I think we overrated Skechers Hyperburst...

I'm a pretty even and light striker, so I was shocked at the resilience (or lack of) in the Razor 3. I can regularly get 300 productive miles out of VFs, easily 6-800+ out of Bostons. But the Razor 3s feel like planks after less than 200 miles on roads. Bummed because they still look almost new except for some very light wear on the midsole tread.

Though it's possible I'm wrong, I don't think all iterations of Skechers' Hyperburst are identical. "Hyperburst" is product of a manufacturing process that creates a light and springy EVA midsole, but just like traditional EVA midsoles it is possible to make it with different densities and levels of firmness. In other words, just like other EVA midsoles, my assumption is that Skechers tweaks the formulation for different shoes based on its different needs.

What that means is that it's wrong to say "Hyperburst is overrated." What you'd really be saying is you like the formulation of Hyperburst in the Razor 3 more than the other models.

Regardless, the models obviously have lots of different factors that influence how they feel, some of which you mentioned (such as the different pods). So I don't think you can really make a generalization that "hyperburst is overrated" if you like some of the models but not the others.

For me, I don't like some of the models all that much either, but I still think Hyperburst is great because it is lighter and bouncier than what it replaced. So overall the Skechers line of shoes is better than it was. And, yes, the Razor 3 is awesome! That by itself makes Hyperburst a great material in my mind.

Or all the reviews have a hard on for Skechers or have worked there.

I think they are terrible and the foam is meh

That's fine, but you're in the minority if you've actually worn the Razor 3 and think it's terrible. I'm "meh" with a lot of their models too, as I am with a lot of (but not all) models from all the shoe companies, but the Razor 3 is well-liked and well-reviewed for a reason. It's light and springy for a performance trainer. Not everyone is going to like it, but not everyone will like the Peg Turbo 2 or the Kinvara or the Rincon or the FuelCell Rebel, etc.

Yabba dabbba do wrote:

I think they are terrible and the foam is meh

Solid point. The pod design of the Maxroad 4 and Gorun 7, as well as the knit uppers, put them more in the gimmick category for me(knit uppers themselves are fine, but Skechers kinda botched them). That leaves the speed shoes and the Gorun Ride 8. The Hyperburst feels heavier, firmer, dull, and dead in the Gorun Ride 8 for me, so that shoe is kinda a dud in my opinion. The Razor, Speed, and Elite are all worthwhile though. Even so, I don't know that Hyperburst, in its best form in these, matches Floatride, ZoomX, or Pwrrun+. I guess it beats React for me because, though I love the Epic React, most other React shoes haven't been great for me. I don't think the ZoomX works that well in the Pegasus Turbo though either.

can't buy this product because of these people .

I'm a fan of the razors. I ran a 17:00 5k training run on them (close to PB) with feeling good. I do think they wear out quickly (not as poppy as new) and they may be too big/wide if that's actually a thing. I find them good on the track/hills.

I've been considering picking up the hyperburst in a smaller size when it comes out.

I currently rotate the MaxRoad 4 and Ride 8 for daily training with the Razor 3 for faster stuff and the Speed 6 for races. I love all of them. Hyperburst is the real deal folks. I mix in the Forza 3 and Balance Anchor on days that I need more stability, but those aren't hyperburst (flightgen/ultra flight).

The Floyd wrote:

That's fine, but you're in the minority if you've actually worn the Razor 3 and think it's terrible. I'm "meh" with a lot of their models too, as I am with a lot of (but not all) models from all the shoe companies, but the Razor 3 is well-liked and well-reviewed for a reason. It's light and springy for a performance trainer. Not everyone is going to like it, but not everyone will like the Peg Turbo 2 or the Kinvara or the Rincon or the FuelCell Rebel, etc.

Yabba dabbba do wrote:

I think they are terrible and the foam is meh

They are way too narrow and uppers are terrible. The go meb upper was nice but again the fit is crap

Speed 6 and Razor 3 are fantastic.

But, I am kind of with ya, OP. Other versions / combinations / stacks / formulas don't work as well, at least for me. I don't like the GRR8H as a daily trainer, for example, nearly as much as I like the Glideride, which is around 2oz heavier. Does the Razor have more of a rocker, and the GRR8H is flatter on the bottom, maybe? I will check when I get home...

I agree with the poster that said we can't say we don't like Hyperburst; we should say we don't like how it is used in all of Skechers' shoes... for instance, I love Fresh Foam in the Beacon, but hate it in the Zante... go figure.

PS - before clicking on this thread - somewhere in the back of my head - I kinda thought it would be funny if someone on this thread called me out for my love of HB. It didn't take long lol.

I think maybe Hyperburst just works better in fast shoes than cushioned ones. The Hyperburst itself doesn't feel great in every shoe, and that's without discussing some of Skecher's upper issues.

I'd rather run in the Epic React, Forever Floatride Energy, and Floatride Run 2.0 over the Gorun Ride 8, and I'd rather run in the Triumph 17 over the Maxroad 4.

