Now that I have had a chance to run for varying distances and conditions, I can give a true review of the Skora Base. I have put slightly over 100 miles on them in the first month since purchased.
I run five days a week – Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. So these shoes have seen a lot of action without rotating other shoes into the mix. The longest run so far has been 13 miles.
The verdict: I honestly have no complaints. I would be nitpicking to find anything “wrong” with these shoes. But since I am on my soapbox here, I will nitpick below – after the accolades, of course.
First, the good traits of the Skora Base. I love the zero drop ride. My running gait just feels smooth. No aches or pains, except the usual ones that come from being a 37 year old runner.
I have not un-velcroed the fastening straps since I found the sweet spot for tightness. This is great for in the mornings at 4:45 am when I struggle to get my act together and out the door for a morning run. And not having to fight with a double knot afterwards is even better.
I have run in slightly lighter shoes before, but these feel light underfoot. The blown rubber, as opposed to EVA foam or other foam/rubber soles really seems to recover quickly. No “squishy” feeling or noticeable need to give the shoes a day to get their padding back to original density.
Nitpicks: That same blown rubber I was just praising – it makes the shoe sound heavy. There is more of an audible footfall than other more padded soles. It is the density of the sole, I know, but it can play tricks on your mind when you are deep into your run and your ears are telling you that you are running heavy.
The straps could use a bit more velcro to allow for a tighter fit. I have mine tightened with about half of the velcro affixed. If I went much tighter, the velcro bond would not be very strong and I could see them popping undone. The rest hangs over. I have seen this same complaint in other reviews as well.
Conclusion: I am totally satisfied with the Skora Base and will look at some of their other models when I wear these out. Besides a great shoe, I continually visit the Skora site to read the blogs. A great resource for runners. http://www.skorarunning.com
I am still planning on completing my marathon training and running the Baltimore Marathon on October 12th in my Skora Base.
