Skora Running

Jimmy Hart

Jimmy Hart

Barefooters
May 11, 2010
760
33
28
#1
found here skorarunning.com

Have you guys heard anything? Do you know anything? What do you want to know?

I have been following them and will in the very near future be talking with them so I want to see what sort of response or questions you guys have for them.

They have kept pretty quiet but there are some design shots online here and there so if you're not familiar go take a look and let me know.

It's your chance to have your voice heard with another minimal shoe company.
 
#2
I like the idea of sock with

I like the idea of sock with liquid rubber form their blog!

From my limited understanding of barefoot runnning I think a problem for all minimal shoes companies will be that beginners will use their shoes to 'transition' to barefoot, meaning that they will have poor form and ruin the sole of the shoe too fast, and complain about that. They (we) should be encouraged to just stick to real barefoot and be patient (I'm not), but there is no money to be made that way.

Experienced runners will probably not tolerate anything that's not super minimal. Even with my limited experience of barefoot running I realize that once you tried barefoot everything else feels like a poor temporary substitute, necessary only to overcome the weakness of our skin or the rules of the local gym/track/store/restaurant.

I don't like how my feet get hot in shoes now. I think I'm more a huarache kind of person, maybe with socks in the winter. Any cheap minimal way to attach a piece of soft protective material to my sole would be the best.
 
#3
Good points there Sloutre, I

Good points there Sloutre, I think that summer running warrants barefeet or a cool/light weight minimal huarache like sandal. If Skora could include a line of summer/warm weather minimal footwear as well as winter running (face it, I can't run in a huarache with a sock in MN winter). I need a bit more protection from the elements. Also, I think it's huge that their designs take into account a wider toe box. There are many minimal shoes/ racing flats that just don't have the space in the toe box to accommodate a barefooters foot.

I'm curious to see what they come out with, it seems they've been putting a lot of thought into their company and will likely consider a multitude of variables before they launch.
 
#5
My talks revealed a lot of

My talks revealed a lot of good information and a very positive feel about Skora. Their owner is a barefoot runner who understands that shoes should be for protection, not support. The shoes will not launch anytime soon though as they are really making a push for prefection before they do in both design and quality before they do.

The goal for Skora and the people behind it is not so much to sell shoes but give runners options for running. In fact during the call he repeatedly said he did not care if people bought his shoes as long as they learned how to run properly. I place a lot of respect in those kinds of ideals and I am looking forward to seeing how things at Skora turn out.

To answer questions about toe boxes you should find the shoe to have plenty of room.
 
#6
That philosophy sounds a lot

That philosophy sounds a lot like ours here at the BRS, Jimmy.
 
#7
They put up a new image of

They put up a new image of one of the models they're planning on releasing next year up on their Facebook page yesterday.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs783.snc4/66384_164316383595798_139591392734964_437879_2416459_n.jpg
 
#8
Will they ever release a shoe

Will they ever release a shoe though?

These are similar in looks to the NB 100s/101s, but what's with all that strapping going over the forefoot? We surely don't need anything adding to TOFP, and we surely don't need the extra weight.
 
#9
I know through my talk with

I know through my talk with them that it will be a while before a final version of a shoe is released. They are really working hard and focusing on getting it right the first time. They had told me they thought anything over 5mm was too thick so I find that picture odd since it looks thicker than that. I will say I do not judge things like that from pics though. I'm currently testing a shoe that I thought would be stiff and inflexible but it's the exact opposite and I thought TP Evos would be really flexible based on looks and they are not very much so. Not much to do on these but keep watching and waiting I think.
 
#10
 I, too, think that the idea

I, too, think that the idea looks great. I have, however, been following their website for many months. They first wanted to release this fall, and now they have pushed it back by a year. It's too bad. My fear is they will miss the market opportunity.

It would take Nike or Adidas 3-6 months after looking at the Skora pictures to have a skora-like shoe in the stores. Unless he has it patented (which would be difficult), he's got to move quickly to get it established. Although they would be contradicting everything they have been saying for many decades, the biggies could easily sweep the market with a good minimalist product. Look at the Nike Free, which Nike has well established as a "minimalist" shoe (although it doesn't really meet the muster in my book).

I also worry at the statement "a push for perfection". As someone who know a thing too many about perfectionism, I can only say "don't let the perfect get in the way of the good."



But, we wish them well in their work!
 
#11
IS THE SHOE BREATHABLE?!!!!!!

