Skechers GOrun Ride 8 Hyper Review | Best Cushioned Running Shoes – Runner’s World

The RW Takeaway: The Skechers GOrun Ride 8 Hyper is a max-cushioned daily trainer that remains bouncy and responsive for long-distance road running.

• HyperBurst midsole is highly cushioned, soft, and very energetic
• Knit upper stretches well, yet felt slightly narrow to some testers
• Rubber outsole excels on wet roads

Price: $120
Type: Road
Weight: 9.4 oz (M), 7.1 oz (W)

The snow squall and freezing rain this past weekend were just enough to land me indoors on my gym’s treadmill, where I’ll regularly see the same fellow runner. We’ll talk shoes and mileage briefly if we pass in the locker room, which was where she asked me if I forgot my running shoes at home—I was wearing Skechers. (And I think she was being sincere, not snarky. Her most recent pair of Skechers had light-up soles and Velcro.) I assured her that the similarities between those shoes ended with the same big “S” logo on the side; these were, in fact, real-deal running shoes. Maybe she’ll join me as a convert, maybe not. But the fact is that Skechers’s GOrun lineup has some of the buzziest running shoe tech in the game—like the new HyperBurst foam—that continues to impress us here at RW.

Skechers cooked up the bouncy HyperBurst midsole by exposing EVA to liquified carbon dioxide until it forms irregular pockets, making the material springier, lighter, and more durable than regular EVA. Other GOrun shoes, like the race-ready Razor 3, use the same midsole recipe, but extra cushioning makes the Ride 8 softer and better suited for cruising on easy runs. The extra cush still feels light and energetic, and left one tester’s legs feeling fresh enough to tack on evening doubles during the week.

Goodyear rubber on the outsole and a stretchy engineered knit upper surprised us with its performance in the rain; we didn’t slip on slick painted road lines, the knit kept our socks dry through drizzly tempos, and the asymmetrical tongue stayed in place, even when a little soggy. Although this model does feel a little narrower in the forefoot than the previous version, you probably won’t need to go up a half-size, and removing the optional insole can afford you some extra wiggle room.

HyperBurst Foam at Its Softest

HyperBurst foam feels softer on certain Skechers shoes: It’s especially firm in the Razor, and slightly softer and bouncier in the GOrun Hyper 7. In the Ride 8, the foam is at its softest. It’s exceptionally bouncy at a light jog, but gets even more responsive as you pick up the pace. With a heel-toe offset of 7mm, (9mm for the men’s, according to our tests at the RW Shoe Lab) I personally think it would feel even more responsive on a lower drop, which typically encourages a midfoot strike for an even quicker ride. You’d also likely benefit more from the plush forefoot, where the shoe is softest, although the cushioning still falls square in the moderate range at the heel.

Despite the thick slab of foam underfoot, the shoe doesn’t feel squishy, and stays surprisingly light, albeit heavier than the regular GOrun 7. That extra weight and tall height make the shoe better for long runs and easy days rather than tight cornering on the track at high speeds, but it still feels quick and nimble enough for tempo pace.

Goodyear Grip

The biggest downfall of the (otherwise outstanding) Hoka One One Rincon was the traction and an outsole that wore down quickly. If you’re willing to trade a little extra weight and some room in the toebox, the Ride 8 offers similarly responsive cushioning with much better traction and durability. Sticky Goodyear rubber hasn’t shown early signs of wear after 60 miles; there’s more than enough traction for slick roads and groomed trails.

Snug, Sturdy Knit

Knit uppers usually garner some mixed feedback in testing—such was the case with the Ride 8. Personally, I liked the super snug fit through the midfoot and found that the material had just enough stretch to still feel stable on a tall stack height. I had more than enough room in the toebox, but also have a narrow foot, and one tester indicated his pinky toes felt cramped. (He also felt the tongue could use more padding, but I actually appreciated that the thin material laid flat and didn’t add any bulk.)

Rather than light and airy, the knit material feels thick and substantial, but it still breathes well; I didn’t have frozen toes during runs in 30 degrees, and didn’t have sweltering feet during my treadmill sessions above 70. In my opinion, the only thing missing on the GOrun Ride 8 is a slightly lower heel-toe drop for a more responsive ride (and maybe a blinky, light-up midsole).

Lakota Gambill

Wear-Tester Feedback

Jeremy G. | Tester since 2017
Arch: Flat | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel
“The ride was plush, but not too soft that it felt squishy. As a heel striker, I felt a nice cushion when landing; the cushioning was my favorite feature overall. I always felt secure and had no issues with my foot sliding around inside the shoe.”