Racing In Skechers GoMeb

Irene is the Team's latest addition and represent Malaysia in triathlon. Here is her quick (she is fast on the swim, bike and run) review of the Skechers GoMeb.

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Racing In Skechers GoMeb aka GoSpeed

By Irene Chong.
My current (well, now ex) pair of racing shoes has been racing together with me for almost 2 years and we have gone through together more than 10 races in various countries during that period of time.  I have been using them in all my 10km-11km run leg of my triathlon races and even in training runs sometimes. With that kind of mileage and hard racing done, it was time to get it retired and pull on something new. I have been racing in a pair of Asics and now that I’m with Team 2ndskin, I was very enthusiastic to try out Skechers Performance range of shoes. J

I sent a picture of my old racing shoes to my Team Principal, Eugene (to show him how bad the condition my racing shoes already are… LOL), and thanks a lot to Eugene who managed to get me a pair of new shoes sponsored by Skechers (Thanks Skechers!!!) 3 days before I was due to go to Hong Kong for my race. I only had one chance to try on the shoes during my last session of training at the MSN track before I went off. However, even in that one session, I could feel that the shoes were meant to go fast and I immediately liked the feel of it.

When I dropped by Skechers Store at Pavillion, I tried on a few models to see which ones suited me best. My team mates in Team 2ndskin had recommended me to try out the GoBionic Ride and GoSpeed/GoMeb. I tested them both and also the GoRun 2 as well as the GoRun Ride. I felt that the GoRun 2 and GoRun Ride would make very good training shoes for me (more on that next time!), but upon slipping on the GoSpeed, I knew they were the shoes for me. The GoSpeed (sounds cool and fast) fit me perfectly. It was very lightweight compared to my old racing shoes and also very flexible. I chose the red and yellow colour combo pair because i wanted my shoes to be easily spotted and seen in the transition area at triathlon races.

The first thing, besides the very light weight, that caught my attention in this shoe is the black plate (carbon-like) under the shoes at the sole area. I found out the carbon plate gave the shoes some stiffness and stability during my run. The inner of the shoes was very smooth and seamless and it helped me get in the shoes faster during transition in a race where every second counts. This pair of very breathable shoes also helped avoid my feet from sweating a lot especially when racing under hot sun with the heat coming up from the road! The best thing about the shoes is the perfect snug fit for my feet where there is no extra space within the shoe that allow my feet to move around, that can cause formation of 3-4 blisters during my race (which is a norm for me). 

Customized GoSpeed with quick laces for faster transition

One of the most important things that allow a triathlete to have a fast transition is the SHOE LACES. In all my years of racing, I have experienced many occasions fiddling with my shoe laces; therefore I am purely using quick laces for my racing shoes from now on. So, I customized my shoe laces (I know is a bit expensive for the shoe laces which cost me about RM80 for a set but it does make my shoes look cool n perfect!).

My shoes’ first battlefield was in Hong Kong at the Lantau ITU Triathlon Asian Cup. I experienced some blisters from the shoes but its not at the same location which I always experience with my old shoes. It was expected, as I only had 1 session of training to adapt to the shoes, so I didn’t realize where the possible hotspot could be. The forming of the blisters is just because of the rubbing from the shoes with the side of my feet in the last 3km of the race (and it wasn't that bad compared with my previous shoes, which I will start getting the blisters after 2km into the race).

Knowing then where the slight friction would occur, I applied some Vaseline at the inside of the shoe where it was rubbing my feet in HK before my race at Nusajaya International Triathlon  and I was free from any blisters for the first time in a race in 2 years! I was so very happy that I continued wearing my shoes and walking around while waiting for my prize presentation. All I can say is, I am very thankful to Skechers for providing me with an excellent pair of racing shoes that fit me exceptionally well and I am very comfortable racing in.

Now, I cannot wait to try on other pairs of Skechers Performance series shoes, especially for training runs, in hope that I will be able to perform better and improving my run timing. J