Skechers GO WALK Flex review

We think that you should definitely go for the Skerchers GO WALK Flex if you need:

• A shoe that is comfortable all day long
• A plushy companion for your walks
• A slip-on pair which is very easy to put on and off
• A budget-friendly and lightweight option

If you are looking for a highly breathable pair of shoes that you can enjoy in the summer, go for the On Cloud 5.

If you need a more stable walking shoe that also has a durable sole, try the Skechers Max Cushioning Arch Fit.

As soon as you read that this shoe got a 2 out of 5 in our breathability test, you might not believe your eyes. But don't worry, we have this video to prove it! In it you can actually see how most of the smoke we pumped into the Skechers GO WALK Flex gets trapped inside.

We compared it with the On Cloud 5 Push, which got a 4/5 in this same test. Very breathable!

Skechers GO WALK Flex (on the left) vs. On Cloud 5 Push (on the right)

Its mesh material totally deceived us, and when we put this pair on we realised that it was not the best for sunny days.

We also put the upper through a transparency test. Holding the half-cut shoe against the light, we saw that it did not have any pores or perforations big enough to let the light shine through.

These two tests had already shown us that sweaty feet and this pair could easily become best friends. Just to know a bit more about its material, we decided to look for some ventilation holes using our microscope.

But... nothing! Look at how tightly woven the fabric is. There's no way this shoe could go for yoga classes! Breathe in and breathe out? Impossible!

When a pair is not very breathable, it usually makes up for it with its durability. And the Skechers GO WALK Flex is a clear example!

Look at our Dremel going all out. If this shoe had eyes, it wouldn't even have blinked!

So everyone knows just how incredible this is, we compared the Skechers GO WALK Flex once again with the On Cloud 5 Push.

After 4 seconds of drilling its toebox, we could see how wear-resistant it is. If we take into account how affordable the GO WALK Flex is, the 5/5 we've given it in our toebox durability test becomes even more impressive!

Strong at the front but... weak at the back?

That seems to be the case of the Skechers GO WALK Flex, a knight with only half of its armour that scored a 2/5 in our heel padding durability test.

The brand decided to go for softness here. We can see how flimsy the material is if we compare the results of this Dremel test in this shoe and in the Skechers Summits.

Look at that! If we hadn't told you we also used the Dremel in the second one, you probably wouldn't even have guessed so. The Skechers Summit scored a solid 5/5!

Honestly, the Skechers GO WALK Flex could use a little more durability here.

As we can see when we look at the bottom of the shoe, it doesn't have any extra protection.

Its foam is completely exposed, and its soft nature will definitely not survive constant contact with concrete and asphalt, or any other abrasive surfaces.

Measuring its hardness with a durometer, we only got 57.4 HC. The average for walking shoes is 72.3 HC, so this score is pretty low.

Following the previous result, we were not surprised to find out that this shoe totally failed the durability test.

Using our Dremel to go all in for its outsole for 22 seconds at a speed of 10K RPM, we saw the damage was significantly higher compared to other pairs.

Once we were done, we measured the dent with a tread gauge. It was 2.5 mm deep, which is almost 1 mm deeper than average!

So... if you're planning on using the Skechers GO WALK Flex every day, you will most likely need a new pair sooner rather than later.

There is no rubber outsole at the bottom of this Skechers shoe (0.0 mm). Not even rubber pods.

Should we call this shoe Skechers GO FLY instead of GO WALK?

Well, maybe! After weighing a women's US size 11 on our scale, we got 7.7 oz (219.0 g). This means it's way lighter than average.

Its lack of durability has a bright side. You might even forget that you've put them on when you go to work in the morning!

We know we've said this shoe is pretty light, but listen to it when it says "go walk"! We totally enjoyed our casual strolls with it!

Using our caliper to measure its heel stack, we got 33.0 mm. Even though this score is only slightly higher than average, the Skechers GO WALK Flex managed to keep us comfy during our 10-hour-long test!

Taking the heel as its role model, the forefoot is also slightly more cushioned than the average.

Our caliper showed 24.0 mm of height in this part, which definitely kept the ball of our feet comfortable!

