Skora CORE shoes review

A while back, I was given the opportunity to try out a pair of Skora shoes.  I chose the CORE shoes because I thought they were cute.  (Me? Shallow?)

The CORE shoe is a minimalist shoe with zero drop.  They are a little more shoe than the five fingers I used to run in, but have very little in the way of cushioning.

From their website:

Features

– REALFIT™ last
– Pittards® Armor-Tan® Goatskin leather upper
– Agion™ Antimicrobial mesh lining
– Asymmetric lacing
– No-tongue design
– Reflective details
– IBR (Injected Blown Rubber) outsole
– Rubber toe bumper
– Rubber metatarsal pad
– Zero-drop construction
– Stitch-down construction
– 11mm Forefoot/heel stack height
– 3mm removable Antimicrobial insole

They are designed to have great ground feel and comfort at the same time.  I would have to agree with this assessment.

I have worn these shoes for regular daily wear, to lift weights, and to run.  In fact, except when there was snow on the ground this winter, I pulled them out at least once a week to wear with jeans or yoga pants.  The are extremely flexible and allow my feet to do more of the work, rather than being lazy in a shoe that stabilizes them.

Verdict?  I love them.  But not to run.

I wanted to love them as a running shoe, but I’ve found that as I add more miles to my week, I need more cushion.  I run all of my miles on pavement and I’m a heavy runner (not in my weight and size, but in how I hit the ground.)  During lower mileage weeks, for short runs, these shoes are fine, but more than that and my achilles and feet gets mad and the rest of me just feels a little beat up.

However, they totally ROCK as a casual shoe.  I love the ground feel and feeling close to barefoot without having to worry about what I might step on (or getting cold feet in the winter).  I wear them all the time and they are holding up great.  I also like them for when I at the gym on the elliptical or bike or just lifting weights.  Super comfortable!

I’d highly recommend them if you are a minimalist runner or looking for a minimal shoe for non-running activities.  Well made, cute, and comfortable.  That can’t be beat!

Disclaimer: I received these shoes for free to try out.  All opinions are my own.