TechRadar Verdict
The Skechers GoRun Speed Elite Hyper is advertised as a racing flat, but the carbon-infused forefoot winglet plate and the forefoot rocker makes it more of a fast marathon racer hybrid. The shoe certainly offers a different running experience from big-name brands like Nike and Adidas. We hope to see more iterations of GoRun Speed Elite Hyper in the future.
Pros
- +
Striking design
- +
Lightweight
- +
Enables runners to go really fast
Cons
- -
Firmer foam might deter beginners
- -
Mainly for racing only
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30-second review
Skechers’ GoRun Speed Elite Hyper offers a different take on the carbon-plate debate. This racing flat is surprisingly stable because of its lower stack height but enables runners to go fast thanks to the forefoot’s aggressive rocker shape and the embedded carbon-infused forefoot winglet plate in the midsole.
Even with the firmer-than-usual Hyper Burst midsole, the GoRun Speed Elite Hyper is more forgiving than the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT%, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 2, or the Asics Metaspeed Sky, and less taxing on the legs. We'd recommend it for experienced runners who appreciate more control over their stride.
Price and release date
The Skechers GoRun Speed Elite Hyper Review is available to buy now at Skechers US, Skechers UK, and selected third-party retailers such as Sportsshoes.com for a recommended retail price of $200 / £161.99 (Australian price and availability are yet to be confirmed).
The Skechers GoRun Speed Elite Hyper is available only in one colourway (White/Multi). We haven’t got any information on Skechers adding more colours to the lineup later, although judging by the current lineup of shoes, it’s unlikely.
Design
Like it or not, running shoes with embedded carbon plates are the fastest footwear around, at least until sports companies develop something else to replace this technology. Despite the higher asking price and the lack of versatility, carbon shoes are ever so popular in 2022, probably more than they’ve ever been. They are like strikers in a football team: even though you need the whole team's support to win the game, everyone will only care about those who score the goals.
Similarly, you need good training and support shoes to help you get better at running, but everyone will only mention the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2 and the likes when talking about running shoes.
It's no surprise, then, that Skechers wanted to cash on the hype with its version of a propulsion plate-enhanced racing flat, the GoRun Speed Elite Hyper. This speedy running shoe features Skechers’ Hyper Burst midsole – a resilient foam created using a so-called 'Super Critical' process with spherically-shaped cells compressed into the midsole.
'Spherically-shaped cells' is a fancy term for balls, and indeed, the Hyper Burst midsole looks similar to midsoles that use compressed TPU balls such as the Boost from Adidas.
In this midsole, you’ll find the carbon-infused forefoot winglet plate that offers a high stiffness-to-weight ratio, which – according to Skechers – promotes stability and 'next level' energy return.
The Skechers GoRun Speed Elite Hyper is an extremely lightweight shoe: a men’s UK size 10 weighs a mere 192g – only 7g heavier than the much-hyped Nike ZoomX Streakfly.
The shoe has a moderate 4mm drop, and a low stack height (forefoot: 19mm, heel: 23mm). Both of these qualities set the shoes apart from the rest of the high-stack competition with their near-40 mm heels and aggressive 10mm drops. The upper matches the lightweight-ness of the rest of the shoes and provides a race-tight fit.
Performance
The Skechers GoRun Hyper Elite is peculiar, and we didn't quite know what to expect from our first encounter with a high-performance Skechers running shoe. Would it be able to deliver a decent running experience? How would it perform on the road? Could it come close to the performance of other big-name brands such as Adidas, Nike and Asics?
The short answer is yes, the Skechers GoRun Elite Hyper can pick a fight with the big dogs. It’s firmer and has a lower profile than the marathon world record-beating Adidas and Nike shoes, but more experienced runners will be able to harness its power just fine.
We doubt anyone would want to use the GoRun Speed Hyper Elite for jogging, but thanks to the forefoot’s pronounced rocker shape and the winglet, the shoes will allow runners to go really fast (even if they didn’t want to). The firmer foam somewhat disables the propulsion effect of the winglet, but even so, this shoe is super fast.
From a running mechanics standpoint, the GoRun speed Hyper Elite reminded us of the Salomon S/Lab Phantasm, an excellent minimalist racing shoe that retails at a similar price. Although it has a softer midsole, the Asics Metaracer also feels similar to the GoRun Hyper Elite.
One thing all of these shoes have in common is that they're not very beginner-friendly. You’ll need experienced legs to be able to control the speed, and you'll have to tolerate the tightness of the upper and the stiffness of the midsole. If you’re up for the challenge though, the Skechers GoRun Speed Elite Hyper will repay you spades of speed and agility.
We appreciate it’s a matter of personal taste, but we liked the bold logos and the bright, chevron-like designs of the Skechers GoRun Speed Elite Hyper. The shoe looks like it wants to go fast, even when stationary. It’s unlikely we’ll see many other colotways, so if you really don’t like the way the GoRun Speed Elite Hyper looks, you’ll miss out on an excellent racing flat for sure.
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