No question Skechers has been firing on all cylinders recently and their HyperBurst midsole continues to be one of the best critical midsoles on the market balancing cushion, performance, and weight. The Razer Elite is a perfect example of them iterating on their already solid lineup by combining some of the best features we’ve seen over the last year or so. So think lightweight and ample cushion blended with a carbon plate and you get a speed shoe that is clearly ready to take on the big players out there.
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- The go-to half marathon and marathon carbon plated racing shoe from Skechers.
- A happy mix between the Speed Elite and the Razor 3.
- The lightest carbon plated racer on the market right now.
- Weighs in at 5.1oz or 145g for a US Men’s 9.
- Features 27mm of cushion and has a 4mm heel/toe drop.
- Retails at $160.00 USD and comes in only 1 color for Men and Women.
Run Test
We have now run in a number of Skechers shoes over the last few years and we are always pleasantly surprised with the evolution they have gone through. Also we have to recognize their commitment to just making minor adjustments to the things that work. At first glance, the Razor Elite will feel like you’re looking at a different colorway a Razor 3, but that doesn’t really do justice to what has changed so dig in a bit before you judge.
On foot, the first thing you notice is that the shoe has opened up a little more, that forefoot provides you just a bit more room, but overall the shoot feels more open in general. It was actually a struggle to put on the Speed Elite for instance and here the Razer Elite actually feels a bit more welcoming. The next thing you notice as you stand up is that there’s more cushion. The shoe actually feels very similar to the Razor+ Hyper, which is a great tempo counterpart for these given their similar stack height. Even out of the box however you will notice the plate because of that extra little pop you get when you give them a little bounce.
Now as you get going in your run, you realize how light the shoe truly is overall.. The barely over 5oz weight makes the shoe almost unnoticeable under your foot, but you’ve got so much cushion underneath thats kind of just fun as you find yourself just bopping down the road. The plate really delivers though and a lot of people just don’t buy this, but carbon definitely increases performance. If you just stick with your existing stride and don’t push too hard, the plate just takes over and that is the case here. It is unexpected because inevitably you look down at your watch and seconds have dropped, but you don’t necessarily feel a lot different. Note your legs are working significantly harder because of that rebounding, the push forward, and you’ll notice it after a run in your legs, but during the run everything feels pretty smooth.
What we think that Skechers has done here is build the distance replacement for the Speed Elite. The Speed Elite is a shoe better reserved for low mileage racing given the lack of cushion and sure some people like a lower cushion volume for distance, but this just improves on that. Also, most of the new plated speed shoes understand that you also need a bit more cushion to offset the plate technology. Just a really solid job by Skechers with the Razer Elite.
Construction: Upper
The upper is a single piece of engineered mesh and mimics what we have seen before in the original Razor 3, the Speed Elite, and the Speed 6. Think ultra-lightweight, breathable, but clearly performance-oriented. Do not expect any significant midfoot support or heel counters, this thing is about speed. There is some light cushioning on the inside of the collar and it does appear they have opened that toolbox up a little more from prior giving your forefoot just a bit more room and this is a welcome change. The laces are also updated and have quite a bit of stretch, but lock down quite well.
That very fine engineered mesh upper 
Updated more elastic laces 
Minimal collar and just a small amount of cushioning on the ankle
Construction: Midsole
The midsole is all HyperBurst as are most of Skechers performance shoes now. This is their critical nitrogen-infused foam that we have talked about so much before. We are also seeing this tech pop-up on many new shoes from other vendors, but Skechers has been doing it for longer. That 27mm of cushion is still plenty for your foot and combined with that mid-range 4mm drop it is a nice combination. That forefoot plate delivers acceleration and performance throughout the run and combined with that very low overall weight, really delivers some speed.
Midsole view – Lateral rear 
Midsole view – Lateral front 
Midsole view – Medial front 
Midsole view – Medial rear
Construction: Outsole
The outsole is primarily exposed HyperBurst, but they have layered on very thin amount of that Goodyear rubber to just increase durability and provide a bit better traction. This will allow the shoe to last longer and provide runners a better grip on the road. Even in wet weather it seems to do really well.
A very thin smattering of Goodyear rubber for traction
Style & Aesthetics
Visually, the Razor Elite really looks just like some of the Skechers we have seen before, but they have gone with a whole new color pattern. We definitely dig the hot pink midsole, but it only comes in a single color as many of these racing day shoes do.
Overall Conclusion
Overall, the Skechers GOrun Razer Elite delivers on what we consider the replacement for their Speed Elite, which we saw back in early 2020. The forefoot has been opened up a bit giving you more room, and the addition of a bit more cushion allows you to run in them longer. An easy way to look at it is if you want a shoe for a 10K or lower, you’d go with Speed Elite. If you want anything longer than that, then the Razer Elite should be your choice for race day. It also makes a great partner to the Razor+ Hyper because the configurations are so similar. We’d love to see them come up with some new aesthetics, but the color change is definitely welcome and feels a bit more exciting than the old color option. This is definitely Skechers putting their best foot forward on race day.
Keep an eye on the Skechers website for their release
Check Out Other Reviewers Thoughts
As always, we gather together some of our favorite reviewers so you can get a well-rounded view of the shoe. Here are our favorites.
