Other than my Babolat tennis shoes, my last two athletic shoes have been Skechers. Lightweight with a mesh fabric upper, memory foam insole and a flexible outsole. Not your typical trainers, but they have worked unbelievably well for me. In the good ‘ol days I was a fan of Adidas running shoes. Granted I was an avid runner at the time, so that made sense. But I also wore them to the gym to train clients and for my own workouts. Features changed over time, and I moved on to Sauconys and Mizunos. I even owned a pair of Otomix bodybuilder shoes. So how did I shift to Sketchers? I just happened to drop by our DSW at Greenway Station — my big bro would always tell me how he’d find deals on the discounted shelves in California. As luck would have it, I found a pair of Sketchers Men’s Skech Flex Sneakers. They were sooooooo comfortable. I literally smiled when I put them on. I have had those shoes for two years. Yes, I know that breaks many rules about how long you’re “suppose” to own a pair of shoes. I still wear them once in a while.
My next pair of Skechers was similar but had slightly more support. The upper was a combination of mesh and synthetic. For long periods of standing and/or doing “light” workouts, these shoes are fine. But for long walks, running or other activities that require more lateral support, these don’t cut it. Thus I recently ordered the Skechers Sport Men’s Skech Air 2.0 Brain Freeze
. Unlike the previous two Sketcher’s, my feet are still breaking them in. If you’re like me, my feet are NOT symmetrical. It’s a running joke in my house about how “I broke the big toe on my right foot in a soccer game when I was 12” and how it never healed properly. Ohhh, poor Eric. Needless to say, that has greatly impacted my shoe choices. These Sketchers are slightly heavier, have more grip and more lateral support. Also it keeps the foot in a neutral position. Absolutely no supination (rolling your ankles out and pushing off of your pinky toe) or pronation (ankles rolling in and pushing off of the big toe). I went for a long walk the other day and felt great. A little toe rubbing, but with my issues, that’s to be expected.
After my walk, I went to the gym and did some cardio on a step mill. Again I felt supported and comfortable. Feet were breathing well. Then I did a number of bodyweight calisthenic exercises and finished with some free weight resistance exercises. I even noticed how “centered” I felt doing standing dumbbell biceps curls. Plus I think these shoes boost me up to almost 5’8″ :-)
Eric, what about your Babolat tennis shoes you mentioned earlier? For tennis, they are incredible. They offer tons of support, lateral stability and durability. Okay for lifting and walking but awful for standing for long periods of time or straight up running. When I put them on, it’s like a switch has been turned. I want to start moving quickly, shift side to side, pivot, etc. These shoes are like race horses in the gates. They want to get out there and do what they’ve been designed to do.
If you’re looking to experience a light weight shoe with Memory Foam insole then Skechers Sport Men’s Skech Air 2.0 Brain Freeze is a great choice. Wait a second! What’s that I see on Amazon.com? The Skechers Sport Men’s Skech Air 2.0 Zero Gravity? Might have to give those a try too.
