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.

Skora Fit: A Shoe Review

The Skora Fit: A Shoe Review

In action.

Skora produces high quality, neutral shoes, and they have done so for over two years, having recently held their second anniversary sale. Their past models include the Skora Phase, the Form, the Base, and the Core, all zero drop shoes with a neutral platform. But as the company continues to grow and evolve, they have created a trainer that has unique quality and appeal. Recently, I received a sample of the Fit, a shoe the effectively replaces the Base while marrying it with the Form. After running in a 5 mile road race in them on March 1, 2014, hitting a casual 33:47 and the a 15k of 64:11(The Gate River Run)  a couple weeks later, I have fallen very much in love the shoe.

Out of the Box

The Fit takes everything I like about Skora and improves on it. First off it is a trainer with the RO1 platform, a platform that is thick enough to allow one to navigate all surfaces, and I mean all—gravel, grass, road, track, pine forest trail, mud, drainage pipes, yes I run everywhere, have all been privy to my testing—without giving up the feel of the surface. While I love using the Phase and Core for speed work, the RO2 sole always limits me a bit with a virtually non-existent stack height, it is a bit too thin for my running style and build to use every day. So the Fit with the RO1 sole that has long been my favorite really helps. I can run with confidence on a daily warm-up route that encompasses many of the above surfaces, and feel confident while in a zero drop (the platform from heel to toe is level), low stack height situation. 

In use during a 5 mile road race.

Secondly, the Fit mirrors the build of the Form, my go to shoe for the last year, but instead of leather, Skora has presented a synthetic material that breaths much better in Florida humidity (yes February in Florida is humid and April has proved to be more so). While I've never thought the Forms to be hot per se, even in August heat of Florida, the Fit is cooler and I can notice the fact. The seamless upper has a cushy feel, an embrace that is much welcomed, and it is built with a flex that can accommodate different foot shapes. The shoe works well with my wide feet and has a wide toe box, a key ingredient in preventing blisters and allowing your feet to run the way they should: without having your toes smashed together.While this is not toe box of the Core, by far Skora's most roomy model, your toes can move freely and are not scrunched together.

That said, the inside of the shoe has a significant amount of comfort, having a 16mm stack height, which while it may not seem like much, is by far the thickest of all Skora's models. The RO1 platform is a bit more hidden than on the Form, and the shoe has more of a flexible platform feel: you feel what you need to feel while receiving ample protection. Don’t get me wrong, this is not an ultra-padded, neutral shoe the companies like Altra put out (shoes which have their place), but the shoe offers a strong build and springy comfort, especially with then new 3D printed upper.

Pros:

Skora Sizing

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. Unlike the Base, the shoe has ample width and room: this shoe gets a lot of things right in this regard, trust me there. Even though it might feel snug at first, it reacts and adjusts, the shoe almost has a living quality to it. Any and all tightness fades after a wear or two. 
3. You feel everything, with or without the insole. You can walk and run the way you are intended to, with full sensation. The sole is a bit more hidden though, the ridges and build that allow for flexibility are not noticeable at this juncture. 
4. Flexibility. These shoes bend every which way, and they do so with little to no effort. They are neutral, they are light, the can run fast. I have run 300m repeats on grass in them, hitting close to where I wanted to be, and nailed 400m repeats on the track, hitting 8 between 75 and 83. The held up great through back-to-back 3200m thresholds around 12:35. I was confident in my running and thought little about the shoe, a key aspect. This fact remains evident in road races as well, holding up in both a 5 miler and a 15k without invoking any thoughts of footwear.
   
5. Great Colorways, great appearance as Skora evolves, working to build a brand identity to advance as a company.
6. The Form, which the Fit betters, had a saggy heel. The heel did not alter the fit of the shoe, it was an appearance issue. While this heel may be a bit heavy on the bottom, now it looks great all around.

All models of the Fit.

Cons (all of these were initial and have essentially ceased to be concerns):

1. At times I feel a bit loose in the toes, I noticed this fact most early in runs. The material, which is printed via 3D printers, took a couple times out to get used to. When I fixated on the idea, I felt my toes digging in and grabbing the shoe. My feet had a different working feel, which is fine, but I did expect a slightly different feel. Since I rotate shoes, this shouldn’t be a huge problem—I see this being a long mileage and race shoe anyway. Over time, this thought has dissipated, but it is worth noting.
2. The insole has raised perforations, something I love, but I feel as if these are a bit too overdone. They seem a bit too up there, a bit too protruded. I hate pointing out issues with a shoe I like, but honesty is key. This irritant vanished after a few runs as well and as I have crossed into the range of multiple hundred, they are not an issue.
   
3. Laces. The shoe laces, as is common with Skora, are a bit long. I always tuck my laces, regardless of brand and model, so not a major issue.

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