Skechers GRR11 - 300km After

The Skechers GoRunRide 11 was first in service since August 14, 2023 and you read about the unboxing and first hand review here in my blog. It has been 89 days since (to today's writing) and I have clocked 312KM over 59 runs. That is average of 5.2km - and consistent with my everyday 25mins run over the same route, same time, same distance and same duration. This was my "everyday trainer" which the balance 30 runs I did were in other shoes I have. 

August 14 to November 3, 2023

The Skechers GRR11 is the heaviest shoe I had used in the past 2 years and it was a good daily trainer for those easy days and up-tempo day. I am a firm believer in using the heaviest least responsive shoe to train, and switch to a racing flat or carbon shoe for race. The old adage of "training with a donkey and race with a Ferrari" in this case. So the GRR11 coming in at above 300grams per side is hefty as it's stack height and midsole cushioning

Such coincidence of the weight and the mileage at today's review! I assure this wasn't planned!

This follow up review is based on my personal usage, running in all weather condition (hot tarmax, rain heavy rain, flooded tarmac) and in all condition of the shoe (new, damp, wet, smelly, sticky). So my experience could be different or vastly different than yours. 

Lets start with the outsole

This is the shoe outsole brand new

KM 0

This is how it is at KM 312. Close up of the wear area as expected due to my running pronation.

That dirt was actually a cellophane tape stuck on the base

Closer crop of the shoe heel area at KM 0

left foot significant wear on the outer heel, some wear on the heel

right foot wear on the outer heel. No damage to the heel

Closer crop of the front of the shoe brand new

KM312

left foot mid-foot significant wear

right foot mid-foot also significant wear

The grip after 300km remain to be good in all weather condition. The Goodyear rubber claim of good grip lived up to it's name. However, the wear is significantly faster when compared to my other non-Skechers shoe with some at higher mileage (like my Hyperion Max Green at >450km to date). I believe you trade the grip for faster wear - as with even vehicle tires, a gripper rubber meant a softer compound which wears off faster.

Outsole coming out

As I was checking the wear pattern, i noticed one part of the outsole is coming out from the midsole area. Unlikely caused by the cellophane tape, if ever. This area correspond to the area that is often under-duress as you lift and take off (area where the feet bend).

• Outsole wear rate higher than expected. Perhaps it's my own thinking that Goodyear rubber will last longer.
• Durability concern as this shoe looked like it could go for another 300km based on the wear rate, but may be hampered by the outsole coming out sooner than I think
• Color change from neon green to flat yellow due to aging is expected.
• "carbon infused" plate still has it's function. No issue with uptempo runs as needed

Now the Midsole

Midsole Hyperburst Ice brand new

This shoe is heavier due to the thicker midsole. It functions really well if you are looking for that addtional cushioning and response. It's there, but at time it felt flattish/draggy as well. Comes alive when you push it for some speed repeat or uptempo run, which is perhaps, a once-a-week workout.

Here is how it looked like after 312KM.

Right side of the shoe looked slightly "flatter" losing the curve

from the other side of the shoe. the "ArchFit" wording also wears off likely due to running gait

Again, this is how the shoe "curves" when new

New

KM312

The shoe does looked more compressed and "flatter", losing the heel up-tick at the back and significant compression on the word "Carbon Infused". Changes to the thickness of the outsole at where my thumb was, including at the midsole where you can't see the black-outsole from this angle.

Yeap, can see the differences

Here it is again, new

This is how the other side (left) looked like, consistent with the right

the other side aka left side also looked flatter than when new

• While the midsole Hyperburst ICE retained it's support and cushioning, the shape of the shoe after 300km was much more stretched and become flatter
• Outsole wear is consistent with observation that you sacrifice durability with grip
• Given the two choices - I'll go for grip vs durability as I would rather have power transfer than slipping and falling on wet tarmac.

The Upper

Brand new

To expect the upper to be like new after 300km eventhough it's only been... 10 weeks, is unfair ;-). I would say it held up very well and only complain is that it takes at least 1 hot day to dry when wet, and when wet, it weighs you down as water dispersion is slow. On hot day, it gets hot (and i run sockless so i technically should be able to feel some air through right?)

Left

Right

• Very solidly built upper - perhaps a bit more solid than i wanted it to be due to the heavier padding at the heel counter and the tongue

The Insole. Oh my...

This is the insole when new.

Brand new left and right side. With the right side showing the bottom

New. The side of the insole is straight up

300km, the insole flattedned out and shrunked

The insole is a patent pending ArchFit support that is soft and lend to the cushioning. It's the plushes insole I ever worn - and believe me as I've literally worn all insole from Skechers up till 4 years ago so to say. However, after 312km, the insole sort of baffles me... It shrunked. Like became almost 25% to 30% smaller than original size.

Yes, it's the same insole but look at the size vs the shoe. When new, it was almost the same length as the shoe inner

The insole vs the inside of the shoe - see how much it shrunked

the right side was significantly shorter 

• No idea what happened. Could it be the occasional under the sun in-sole only drying after a wet day run?
• Yes, the tip of the toes on both my feet now extend beyond the front of the insole in the shoe :D 

Overall after 300km...

Will it go beyond 600km? Perhaps I will continue to test/try/rotate it with other shoes I am using. At the moment, the failure point could be the outsole coming out, or the insole further becoming smaller. The shoe upper seems to indicate little failure point and could last 600km more if not because of the wear and tear on other parts. So, if i ever post the final end of life of this shoe - it be in this blog. 

Keep showing up!

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