The Skechers GoTrail is the newest trail shoe trail offering added to the performance lineup of Skechers shoes. This Mid-level shoe features 5Gen cushioning, Dupont Hytrel dispersion protection plate, and H2Go water resistant upper.

After unboxing the shoe I was less than thrilled with the powder blue colorway, but I guess it was unique than what has been currently floating around the market.

After placing the shoes on my feet and walking around I couldn’t believe how light the shoes felt, and the level of plush cushioning. I almost questioned if I was wearing a pair of trail shoes at all.

Skechers GOTrail Sole Unit

The GoTrail features Skechers new 5Gen foam material which has been used with great success in many of its road shoes like the GoRun 400. I found the cushioning to be super plush which is not very typical for a trail shoe.

Skechers GOTrail – Medial Side

While the cushioning was awesome I almost found it to border on too soft at times depleting my energy on longer runs. The midsole has a nice low 4mm drop giving the shoe a smooth and efficient turn over.

This along with the flexibility of the 5Gen foam gives the shoe a nice natural flex and the Hytrel protection plate made them highly adaptable on varying terrain.

The only drawback that I had was that the flexibility was a bit much on rockier technical terrain causing more strain on my ankles than I would like.

Skechers GOTrail – Sole

One highlight of the outsole is a knobby aggressive lug that seems to be a first from Skechers. This sticky rubber lug combination performed well on almost every surface, except for the thick sticky clay mud common in the area that I run which is formidable problem to most trail shoes.

Skechers GOTrail Upper Info

The soft, stretchy, seamless upper held my feet comfortably and securely in place. A soft tightly woven mesh material was breathable and along with H2GO protection gave the shoe a high level of water protection.

The GoTrail has a nicely molded heel counter and inner support strap at the midfoot. This provided the shoe with a good heel lock down and secure stable true to size fit.

Skechers GOTrail – Inside

One of the things that I appreciated most about the upper was the nicely rounded and ample toe box that was created. I welcomed the ability to have my toes splay and move freely.

Skechers GOTrail Conclusions

The GoTrail is an enjoyable and versatile shoe to run in. The high level of plush cushioning was great and unique to a trail shoe, but was also what gave the shoe some of its bigger drawbacks.

Skechers GOTrail – Lateral Side

I think that for the price the shoe is a great value and a solid choice for middle to short distance trail shoe, or those looking to try a pair trail shoes for the first time.

We thank the nice people at Skechers for sending us a pair of GOTrail to test. This did not influence the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.