I have not tried the Forza, but have a similar foot and cushioning preference. Skechers are surprisingly good running shoes. I've gone through three pair (Maxtrail, Maxroad, GoRun 7) and in terms of durability and performance they measure up well to more established brands.

I have a pair of the Forza 4's. I had high expectations, and the shoe didn't meet those.

That being said, it's a good shoe, and it seems to be getting better the more runs I do. If you can pick up a pair cheap, then it's a worthy buy.

The good stuff about the shoe..
- Feels great climbing hills. I can't explain why.
- Provides very good shock absorption on downhills

So.... What DON'T you like about them?

I've read that they're a bit "slappy" (i.e. stiff) out of the box, but break in fairly quickly. My main concern is the feel of the stability features (two different materials), though. Some reviews say you can really feel it, which I think would bother me. I need just a bit of guidance when I get tired, nothing major.

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Steve

"If you ain't first, you're last." Reese Bobby Talladega Nights

They are a tiny bit slappy (when running) I guess. I would not say they are more so than many other makes/models.

The soul has a slightly stiff feel (which lends to a little energy on toe-off).

I don't notice the stability features at all. It feels mostly like a neutral shoe.

It's not that I don't like the shoe. I just had high expectations for the hyper burst version of the Forza because I liked the Razor 3 hyper so much. But, the extra bounce that I felt in the Razors was not evident in the Forza.

The shoe feels phenomenal just walking around (although - like the Forza 3 - it squeaks when I walk). It's super soft and rolls really great just walking around. When you start running, it feels less cushy and more stiff.

Thanks. That helps.

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Steve

"If you ain't first, you're last." Reese Bobby Talladega Nights

Much like Trislayer, i had high expectations of the Forza 4 but ended up a bit underwhelmed. The Forza 3 was my favourite shoe of the last few years(until i bought the Saucony Endorphin Pro) so I thought Forza 3 + hyperburst = pure running awesomeness, but it wasn’t quite. Although I only used them a bit in late fall and it’s possible I haven’t broken them in yet. I would for sure by another pair though... where are they on sale? :)

Running Warehouse

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Steve

"If you ain't first, you're last." Reese Bobby Talladega Nights