IS THE SHOE BREATHABLE?!!!!!!!! I would honestly take a really breathable shoes over a miminal shoe any day. Being able to walk correctly is nice (I don't like running with anything on my feet, though I suppose I'll have to get something for XC next year) but the real reason I can't stand shoes is that my feet get way hot and sweaty now. I think some advancements in shoe breathing technology would be nice. Other than that, the shoe should not only allow you to move your foot naturally, but move with your foot. Also, they should try to keep them relatively cheap, because I'm much more likely to buy a $30 pair of Zems than I am to buy $100 VFF's.

Thats about all my input on the subject of shoes.
 
#12
Hopefully soon, Danjo, the

Hopefully soon, Danjo, the schools will get on board with the minimalist running movement and allow you to wear huaraches or VFFs, etc.; it will be even better if they got on board with the barefoot running movement. ;-)
 
#13
Hello, Jimmy,I have a

Hello, Jimmy,
I have a problem with how non-roomy the toebox is on that concept drawing. It's extremely tapered (pointy, almost) and so will be very uncomfortable for my largest toe. I would only get the Skora if it had an oblique shape to the toebox, to keep my toes aligned straight. To see examples of a toebox which has this oblique shape, look at any shoe by Birkenstock. Some other brands that also typically use the oblique toebox shape are Crocs and Haflinger. A tapered toebox serves no purpose on a running shoe.

Something else I'd like to see is the adjustment strap split into an upper strap and lower strap. I would keep the upper one tight and the lower one loose. Furthermore, changing the upper strap to one like what huaraches and the VFF utilize would make the shoe a lot better. That type of strap allows the shoe to have maximum security without affecting ankle mobility.

I'd appreciate if you'd convey these to the Skora guy.
 
#14
Welcome, Nyah!

Welcome, Nyah!
 
#15
Thanks, TJ. For over a

Thanks, TJ.

For over a year, now, my preferred mode has been 100-percent-BF. For Winter though, I'm desperate for a sufficient minimalist shoe. Last Winter I used huaraches until temps got to about freezing. During January and February, I had to just stop spending much time outdoors.
 
#16
Be sure to check out our 2010

Be sure to check out our 2010 Minimalist Footwear Review & Buyer's Guide under the Gear Forum stickied to the top for some minimalist footwear options.
 
#17
just a  thought, indoor

just a thought, indoor soccer shoes arent exactly minimal, but from the pairs that ive owned and tried on they are relatively minimal. i.e. the heel to toe differential is either zero or really close and they are designed to be really light and natural on the foot for good touch/feel on the ball. Ive found Puma does a really good job, the pair i have has zero arch support, zero heel differential, and a relatively thin sole. and they arent expensive (usually around 40 for the cheap ones, and they last forever and a day). Just a thought.
 
#18
Well my school is fine with

Well my school is fine with my huaraches, the shoe policy is just "shoes must be worn", no types specified. But the chemistry lab requires closed toed shoes, so I wear an old pair of saucony's, and then have to air my feet out for like an hour after the lab. I need to find some roomy and breathable dress shoes too...
 
#19
Barefoot TJ wrote:Be sure to

Barefoot TJ said:
Be sure to check out our 2010 Minimalist Footwear Review & Buyer's Guide under the Gear Forum stickied to the top for some minimalist footwear options.
Click to expand...
I'd already seen it, but thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, VFFs and huaraches are the only minimalist footwear designed by BF runners (it's obvious to me that the others are mere interpretations from non-minimalist runners). While those two options work great for warm weather, I need to wear a wool sock layer during cold-wet Winter. Knee-high wool socks are the key for moving through snow.

By the way, I have the Feelmax Osmas and can say that they aren't even remotely as flexible as the reviewer claims. The portion of the sole forward of the foot's arch, has an upwards bias that feels like having a leaf spring underfoot. It's an alarmingly un-BF-like feel. The same guy reviewed Sockwas and failed to mention that the sizes were off by a wide margin (I ended up giving my first pair away and ordering the next size up, which is the equivelent to three shoe sizes larger than what my shoes are).
 
#20
barefoot kean wrote:just a 

barefoot kean said:
just a thought, indoor soccer shoes arent exactly minimal, but from the pairs that ive owned and tried on they are relatively minimal. i.e. the heel to toe differential is either zero or really close and they are designed to be really light and natural on the foot for good touch/feel on the ball. Ive found Puma does a really good job, the pair i have has zero arch support, zero heel differential, and a relatively thin sole. and they arent expensive (usually around 40 for the cheap ones, and they last forever and a day). Just a thought.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately the toebox on them is tapered, which is very uncomfortable (and damaging) for my largest toes - same problem I have with this Skora concept design. I want the toebox shaped like how it is on Birkenstock shoes and Crocs. That toebox shape allows the toes to be straight (and even splay like the VFF does).
 
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