Gear Review by Vanessa: Skechers GOrun Horizon Vanish 3

First impressions and Fit

Off the box, the Skechers lightweight GOrun Horizon Vanish 3 definitely has an eye-catching colourway. It is remarkably lightweight at 146g for a women’s US size 7 and fits true to size yet still allows for adequate toe splay.

Upper

An adequately roomy toe box with a breathable upper featuring a partly see-through mono mesh, you can even tell the colour of the underlying socks. This feature would be advantageous in our humid climate and on hot race days to provide adequate ventilation.

The tongue was shockingly thin, but in a good way, and certainly helped the shoe shed any unnecessary weight. The laces were comfortable and did not cause issues despite the barely perceptible tongue.

While the toe box was a good fit, I did experience heel slippage. I tried thicker socks but that made for a narrower, more uncomfortable toe box. Ultimately I resorted to tying a runner’s knot lacing which secured the heel lockdown.

Midsole

This incredibly lightweight shoe has a stack height of 28mm to 24mm heel to toe drop, providing some cushioning for those not used to the traditional racing flat. There is no carbon fibre plate, but the responsive TPU-base cushioning provided adequate energy return and there was a bounce to the shoe which would work well for intervals on the track.

The midsole felt well cushioned and was not overly firm for the level of energy return. Designed with Skechers trademark Arch Fit, the medial arch felt well supported and comfortable.

Outsole

I had no issues with the outsole. There was adequate traction and worked even on more slippery puddles on the roads. The shoe lands softly, unlike plated shoes yet preserves a bouncy feel.

Conclusions and Recommendations

A comfortable racing day shoe that would also work well as a speed training shoe, especially on the track. Recommended as a beginner racing shoe as the stack height is still relatively well preserved, hence making it more forgiving on the calves compared to traditional racing flats. The best features of this shoe would be its incredible lightweight and very breathable upper.

The GOrun Horizon Vanish 3 is now available at selected Skechers concept and performance stores, including 313@somerset, Bugis Junction (Performance), Compass One, Great World, Jem, Jewel Changi Airport, Junction 8, Jurong Point, NEX, Northpoint City, Paragon, Parkway Parade, Plaza Singapura, Suntec City, Tampines 1, Velocity@Novena Square, VivoCity, Wisma Atria, as well as online via www.skechers.com.sg.  

* Disclaimer: This review represents the genuine, unbiased views of the author. The author was provided with a free unit. Skechers’ products have been and might currently be advertised on JustRunLah! via different channels, however, these relationships do not influence the editorial content of reviews.