Skora Tempo: A Shoe Review

At my favorite trail head.

As SKORA continues to mature as a shoe company, their shoe line has followed suit. Their latest incarnation comes in the form of the Tempo. As a brand ambassador (for two years plus at this juncture), I sometimes have the privilege of wear testing the samples. In early January, the Tempo, Core, Phase, Form, and Fit all appear to be cut from same cloth, the Tempo has a slightly different look, you can tell it is related, but it is not the same per se. Yes, it has the same anatomical shape as the other models and a roomy toe box as well, but this shoe looks more like a road shoe than anything else SKORA has created. The heel is curved, but with more of an eye to a gradual curve, kind of like the curve Nike applied to recent incarnation of the Free (I wonder who the borrowed that idea from). Thus, the shoe has a more mature look but remains showy at the same time with a see through upper and extreme breathability. That said, this shoe has plenty to like
which had been rumored for a while, arrived at my door. The first thing that sticks out on the Tempo is that it appears as somewhat of a divergence from SKORA’s other models. While the

First off, while all of SKORA ’s other models work well on the road, at least in my opinion, this

Out of the box.

model is built for the road. It has a degree of padding that is perfect—you can feel the road, but you feel like you can run on the road all day. Yet, this padding is not spongy, overly thick, and it does not take away from your run. I found the right amount of give, and since I run in zero drop mostly, the adjustment period was nil for me. I could just log miles in the shoe and feel confident that my feet were receiving enough protection to feel good after a long run.

The sole is soft, flexible, and responsive. Your foot can bend it move like it is supposed to while feeling protected and supported. While some people post online that the bones in your foot do not bend, the fact of the matter is that your foot adapts to the contours of nearly every surface, so to run naturally, no matter what your foot-strike pattern, the shoe should move as well. This fact is something both Altra and Newton fail to understand. All in all, the stack height is a mere 22mm while maintaining a high degree of flex and zero drop. You will not appear taller when you wear these shoes, but you will feel faster.

On to the running: they handled well on the trails, surviving roots, rocks, and mud but they also felt great on the track. 400's felt easy (expect for the kids I was chasing) and a tempo run in the Tempo was comfortable as well. I’ve raced in these shoes and worn them around for walks with no complaints. The Tempo sample has become a frequent and common choice out of my shoe rotation.

Pros:

1. Just like with the SKORA fit, Synthetic materials are great in Florida. While I love the leather SKORA models, a more breathable shoe is a godsend in the humidity. This shoe, with an upper that is so breathable that it is see through, is perfect for the heat but withstood testing during the winter cold. In races and workouts, they worked out quite well.
2. Just enough padding that you can go all day, especially from a bigger guy like myself, but with a continued ground feel.
3. Night time reflectivity. Any spot that is silver literally glows in the street lights and headlights. Cars will see you, no matter which colorway you get.
4. The heel will be embraced more by the general public. It is still round, allowing for your heel to move the way it should, but people will be more comfortable because, well, it looks more conventional than prior incarnations.
5. Flexible for a natural run, the way it should be.
6. This is a shoe you do not think about. They are on your feet and you run and the shoes serve their purpose at less than 8 ounces.

Cons:

1. Dirt. I know this sounds silly, but the airy upper can allow the intrusion of well dirt. Especially on trails, dirt found a way into the shoe.   
2. The sole might be a bit soft if you drag your feet at all. The foam appears capable of withstanding the toll of hundreds upon hundreds of miles (SKORA shoes have legendary lifetimes), but so far so good. 
3. MSRP came in a little higher than I expected at $130. I was thinking around a $100, but the price of this shoe is comparable to like models that it should outlast in the long run.

As always, any and all questions are welcome.

Skora can be found socially at: 
facebook.com/skorarunning  |  @skoraRunning | http://instagram.com/skorarunning/#

Skora Spring Summer 2014 Line Launches

Skora Running Spring/Summer 2014

A quick update here. For those of you who are Skora fans and those of you who are not, their  Spring/Summer 2014 line has launched.

Flagshiped by their new model the Fit (reviewed here), a shoe that offers their traditional neutral platform with the addition of a tad more padding for the folks that need/want it, the line also brings in new color ways for their older models.

As seen to the left, the Form (reviewed here) and Core (reviewed here), both made from durable goat leather, have been released with an update in color options and a few cosmetic logo alterations (see top photo), but otherwise they remain the same shoes that have Skora has sold in the past.


Adding to the changes, the same updates have been employed with the Phase (reviewed here), a synthetic model very similar to the Core, one with a thin sole that lets you feel the ground more than any other model but the Core. The Phase-X, the shoe that glows at night, has been updated with new color ways as well, as you can see below.

The Skora Phase Shoe Review

After looking at this shoe for a while, I finally received the Skora Phase (click here to go straight to the product page) and I can now lay claim to all current models of the the Skora family, giving me a shoe in each of their models: the Form, the Base, and the Core. I received a sample of one of their new color schemes, available online from Skora on October 1, and have found the shoe to be put together quite well.

First off, the shoes look awesome. As I mentioned in my out of the box comments, the synthetic material allows Skora a platform to display vivid colors and a sense of style. They have bright neon colors (look for the orange and blue one coming out at the same time or the current black model if you want something more timid), something great for night running and also stylish by current market color schemes. They are bordered in a black material reflective material, that when hit with a bright light, is highly reflective. In fact, when you take a picture of the phases with a flash, they seem to be a different shoe (and to almost glow).

