Skechers GO RUN Ride 10 Introduction

The Ride is Skechers’ neutral, daily workhorse trainer. This is a very tough category to crack because it’s occupied by established stalwarts like the Pegasus, Cumulus and Wave Rider.

To stand out, you need to have a trainer that’s not only durable, comfortable and affordable but also engaging to run in. Spoiler alert, the new Ride 10 ticks most of these boxes.

My last pair of the Ride was version 7. I really enjoyed how smooth transitions were in it and how versatile it was. The upper had fit issues though- it was too thick, warm and snug.

Over the years, Skechers Performance has become a brand known for its lightweight, responsive running shoes but also their lack of quality and durability. Skechers trainers felt really cheap and plasticy. This changes with the Ride 10. The Ride 10 feels like a much more polished, much higher quality product.

When it comes to price, Skechers has a very weird pricing strategy. The Ride 10 is listed as $125 on Running Warehouse however on the Skechers website, they have listed it as $145 which is a big price difference.

$125 is affordable but $145 is much too expensive for a daily trainer. Skechers charges $145 for the Max Road 5 and the Razor Excess 2 which both have carbon plates in them.

The Ride 10 weighs 8.4 oz (238 g) which is exactly the same as the Ride 9. The Ride 10 has a 34 mm heel and a 28 mm forefoot and is only an upper update- the sole unit is the same as the Ride 9.

Skechers GO RUN Ride 10 First Impressions

When I tried it on in the store, I was blown away by the step-in comfort. The midsole felt really plush underfoot and the Arch Fit insole felt prominent against my arch but not uncomfortable like in the Nike Infinity Run 3.

My first run was an 8 km recovery run above 6 minutes per kilometre and even though my legs weren’t fresh, the Ride 10 still felt nothing short of amazing. It had a really pleasant, smooth ride which was soft and cushioned.

I could feel a lot of energy return from the Hyper Burst midsole foam which felt magical compared to the dead FF Blast+ foam in the last 2 ASICS trainers that I tested recently.

The upper felt really comfortable and luxurious because of all the padding and the fit was perfect. I couldn’t wait to get more runs in the Ride 10.

Skechers GO RUN Ride 10 Upper

The mono mesh upper of the Ride 10 is generously padded, especially in the tongue and it reminds me of a max-cushioned trainer upper. It runs warm so it’s better suited to cool climates.

It has an accommodating fit with a really spacious midfoot and forefoot. The fit is true to size and more suited to wide feet so I need to cinch the laces really tightly.

There’s a thin reflective strip on the back of the heel and reflective dots on the sides of the toe box for low-light visibility.

I find the heel cup and collar comfortable with no heel slippage. The laces are a little bit too soft and they fray relatively easily so that’s an area that Skechers still needs to work on.

Skechers GO RUN Ride 10 Sole Unit

This is the thickest Hyper Burst midsole that I’ve tried and when used in a medium-high stack height like in the Ride 10, it feels really special. It feels like a firmer version of New Balance’s FuelCell so it has less compression but more cushioning depth.

Energy return is great- it’s not a fast energy rebound like Nike’s ZoomX but the energy return is of a more controlled kind.

The Ride 10’s supercritical midsole makes the ride really engaging. I looked forward to every run in the Ride 10. Any good daily trainer needs to be versatile and the Ride 10 does not disappoint. Recovery runs, easy runs, moderate-paced runs all feel great in the Ride 10.

Long distance runs are also a pleasure in the Ride 10. It doesn’t bottom out and it just soaks up the miles. The forefoot is very flexible so it makes you feel like you’re in control of the shoe.

The 6 mm drop is a lot lower than most of the other daily trainers. The Brooks Ghost has a 12 mm drop which is double that of the Ride 10! The 6 mm drop combined with the M-Strike geometry encourages midfoot strikes and this gives the Ride 10 a very unique ride unlike anything else on the market. While it feels quite odd at first, you get used to it very quickly.

I have to give credit to Skechers for their new Arch Fit technology. The insole is moulded in such a way that it provides arch support without the annoying arch-poking sensation. Being a flat-footed runner, I find it comforting that it has some arch support which the average daily trainer doesn’t have.

One of the special features of Skechers performance trainers was that you could run in them with or without the insole. The insole was designed to be removable for runners wanting a firmer or softer ride. The insole of the Ride 10 is designed to not be removed because it’s glued down; however you can still pull it out with relatively little force.

On the outsole, copious amounts of Goodyear rubber protect the Ride 10’s Hyper Burst midsole. The outsole is full ground contact so transitions feel super smooth and there’s only a small area under the heel which is not covered with rubber.

The Ride 10 outsole has held up really well. Goodyear rubber is tough so there isn’t much wear on the high wear areas. There’s only very small amounts of foam scuffing under the centre of the heel and the outer lateral rim of the heel.

There’s also no signs of creasing on the Hyper Burst midsole so I expect it to retain its cushioning over time well. The Ride 10 has the build quality to be a durable workhorse.

Skechers GO RUN Ride 10 Conclusions

The Skechers GO RUN Ride 10 is the best daily trainer I’ve run in this year. The Hyper Burst midsole, M-Strike geometry and Arch Fit insole all worked perfectly for my footstrike and my mechanics.

The ride is engaging and versatile enough for most types of runs and the really impressive thing is that the Ride 10 has received a plusher, more comfortable upper but it still kept the same weight as the Ride 9.

Yes, there are other daily trainers such as the Mach 5 and Rebel v3 which are lighter than the Ride 10 but both have stripped down, minimal uppers compared to the Ride 10 which are not as comfortable. The Ride 10 outsole is also much more durable so it represents better value. .

The Ride 10 is the text book daily trainer: it’s versatile, durable and comfortable but most importantly, it’s a fun trainer. The sad thing is that it will never be as popular as other daily trainers because it bears the Skechers badge.

When it comes to quality, Skechers has upped their game in the last 2 years. I was really impressed with how polished and complete the Ride 10 feels as a daily workhorse trainer. Build quality feels high and it no longer feels like a cheap mom shoe. The Ride 10 is a proper performance running shoe.