Based on the two previously mentioned measurements, we got a heel-to-toe drop of 9.0 mm.

Even though this is 1.3 mm lower than average, we did not feel that our feet were unprotected. Nothing to worry about here!

It's safe to say that if we're talking about Skechers, we will almost always mention plushness.

When we pressed our durometer against this pair's midsole, it showed 19.8 HA. This means that it's 21% softer than average. Marshmallow soft, it is!

Even if temperatures drop, the cold won't act like Medusa and turn this pair's midsole into stone.

After sitting in our freezer for 20 minutes, we repeated the durometer measurement and saw the score changed to 30.3 HA. Its foam is 39% softer than average, so you can enjoy this shoe even during winter!

Good one, Skechers!

Fighting our ice cream and frozen red berries, the Skechers GO WALK Flex's midsole became 53.2% firmer.

This is way higher than the average! If you're not very happy with this and want something softer which is also pretty durable, you should have a look at the Hoka Bondi SR.

The Ortholite foam insole in this pair instantly levels up its comfort.

We measured its thickness at 5.1 mm, which is a bit lower than average. Even so, we felt supported during our whole walking test.

This shoe is designed to follow the natural movement of your feet, so don't expect it to be incredibly stable.

It felt pretty much like putting on a pair of bedroom slippers. So, if you have flat feet or overpronation, we recommend you stay away from it! What about trying the Skechers Max Cushioning Arch Fit instead?

Just look at how wobbly our ankles are. No arch support and no stabilisers!

The score this shoe got in our torsional rigidity test just re-confirmed what we stated in the previous section.

With an astounding and unbeatable 1/5, the Skechers GO WALK Flex is just like a sky dancer! Zero resistance to bending and twisting!

In order to keep maxing its flexibility skills, the shoe has no structure in the heel counter. But, like, at all.

Look at the video and tell us you wouldn't wear this as a slipper to walk around your house!

If you want something that bends naturally with your feet but gives your heel a little bit more of a stable ride, check out the On Cloud.

Throughout our tests, this pair has shown us that it's definitely not what we'd call stable.

But, surprisingly, its midsole is wider than average! Measuring the widest part of the forefoot with a caliper, we got a reading of 112.5 mm.

This means that the landing surface is also wider, so we felt surefooted in our long walks with the GO WALK Flex.

In the widest part of the forefoot, this shoe scored 92.5 mm when we measured it, which means it's slightly wider than average. Some more extra points for surefootness!

Based on the score of our force gauge, it only took 10.8N to bend the Skechers GOWALK Flex to a 90-degree angle.

This means that this shoe will bend along with your foot almost as if it was part of it!

After putting it in the freezer for 20 minutes, its stiffness only leveled up to 16.7N!

Our force gauge made clear that it's still really flexible.

In our cold exposure test, the Skechers GOWALK Flex stiffened up 54.6%! It might sound like a lot, but it wasn't enough to move this pair from the "very flexible" category to the "moderately flexible" one.

When we tried this shoe in the city, our feet felt comfortable and safe. Cobblestone, asphalt... it was fine with that.

But slippery surfaces? Oh, heck, no!

This pair does not have any rubber protecting the foam of its sole, so it's not grippy. If you try to walk on wet floors, we hope you're good at ice skating!

The Skechers GOWALK Flex fits just as expected in our regular-sized feet! We measured the widest part of its toebox at 99.5 mm, which is pretty close to the average.

Its 77.7 mm width at the big toe tells us that this shoe is a little bit narrower than its pals from the same category.

Nevertheless, its stretchy fabric accommodated our feet!

Also, when the day was almost over and our feet began to swell, the Skechers GO WALK Flex was there to save us! We didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

As this shoe has an incredibly convenient slip-on design, it has a one-piece upper that hugs your foot like a sock.

It has no tongue, so we measured the thickness of the upper material instead. At 2.0 mm, we understood why this pair is so light. It's almost 2 mm thinner than the average!

A slip-on design + a finger-loop = putting on your shoes at the speed of light!

Good one, Skechers!

This pair comes with a removable insole, which is perfect if you want to use your own orthotics!

Forget about shining in the dark. This shoe doesn't have any reflective elements!