Reminiscent of a sleek, low to the ground, high-performance Formula 1 Race Car, the Form from SKORA Running is a minimalist, low profile zero drop shoe that uses a combination of innovative materials and state of the art engineering to provide a fast, form-fitting and responsive ride.
Through the use of natural materials an innovative engineering, SKORA is intent on making shoes that mirror and celebrate the body’s natural biomechanics. The Form, SKORA’s top of the line shoe, is engineered to work with your foot’s natural movements providing a barefoot-like running experience.
As we suspected in our First Look and our testing confirmed, the Form is an impressive shoe. Not only is it easy on the eyes, it’s a stellar minimalist performer. It is light, has an anatomical last, molds to your foot and provides a ground feel that will impress even the most ardent of barefoot runners.
While traditional shoes have permitted people to run further than they otherwise would have, they have also dampened our body’s ability to properly develop the muscles, tendons and ligaments in our feet and legs and have reinforced biomechanical weaknesses such as heel striking, which can lead to injury. The Form takes you right back to the basics and will help you to rediscover your natural running style and mechanics.
On Fit and Performance …
City dwelling barefoot runners – and forefoot strikers – rejoice. The Form is designed to easily traverse just about any urban concrete/ asphalt jungle, but can also handle dirt and light fire roads with ease For those willing to take on more challenging trails, the Form does not have an aggressive tread pattern, or rock plate or shank to protect your feet from overly aggressive terrain so be forewarned.
When you’re out on the street ticking of the miles, zigzagging around walkers and dodging cars, you’ll appreciate three things which greatly aid in the shoe’s responsiveness: a form-fitting upper, a spacious toebox, and amazing ground feel.
Keeping your feet secure inside the Form is an upper made from specially processed goatskin and lined with sheepskin. Over time (and 100 + miles), we found that the leather upper molded to our feet better than it did out of the box. And, for those triathletes who prefer to go commando, the Form’s soft form-fitting upper and velcro heel adjustment strap makes transitions a cinch.
At the heart of the Form is SKORA’s REALFIT™ last which provides a wider than average toebox allowing your feet to splay comfortably and naturally thereby improving balance and stability. It also includes a zero-drop heel-to-toe differential, and low stack height – i.e. the height between the sole and the ground. Add to that a curved outsole forefoot and heel and you have a shoe that provides a more natural range of movement, which improves the body’s ability to handle impact forces leading to fewer injuries.
And, if you absolutely can’t get enough of your Forms, they are stylish and comfortable enough to wear with jeans on weekend excursions or during the week with your suit for that lunch-time get out of the office walks.
Room for Improvement …
The combination of lightweight, a zero-drop minimal stack height platform, and the use of innovative materials and intelligent engineering makes the Form a high-performance barefoot-like runner second to none. As well as this shoe performed in testing, however, we did find two issues with the Form worth mentioning – the breathability of the upper and the price.
First, the goat leather and sheep skin upper formed to our feet over time creating a sock-like fit. However, we are concerned that while the perforations in the upper – both on the inside and outside – provided ample breathability under mild temperatures if, like our tester, you reside in a region where the mercury routinely tops 100 degrees in the summer, how the leather upper would perform.
Our other criticism centers on the retail price. Premium materials come at a premium cost. And while the components of the Form are the very elements that give it the premium performance we enjoyed, the $195 price tag will undoubtedly deter some people away from an otherwise stellar shoe. Those who have price sensitivities may want to consider the BASE model (which we have yet to review) at $125.
The Bottom Line…
A high-performance, low to the ground minimalist runner with adjustable fit, the SKORA Form offers a barefoot-like running experience with a style all of its own. While the breathability of the upper may be of concern to some in the hottest of summer climates, that should not deter the ardent barefoot urban adventurers from purchasing this shoe.
MSRP: $195
MANUFACTURER: SKORA Running
WHERE: http://skorarunning.com/#/run-real
SIZES: 8-12