Skora Base First impression

The Base is Skora’s other brain-child, sitting alongside the Form at the cornerstone of the upstart company’s “Run Real” ethos. In fact, the shoe is structurally similar to the Form—differing only in the construction of the upper. This slight change gives this Base the upper hand over the Form, creating a lightweight and contoured fit in a barely-there shoe.

Skora Base Sole unit

As I mentioned in the review for the Form, I felt like these shoes could guide me on a Mars mission as well as guide me through a marathon. With an all-silver design through the upper, offset by black outsole rubber, the design of the Base was definitely a head-turner. Upon wearing them, however, I realized that the shoes were still comfortable and not too different from other lightweight minimalist shoes. With scant cushioning, the Base provided a similar experience to the Form—a natural, barely-there experience that left me feeling truly connected to the road while I ran. The mesh upper and Velcro lacing system kept my feet snugly secure with plenty of room in the toe box for movement and flexibility.

As indicated with the Form, the Skora Base is a well-designed, well-executed shoe—though I still found the insole to be uncomfortable and blister-inducing. The insole features small bubbles, presumably for the comfort of the wearer’s feet. This element, however, created a three-inch blister under the hard, callused skin on the ball of my right foot. That said, the insole is removable in the Base as well as the Form.

Skora Base Sole Unit

The Skora Base features a zero-drop sole—fashioned out of a four millimeter tread that zig-zags across the bottom of the shoe. The forefront of the shoe has by far the greatest amount of cushioning (which is still quite minimal), promoting midfoot stride in the wearer. Additionally, the outsole is curved, mimicking the foot’s natural contours for a glove-like fit. Despite the scant amount of outsole rubber, the Form is quite durable, and fared well on gravel as well as asphalt. The three-part construction sandwiches thin layers of rubber together to provide just the right amount of cushioning in a minimalist shoe.

Skora Base Upper

The Base’s upper is the major difference-maker—featuring a lightweight mesh design, I found it to be more breathable and form-fitting than the goatskin upper of the Form. What’s more, the Base features a unique strapping system that keeps the shoe snug along the top of the foot. I could see this as being a welcome design feature for many minimalist fans, as lacing on minimalist shoes does not always provide the secure fit that is harder to obtain in less-cushioned shoes. The Base’s heel cup fits snugly as well, and the shoe’s removable sole stayed secure on long runs.

Skora Base Opinion

If one were to choose between Skora’s two breakthrough shoes, my vote would go to the Base. It is less expensive, better-ventilated, and quite frankly—it’s pretty cool looking. With few discernible differences between the Base and the Form, the small details within the Base made me inclined to recommend this shoe over its bretheren.

We thank the nice people at Skora for sending us a pair of Base to test. This did not influence the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.