There have been loads of comments lately on our Facebook page like these:
“I can’t wait for these shoes!”
“What’s taking so long?”
“We have to wait until February?”
“Why do they cost so much?”
We thought it might be time for a little introspection.
As many of you know the SKORA journey started years ago when David was trying to find solutions to his chronic injuries, and discovered barefoot running. After finally being able to run pain-free, he started looking for performance shoes that would enable him to realize the benefits of barefoot running, while still offering some of the protection and comfort of shoes.
We figured there must be other runners out there like us… We were faced with a lack of options that truly met the needs of runners. Three years ago we embarked to make our own.
As we began designing our concepts, sourcing for suppliers and building early prototypes we realized how complex and resource heavy performance shoe manufacturing really is. No wonder you don’t see new running shoe brands springing up every year. But we pushed forward and knew we could make better running shoes, otherwise, why bother?
Our basic design philosophy is to remove as much as we can from running shoes that gets in the way of a natural running gait. We wanted a zero drop shoe, that allows for great feedback with every step. One that is shaped, and performs, like your bare feet, and yet provides some protection from rough running surfaces or foul weather.
We were committed to make our shoes out of premium materials. We never quite bought into the “rotate your shoes” or “you must replace your shoes every 300 miles” marketing hype. We believe that runners deserve the best. We’re not cutting any corners or sourcing cheap, second rate materials.
It took time to find the right suppliers and factories that shared our vision. We expected such a high degree of detail and quality that quite frankly it wasn’t easy to find a partner that appreciated a return to building things better.
After countless pullovers, adjustments and samples, we believe we have it right. SKORA shoes are fantastic and the feedback we are getting is overwhelmingly positive. But we’re just getting started.
Are our shoes the answer for everyone? No. But they’re the performance running shoes we wanted to make when we first started this long journey… and it was worth the wait. Run Real.