Skechers Aero Burst Review
By Nathan Brown
Skechers Aero BurstPrice: $140 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 10.9oz, 312g (men's size 9), 9.4oz, 266g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 43 mm heel / 37 mm forefoot
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Daily Trainer, Long Run, Maximal Cushion
Pros: Cushioned for easy miles, Comfortable and Secure Fit, Price
Cons: A bit heavy, Loses pop when picking up the pace
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Skechers Aero Burst is a maximally cushioned shoe designed for logging daily miles, easy runs, and long runs. The Aero Burst consists of a dual-density midsole of Hyperburst
Ice foam, an carbon-infused H-plate in the forefoot, and their
"Arch-Fit" design through the midfoot. All of this comes on a rockered platform. Coming in at $140, it's worth a look if you're wanting a shoe that is an easy cruiser for daily and longer miles.
SIMILAR SHOES: Triumph 22, NB More v5
PAST MODEL: Somewhat of a Maxroad replacement
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Nathan: I don't have any complaints about the upper of the Aero Burst. It sports an engineered mesh upper that has decent breathability, but is structured enough to enhance durability. There is a partially gusseted tongue that is secured only on the inside of the shoe (medial side) and has a mild amount of padding, both enough to keep it secure and avoid any irritation from the laces. There is a semi-rigid heel counter that also has enough padding to hold the heel secure and avoid irritation from the heel counter. The fit is overall secure without being tight, and the bit of stretch from the upper allows for a bit of accommodation in the toe box. However, I wouldn't consider the toe box remarkably wide, and therefore, those with wider feet will certainly want to try this on prior to purchasing. I have taken this shoe on multiple 10+ mile runs with no irritation from the upper. In all, this is a shoe that fits true to size in my men's size 9.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 9
Shoes that have fit Nathan well: Topo Phantom 3, Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, ASICS Novablast 4
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Mach 6, Puma Deviate 3, New Balance Rebel v3
Shoes that have fit large: Saucony Triumph 22, Brooks Launch 9 (length)
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Somewhat
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Mildly
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mildly
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: No
Durability Expectation: Good
PERFORMANCE
Nathan: Let's start with the foam, all 43mm of it. This configuration of Hyperburst Ice is soft, and when going at slower paces has bit of bounce to it. That combination of softness and rebound felt best at slower paces, such as on easy long runs and recovery runs. To aid with the high stack of this shoe, there is a forefoot rocker that is given a bit of rigidity from the H-plate, yet maintains just a bit of flexibility. I appreciated the bit of flex because that gave me a bit more of a feeling of connection to the ground despite the high stack.
Despite this combination working really well for easy efforts and long runs, I found that the foam combined with the weight (almost 11oz), led to this shoe feeling a bit more flat when picking up the pace even for some longer mild tempo work. Therefore, I found the versatility of the ride lower and I only will use it for easier efforts. The final element I wanted to touch on was the Arch Fit.
In the past I've had issue with Arch Fit for two reasons -- the marketing ploy and that it felt intrusive on my arch. Happy to report that this version's Arch Fit is barely noticeable, and therefore, I could log many more miles in this shoe without issues.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Nathan: The Aero Burst is a maximally cushioned neutral trainer. The H-plate, the sidewalls, and the solid rockers (heel bevel and forefoot rocker) keep high stack and softer foam under control and moving forward really well. The ground contact does narrow slightly in the midfoot, and that keeps this shoe from being more in the stable neutral category. The upper is secure and holds the foot well on the platform as well. The forefoot is the most stable area of this shoe given the wider foot contact area and the H-plate that provides a bit of rigidity both side to side and forward/back.
Thoughts as a DPT: The Balance Between Rigid and Flex in Maximal Shoes
By Nathan Brown
Maximalist footwear has certainly taken the running shoe world by storm. With higher stack heights, softer foams, and desires for innovation, there have been necessary geometric changes to footwear as well. Primarily, this has been the inclusion of forefoot rockers in most footwear. The reason a forefoot rocker is needed within a maximalist shoe relates to the need for some sort of transition onto the toes. In more traditional footwear, this transition onto the toes happens through our body's own forefoot rocker, where our big toe extends as we rock onto our hallux (big toe). However, when the maximalist shoes came around, particularly early, the high stack and stiffer foams created rigid platforms that did not allow us to get up onto our toes as easily. Therefore, our body's own forefoot rocker was supplemented by a curve in the forefoot so that the shoe would mimic this motion and help with propulsion and forward movement. One potential issue here is the need for that artificial rocker to line up right with the runner's big toe joint (1st MTP). If it doesn't, it can actually make running feel a bit challenging and clunky.
Now that we have so many more compliant foams, we are able to have high stacks that retain some flexibility, and sometimes instability. That is also why we are seeing an infusion of plates within so many shoes, to help stabilize the shoe and provide a bit of rigidity for the rocker. In the case of the Aero Burst, the softer midsole allows for some flexibility in the forefoot, which then is counteracted by the H-plate. In this case, it results in a shoe that has a true rocker platform, which offloads the calf slightly, but still allows the toes to extend a bit when loading the shoe right. For a premium maximal trainer, this hits a sweet spot, allowing more runners to access this shoe without having to worry as much about if the rocker aligns perfectly with their first MTP joint.
Ultimately, the interplay of forefoot rockers, the flexibility of those rockers, and which a runner may prefer is going to be very individual. However, the stiffer the rocker, the more important it is for the rocker to line up with your big toe joint (1st MTP).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Nathan: I overall like this shoe for easy and long runs. I appreciate the price point, and think it's appropriate for what the shoe offers. I think the biggest area for improvement for this shoe would be weight. I think some of the weight may be shaved from the upper, and even taking 1-2 mm off the stack height could drop the weight down, adding to increased versatility.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Nathan: The Aero Burst is an easy cruiser for those who want a maximalist shoe that won't break the bank (crazy to say that $140 is on the cheaper end these days). It will not be the most versatile shoe out there, so if you want a "do it all" shoe, I'd look elsewhere. But if you're just logging easy miles and longer runs, this can be a nice addition to the rotation, particularly if you enjoy highly cushioned shoes that operate on a rocker platform. If you're sensitive to weight, that would be a consideration for picking this shoe as well, as the 10.9oz becomes noticeable when picking up the pace.
GRADES
Nathan
Fit: A (No issues, not remarkably wide in the forefoot if you need that)
Performance: B (Solid for easy runs and long runs, lacks versatility and heavy/flat at faster efforts)
Stability: B [neutral] (Narrowed midfoot (slightly) keep this maximal shoe in neutral category)
Value: B+ (Premium feel for a good price)
Personal: B+ (really nice for easy and long runs, but limited to those uses for me, a bit heavy)
Overall Design: B
SHOP | SUPPORT DORSkechers Aero BurstPrice: $140 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
Skecher's lighter weight plated trainer.
Saucony's premium trainer.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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