About a month ago I was scrambling to find some running shoes for this year. My last running shoe review was two years ago for Vibram Speeds, and I ended up blowing through those in about four months. After figuring out I had exceeded their rated mileage by about 20%, I tried Vibram Bikilas instead, but they were uncomfortable. Then I switched to Invisible Shoes huaraches (sandals, now called XeroShoes) but I never could get used to them and ended up with a large & persistent blood blister on the ball of my right foot. I spent the tail end of the winter running in my Adidas Skeletoes (1.0) but I needed something more minimal for the summer. Enter Skora Form.

The Form is manufactured by Skora Running (@SkoraRunning), whose tag line is “Run Real.” What initially drew me was the fact that “Skora” sounds exactly like the Russian word for “quick”, but the details intrigued me – goatskin upper, sheepskin lining, 9mm zero-drop outsole; 4mm removable, anti microbial insole; wide toe box; asymmetrical lacing system; and a high-density, wear-resistant rubber sole. I ordered them from Amazon and have been running in them for about a month.

I’ve worn these on runs ranging from 30 to 90 minutes, and I can honestly say that I have not had runs these good since running in my Vibram Speeds two years ago, and my pace is actually improved with these shoes. It feels like my running is more relaxed and laid back, but my average paces and distances do not lie. While minimalists seem to prefer a 4-6mm sole, the combination of 13mm insole/outsole did not deaden the ground-feel, which is great, and the flexibility is just superb.

After a month, the materials are holding up well; the sole appears to have less wear than I would have thought, too. The fit is true to size; I am officially a size 8, right on the line between EE and EEE for width, so I order an 8W from Amazon and receive an 8. After emailing Skora about how to tell the wide from the standard sizes I learned that they don’t make wide sizes, but some retailers carry them as both wide and standard widths because of the wider toe box. As it turns out, I didn’t have any problems with the fit. The asymmetrical lacing follows the natural curve of the foot instead of going straight up the middle, which helps you get the shoe snug without any bunching of the material.

The cost of the shoes reflects the materials involved in making them; they retail at $185, at the top of Skora’s line. Depending on the size, Amazon likely has a better price – about half that, if you are my size. Still, I can’t say it enough: good running shoes cost money, period. You can get away with decent or even passable, but I am one of those willing to shell out a little more because a.) I work my butt off, and b.) I like to run and I deserve good shoes for that. Still, the full retail is a little bit out of my range and so it was nice to get these for such a great price. Skora’s best features are built into all of their shoes, though, so even penny-pinchers can find a good pair of shoes for less.

All in all, these are hands-down the best shoes I have ever run in, and I would recommend them to anyone. Everyone is a little different when it comes to shoes, but these are definitely top-notch. My favorite feature of these is the way the laces are textured so that they don’t come untied – definitely a plus.

Comments? Questions? Leave them below. What shoes do you run in?

Disclaimer: this is an independent product review. Skora Running had no part in its creation; I did this “sole”-ly for the benefit of other runners and athletes.