Skechers Aero Burst Review | Carbon Plated Funky Fun + Great Price

If you’re looking for a flashy, cushioned running shoe that will go the distance, the new Skechers Aero Burst is a super fun ride for long miles. The Aero Burst is part of Skechers’ latest Aero running shoe series, and it’s a great daily trainer for runners who prioritize comfort and cushion in their workouts.

The Aero Burst is a max cushion, high stack height trainer designed for easy, long miles, recovery runs, and a lot of workouts in between. The shoe is comfortable, plush, and a lot of fun – not to mention it’s also a bright statement shoe that stands out with its funky design.

In the few weeks I’ve had the Aero Burst, I’ve taken this shoe out for a couple of 4-6 mile easy runs, a longer 10 mile run, and even speed workouts to see how they perform in varied workouts. I tried this shoe on the road and on the treadmill and found that it held up well in both environments, especially on longer, easier mileage days.

As always, we’re here to give you the pros, the cons and our honest assessment of this shoe. There’s no one running shoe that is going to work best for every single runner! The goal of our reviews is just to help you decide if this shoe is a good one for you to try.

An affordable carbon plated option for middle and back of the pack runners to get great cushion and little extra bounce in their step.

Skechers Aero Burst Overview

The Skechers Aero Burst is a great way for them to come back to the running scene and really say “we are here and we are doing something different.”

This shoe was a fun surprise for me, as I haven’t tried Skechers as a running shoe option until now. Coach Amanda has long talked about previous models like the MaxRoad being shockingly good shoes and we’re all excited to get everyone thinking about this brand again.

If you’re like me and haven’t tried Skechers for running before, the Aero Burst joins a lineup of new running shoes as part of the Aero series, which includes the Aero Tempo and the Aero Spark in addition to the Aero Burst.

Of the new lineup, the Aero Burst stands out as the brand’s highest stack height, max cushioned shoe. This shoe is made to take you through the miles with elevated cushioning, a foam midsole, and removable arch support that all maximize comfort while still feeling light and fresh on your feet.

Coming out of the box, this shoe just looks like fun. Skechers designed these shoes with bright colorways and a fresh, wavy designed outsole that looks funky and energetic on first impressions. I was surprised that while these shoes are maximalist in design, they don’t feel heavy or overly dense in your hand or on foot.

The Aero Burst features the Skechers HYPER BURST ICE™ midsole. This midsole is a dual density foam, which means it’s extra soft but still provides stability without your heel sinking into the foam. 

Despite being a max cushioned shoe, it feels really responsive and has a fair amount of energy return (hello carbon plate). The foam cushioning makes the shoe feel comfy and plush, but it also supports a great rebound when striding so you can pickup the pace without feeling clunky or weighted down by the shoe.

Sketchers also included a Carbon-Infused H-Plate in this shoe, making it stand out a bit from other max cushioned shoes on the market (minus say the Hoka Skyward X). This is becoming more common in Super Trainers, which this shoe dabbles with but isn’t really as fast as most others.

It’s not a full carbon plate like you might see in front of the pack super shoes, but this plate is an H-shaped piece within the midsole that adds some subtle energy return and firmness to the midsole when you’re picking up the pace.Beyond the midsole, this shoe also features something I really liked – a firm rubber outsole made by Goodyear (yes, like the tires!) that provides some solid grip for running on the road in different conditions. I found that the grip on this helped the shoe feel more connected to the road and gave me some great traction when I was out running during a rainstorm.

The Goodyear outsole on the Aero Burst has a tread pattern that holds up out on the road, and it feels durable and firm. This outsole is definitely a great addition to this shoe, as it looks like it’ll protect that cushy foam midsole over a lot of miles without allowing the shoe to break down quickly.Coach Amanda: I’m the first to admit I was shocked when I liked Skecher’s running shoes a few years ago and was really excited to see them relaunching. I’ve been putting miles in both the Burst and Spark to see what this new line up has to offer.

I don’t know that we need to run in carbon plated shoes all the time. BUT I do love that these aren’t geared towards the front of the pack, but instead to the everyday runner.

My runs in them have felt fantastic and I plan to keep them in rotation.

From a design perspective, this shoe feels like a statement. The colorways are vibrant and fun, and the wavy foam design of the sole stands out from other shoes in the market. The shoe’s design feels like it channels the high energy Sketchers designed these soles to output!

Skechers offers the shoe in 4 colorways for women and 4 colorways for men. I have been psyched to kickoff summer in the bright White & Yellow colorway with its neon red sole!

Skechers Aero Burst Fit

The Skechers Aero Burst fit true to size for me, feeling like the right length for my foot from first wear.

The heel collar and tongue of this shoe are very plush. Neither feels bulky on wear, and they help the shoe fit more snugly without rubbing or creating hot spots. The lacing system on the Burst is pretty standard, keeping your midfoot secure while giving you flexibility to play around with the laces to accommodate your personal needs.

The shoe’s midfoot felt just a little snug to me, while the heel felt a little loose, so I had to adjust the lacing a bit to make the shoe fit my feet just right. I probably wouldn’t recommend this shoe for someone with a wider midfoot, as that area will feel much too narrow on this shoe.

The mesh upper of the Aero Burst is breathable, flexible, and lightweight. I found that it felt secure through the foot without restricting movement, and the mesh made it so the upper felt really breathable even on some of the hotter days I’ve run in lately.

Skechers Aero Burst Feel

When I first tried these on, I was pleasantly surprised to find the shoes have built-in arch support in the removable ArchFit insole. As someone with high, flexible arches, this was an added-bonus to feel the relief on my arches when I slid the Bursts on!

The shoe on the whole is designed to be extremely comfortable, and I found that they did not take long to break in and mold to my feet. They feel cushy and plush from the second I slid them on. For how bulky the shoe looks out of the box, I was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight they actually felt on my feet. 

The cushy and soft feeling of these shoes makes them a great option for longer, easier runs. While I didn’t find them to be the best option for my speed workouts or uptempo runs, the carbon-infused H-plate and light weight of the shoe made them perform well in some speed pickups and strides during my longer runs.

While I liked these best for longer, easier runs, I didn’t feel like these shoes felt clunky when I tested them for speed. The lightweight foam and the added bounce from the carbon-infused midsole kept these shoes smoothly turning over during my faster workouts.

That being said, I still think these shoes are the most fun on easy runs and higher mileage days.

Skechers Aero Burst vs. Aero Spark

As Skechers released the Aero Burst, they also released a full Aero series of running shoes, including the Aero Spark, which we also got to try out to review for you. While the shoes both boast the 

The Aero Spark is also a daily trainer from this lineup, but that shoe features a Carbon H-plate at the forefoot for a snappier, faster ride than the Aero Burst. This shoe feels lighter out of the box than the Burst, and it comes in overall lighter at 7.8 oz. 

Both shoes feature the HYPER BURST ICE™ midsole and a carbon-infused H-plate. 

Unlike the Aero Burst, the Aero Spark is a stack height of 36mm versus the Aero Burst’s 42mm stack height. And while the Aero Spark is best as a daily trainer too, its better suited for faster, shorter workouts than the Aero Burst with its lighter, more minimal design.

This certainly makes the Aero Spark feel less plush and cushy than the Aero Burst, so if you’re looking for comfort over versatility, the Aero Burst is likely a better option for you. 

Both shoes are a lot of fun and make a great combo for your weekly workouts when incorporated together for your different runs. I found that the Aero Burst was best for my long, easy days and my recovery days, where the Aero Spark had just enough pep that it could get me through interval workouts and lighter, quicker miles with some more variety as a trainer.

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