In terms of fit, the synthetic material is flexible and has a great give to it. Unlike in the Base, where my feet sometimes felt trapped, the material here is more conforming—it doesn’t depress, squeeze, or agitate. The toe box is spacious, not Core spacious, but roomy enough to avoid smashing your toes together like in conventional shoes, thus they allow for a natural feel. They are a roomy shoe, but much more snug than the Core, tightening up easily and reminding me of the Form. Breathability is high, whether sockless or not, and they shed water quickly and efficiently in the rain. These are not slosh around shoes, none of the Skoras are, and my feet while damp were not in the puddle of water Nikes would have provided.

Outsole only.

In terms of platform, they are zero drop and neutral in style, with an 11mm stack height. Lacking a midsole and with the same injection blown, RO2 platform as the Core, they have a ton feel. Rocks, pebbles, pieces of rubber on the turf—you feel it all. While I know people that run extreme distances in them, as of now I have limited them to recovery runs and workouts sub 8 miles, runs where I want to focus on form, regenerate the legs, and work to connect with each and every step or 400m style intervals where form is a focus as I push for more and more speed.

Pros:

1.  Synthetic materials are great in Florida. While I love the leather Skora models, a more breathable shoe is a godsend in the humidity.
2.  You feel everything, with or without the insole. You can walk and run the way you are intended to, with full sensation.
3. Flexibility. These shoes bend every which way, and they do so with little to no effort. They are neutral, they are light, they can run fast even though I tend to stay slower in them. As of late I've used them to do more and more speed based running though, so time will tell.
4. This shoe is sexy. They are synthetic versions of theCore, we get colors, improved breathability, and an overall good looking shoe.
5. As I noted with my review of the Core: the heel is fixed. On the Form, it tended to sag, now it is a bit more rigid and hangs where it should.

 Cons:

1. You feel everything. I love this fact, but many people may not. Understand that Skora’s motto is run real. You will run real in this shoe. Expect to feel the run, but in the process you will run lighter, more efficiently. You will adapt in the way that you need to, but if you are used to an overly padded shoe, you will not like this fact.
2. Padding. This is an elaboration of con one. If you want to run on a pillow, don’t buy this shoe. If you want to run real, it has sufficient padding for speed workouts, trail runs, and road runs.
3. The heel piece is a bit tough. I have tender Achilles tendons so I notice this fact each time I put the shoes on. During my first couple runs it bothered me a bit on my left foot, rubbing and making me feel as if it might blister. I’ve only noticed this rubbing once, so perhaps it was a onetime deal for me, but it happened so I’m putting it down.

Skora Phase Out of the Box Review

Note how the black glows in the flash.

I have been salivating over the Skora Phase for months. While I love the leather Form, using it as my primary shoe, and I also incorporate the leather Core into my shoe rotation, I have been looking for something synthetic and a bit more breathable for the Florida heat and humidity. Enter the Phase. As a brand ambassador, I have had the pleasure of seeing production pictures for quite some time and was hoping to get my hands on them in the spring. For a variety of reasons I haven’t had the pleasure of owning a pair until now.

Today, I received a sample pair from Skora’s forthcoming Fall/Winter line (available October 1). While I have been unable to run in them yet, the Phase offers yet another quality Skora model. While they have the same blown rubber sole as the Core, the Phase seems to have just a touch more padding, a sufficient amount to mitigate road impact, a fact I noted while walking in one Core and one Phase. The toe box is ample, not as wide as the Core, giving a tighter fit. While out of the box impressions can’t speak to the running—the shoes have vivid colors and a build that has the breathability I’m looking for. More to come later.

A Dynamic Warm-up for Running

 

One of the many concepts that runners must confront is warm-up. Warm-up’s are tricky: what do you do for a warm-up, how to you go about it, and what are you looking to get out of it. For years, many people simply stretched, then as research trended for a more active routine, they jogged a couple slow laps and then stretched. But, stretching will diminish your body’s ability to perform at a peak level for 30-40 minutes—not the goal of a warm-up—and it has been shown to be of no real consequence when it comes to injury prevention. Today, we now know that a dynamic, active routine is the best overall solution.

Thus we work with our runners and have them use the following lunge routine before their steady runs. These lunges warm the body up, work on movements in all planes of movement, engage the core and leg muscles to build strength, and in the end improve athleticism. We do a total of five lunge exercises, doing five reps per leg. Once five becomes easy, you can consider going to ten.

1.      Forward lunge:

a.       Step into a lunge forward. Be sure that you keep your knee above or behind the ankle to avoid putting a great deal of tension into the knee and risking injury.

Lateral Lunge

2.      Side/Lateral lunge:

a.       Step to the side, pushing your rear back a bit as you fall into the lunge. Be sure to keep the knee and ankle placement as described above. To do so, you may need to ensure that the center of gravity is slightly back.

3.      Back and to the side:

a.       Step backwards at a 45 degree angle into a lunge

 4.      Forward lunge as a twist

a.       Same movement as the forward lunge but with an added twist. Twist your torso, toward the forward leg as you step into the lunge.

5.      Backward lunge:

a.       Same form as a forward lunge except that you step back into it instead of stepping forward

See this video if you have questions. He has her do them in a different order, but it is the same thing

Outside of lunges, I warm-up with the following two exercise as well:

Ankle jumps: Stationary jumps where you jump from your toes, landing forefoot first and then kissing the heel to the ground. Complete around 20-30 to work on landing pattern for faster running and explosion.

100 Ups: Literally marching in pace slowly, this video will do it best , but be sure to tense the muscle in your support leg to practice support work. This is a form exercise that is great for warm-up. Complete anywhere from 25-50 with each leg.

Enjoy!