The Razor 3 and Speed 6 are at least competitive with the Floatride Run Fast and Run Fast Pro.

For those enjoying the Maxroad 4 and Ride 8, are your runs ending up slower in the Maxroad 4? And do you feel pop/bounce/return from the Ride 8?

I think we overrated Skechers Hyperburst... wrote:

I think maybe Hyperburst just works better in fast shoes than cushioned ones. The Hyperburst itself doesn't feel great in every shoe, and that's without discussing some of Skecher's upper issues.

I'd rather run in the Epic React, Forever Floatride Energy, and Floatride Run 2.0 over the Gorun Ride 8, and I'd rather run in the Triumph 17 over the Maxroad 4.

The Razor 3 and Speed 6 are at least competitive with the Floatride Run Fast and Run Fast Pro.

For those enjoying the Maxroad 4 and Ride 8, are your runs ending up slower in the Maxroad 4? And do you feel pop/bounce/return from the Ride 8?

I guess Fuelcell sort of disappointed me too. While I loved the Rebel/Propel at first, they seemed to lose their soft and bouncy feel pretty quickly...

The running shoe industry is in the very early stages of "novel foams". It will get much better in the years to come. Foams will be "tuned" to certain markets and to the road. It appears Nike is on the way to the right path by intentionally creating a shoe that is fun to run in and has less injury potential.

But I think it will be discovered that shock absorption, firmness, stability and protection from the ground will be key to the most enjoyable and safe running shoes. Novel ways to reduce shock will be developed. I believe the Mizuno wave plate is a great example of what can be achieved but even that will not be the most effective. The next 20 years will be exciting times for running shoe development. Personally I can't wait for the Nike React Infinity. It sounds like a winner but it could just be a bust.

zdf wrote:

I'm a pretty even and light striker, so I was shocked at the resilience (or lack of) in the Razor 3. I can regularly get 300 productive miles out of VFs, easily 6-800+ out of Bostons. But the Razor 3s feel like planks after less than 200 miles on roads. Bummed because they still look almost new except for some very light wear on the midsole tread.

The Boston 6 is the yardstick by which all other shoes should be compared. They have over delivered for me big time.

You have run in a lot of shoes this year. How many miles do you run to try so many shoes?

In the GRR8 thread I said I was worried that going from Flight Gen to Hyperburst would result in a worse shoe. Hyperburst is fine in my Razors but I was having a hard time picturing it working in a trainer designed for easy daily miles. Well I finally got my GRR8's and my initial impression is my worry coming true.

Like other have said in this thread, lower stack, designed for faster efforts, Hyperburst is great. I'm completely skeptical of it working in higher cushion configuration designed for easy running though, and the GRR8 isn't changing my mind so far.

I think we overrated Skechers Hyperburst... wrote:

I think maybe Hyperburst just works better in fast shoes than cushioned ones. The Hyperburst itself doesn't feel great in every shoe, and that's without discussing some of Skecher's upper issues.

I'd rather run in the Epic React, Forever Floatride Energy, and Floatride Run 2.0 over the Gorun Ride 8, and I'd rather run in the Triumph 17 over the Maxroad 4.

The Razor 3 and Speed 6 are at least competitive with the Floatride Run Fast and Run Fast Pro.

For those enjoying the Maxroad 4 and Ride 8, are your runs ending up slower in the Maxroad 4? And do you feel pop/bounce/return from the Ride 8?

I have done plenty of easy runs in the MR4 and GRR8 and all have been very enjoyable. No issues whatsoever. Plenty of energy return while being plenty soft for recovery.

I think we overrated Skechers Hyperburst... wrote:

I guess Fuelcell sort of disappointed me too. While I loved the Rebel/Propel at first, they seemed to lose their soft and bouncy feel pretty quickly...

Fuelcell was a big ol' swing-and-a-miss for me. They marketed it like it was something new and special, a contender in this age of midsole wars, "nitrogen injected blah blah blah", but then you get it on and it's just the same old EVA we've been running on for years now. It's all hype generated by New Balance. Like yeah, they feel good when you put them on, because they're new shoes, but it's like you said they wear out pretty quickly. I've had the same experience with Fresh Foam too. My Zantes and Beacons felt dead after like 50 miles. I only weigh 155-160lbs.

Rob, What are the differences between the MaxRoad 4 vs Ride 8 in your experience? When (or for what reason) do you have a preference for one versus the other? Also, how is sizing of both versus the Razor 3? I'm thinking about buying one but struggling with which one I should try. I'd be using it for easy runs plus possibly long runs. Thanks!

RobA wrote:

I currently rotate the MaxRoad 4 and Ride 8 for daily training with the Razor 3 for faster stuff and the Speed 6 for races. I love all of them. Hyperburst is the real deal folks. I mix in the Forza 3 and Balance Anchor on days that I need more stability, but those aren't hyperburst (flightgen/ultra flight).