Skora Tempo Review

Active Gear Review is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Skora Tempo

I have a love-hate relationship with minimalist running shoes. I love the weightlessness and “one-with-the-road” feel that you get…but I hate the jarring that can come along with the minimal cushioning. The Tempo just might be the shoe that can bridge this gap. This is the latest zero-drop shoe from Skora, whose “run real” philosophy focuses on natural running with a whole-foot gait compared to a heel-strike gait that accompanies your conventional thicker-heeled shoes. The Skoras are designed to minimize shock through the body. Out of the box, these puppies are bright and unique. I’ve been into lower-profile shoes the last few years.  I have also been looking for a little more when it comes to cushioning, so I was psyched to test something specifically designed to go longer distances.

Skora Tempo Fit

This shoe is undoubtedly large for size- I typically wear an 8.5 in most shoes and went with a half-size down and they still seemed a bit big. I think I could have gone even another half-size down to find the right fit. The toebox is very roomy (the wider forefoot is part of their design to a natural foot). I think I have a pretty wide toebox, but I could barely feel the sides with these shoes. A medium-thickness sock worked best for me as I felt my toes were slipping around with a thin sock. I think if I had tried maybe a 7.5, I would not have slipped around as much. If you do have a wider foot, or you like your toes to splay then you’ll love the extra room.

One-piece, no-sew construction and asymmetrical lacing.

Skora Tempo Features

The first thing I noticed about the shoe was its eye-popping colors and lightweight feel (it weighs less than 8oz). Its no-sew construction is essentially seamless and did not irritate my mini-bunion on my right foot. The one-piece mesh upper was extremely breathable. Though this is a great feature for a run on a hot day, I definitely needed a pretty thick sock to keep the chilly air out on a snowy trail run. The Skora Tempo internal archband did a good job of keeping the middle of the shoe snug on my foot. The asymmetrical lacing system is cool, and I did notice that it took pressure off the top of the foot.

Rounded edges make for a smooth ride, and the internal archband (green) keeps a snug fit on your midfoot.

The forefoot sole cushioning is made up of funky circular cushioning pads. I’ve never seen anything like this before, but I noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

Flexible, zero-drop sole with grooves for flexibility and forefoot cushioning buttons

The 24mm sole is extremely flexible, zero-drop, and the rounded heels are designed to mimic our feet. The shoe also has reflective piping for boosting visibility out on the road.

Skora Tempo Ride

I found this shoe to be quite comfortable and fun. The flexible sole, with its individual tread buttons, allowed the shoe to be very responsive to the surface below and encouraged midfoot contact. This is by far my favorite part of the shoe. The funky buttons gave me a little extra traction on a trail run and a packed snow run.

Great traction on packed snow. So breathable, you can see through to my socks.

It felt like my weight was evenly distributed and I had adequate cushion for long runs, especially compared to most minimalists I have tried. The toebox was protected well with the rubber outsole and suede upper.

Skora Tempo Recap

This shoe is perfect for someone looking for a durable, lightweight minimalist shoe with good cushioning for long runs. If it weren’t for the sizing, I think it could have been true love. The sole and the cushioning are the stars of this shoe. I was able to maintain a natural stride and felt like I didn’t have to do several runs to “ease in” to running longer distances like I have with other minimalist shoes. Also, other minimalists have limited mileage before the tread is shot, and this sole has been very durable and has been holding up great after numerous long runs. It is available in bright yellow (tested), black, and grey with coral and green, in sizes 5-11 (see sizing notes above) and retails for $130.

For more information, go to https://skorarunning.com/.