote a mid-foot strike, the Go Trail features a four-millimeter heel-to-toe drop. A pliable band that wraps the heel is intended to provide stabilization, but testers said it lacked adequate support. According to one, the heel felt “sloshy.”
A rock plate dispersed impacts while a cushioned mid-foot seemed to offer bounce. One tester commented that the cushioning was firm and responsive with a lightweight feel, saying, “The shoe was not too stiff, not too soft … just right.”
A sock-like-fitting hydrophobic upper excelled at repelling water, but proved to be hot in warmer temps.
Traction: Testers lauded the lugs with multi-directional grooves on rocky, technical trails. “The Go Trail has amazing traction through mud and wet rocks,” said one tester. “I ran up a creek bed to a waterfall and was never worried about slipping.”
Fit: The shoe runs about a half size large. And, while a few testers complained that the upper was “loose,” most agreed that the cushioning felt perfect—not “too floppy or too stiff.”
Best For: Cool, rainy days. And because the midsole broke down relatively quickly during testing, reserve the shoe for short training runs.
Drawbacks: The shoe lacked breathability due to the water-resistant upper. If water did get in, it “pooled” in the shoe. The un-gusseted tongue also allowed in debris.
Tester-monial: “The Skechers Go Trails are comfortable ‘go-to’ trail shoes with a reasonable price tag. I would also recommend these to any road runner looking to give trail running a try.”
–Elizabeth Quinn, Hartford, AR