Skechers GOrun Razor 3 Hyper review

Skechers GOrun Razor 3 Hyper review

The Skechers Go Run Razor 3 is a lightweight tempo running shoe and competes with the Nike Pegasus Turbo 2, the Adidas SL20, and the Adidas Boston Boost 9 in the same category.

This is my first experience in a Hyper Burst shoe, and I have been dying to find out if it lives up to all the hype.

What is Skechers Hyper Burst

Hyper Burst by Skechers is one of the most critically acclaimed super foams of recent times. Hyper Burst is unique in that if you look at it closely, it resembles millions of tiny bubbles that are stuck together. The result is a light and soft midsole.

My last pair of Skechers shoes was the superb Go Run Ride 7. With the Hyper Burst midsole, Skechers takes the brand further away from the mom and dad zone than ever before.

This is my first experience in a Hyper Burst shoe, and I have been dying to find out if it lives up to all the hype.

Great upper & fit but falls apart

The upper of the Razor 3 is nothing to write home about. It's made from a thin, breathable mesh that is comfortable and has good midfoot and heel lockdown.

It fits true to size, and it has plenty of foot splay room.

It has some synthetic overlays with the large word “speed” written on the side of it. I wasn't a fan at first, but it grows on you.

The tongue, which is racing-inspired, is flat and thin. The heel is traditional and provides a good, secure lockdown without irritating the Achilles.

The Razor 3 upper works well but is let down by manufacturing defects. After just a few runs, the upper of my shoe separated from the midsole at the point on the side where it flexes.

Hyper Burst disappoints

Hyper Burst is advertised by Skechers as being an ultra-light cushioning that provides a highly responsive ride with plenty of protection. I agree with 2 out of the 3 claims.

While being feather-light and very padded, I found Hyper Burst to be missing the responsiveness. I expected the shoe to be soft and bouncy like the Nike Pegasus Turbo 2, but instead, it felt more muted and flat like the New Balance Beacon or the Nike React.

The look and feel of Hyper Burst is deceptive. Upon close inspection, it looks like millions of tiny bubbles fused together, and it feels very soft and squishy when compressed by hand. However, the underfoot feel is on the firm side.

The shoe feels best on short, tempo runs up to 20km. It suits speeds in between the ranges of 5-6 mins per kilometre. Anything below 5 mins per kilometre and the shoe feels like it doesn't have enough snappiness.

Ride transitions are buttery smooth due to the single density midsole.

The midsole features M Strike, which Skechers shapes the midsole to be “U” shaped like a boat. This promotes midfoot striking instead of rearfoot or forefoot.

GOrun Razor 3 is not very durable

There is minimal rubber on the outsole with plenty of the midsole foam exposed. The outsole lugs are recessed into the foam and only slightly raised.

Due to the exposed midsole not having any protection, it wears down faster than usual, especially on the strike areas like the outer heel.

I expect to get about 600 km out of the Razor 3 before the outsole is completely worn down. I don't expect the midsole to lose much cushioning over the life of the shoe.

The new update due to be released later this year will have extra lugs and Goodyear rubber for extra durability.

Stability

The firmness of the midsole and the low stack height makes the Razor 3 very stable. There is no prominent arch support and no lean bias.

Flexibility

The midsole is easily flexed and flexes towards the middle of the shoe.

Non-removable insole

The thin insole is glued down to the bottom of the shoe and doesn't provide much extra cushioning, so the softness is contained in the midsole. It has a rough texture on the lining glued to the top of the insole, which you will feel through thin socks.

Comparisons

Skechers Go Run Razor 3 vs. Nike Pegasus Turbo 2

Both shoes are extremely light. The Razor 3 has a more comfortable upper, but the Pegasus Turbo 2 is much softer and bouncier.

Even though the Pegasus Turbo 2 is much more expensive, I prefer the Turbo 2 because the ride is more springy and doesn't feel as muted.

Skechers Go Run Razor 3 vs. Adidas SL20

The Razor 3 has a better, more comfortable upper and has a softer, more engaging midsole compared to the stiff, firm SL20. The SL20 is slightly cheaper, but I still choose the Razor 3.