Best For

Improved build quality is the first sentiment for these Skechers running shoes! The Skechers Razor Excess 2 is your neutral road running shoe that is twisting well, but certainly not as much as the Saucony Kinvara 13. I love using this road running shoe for up-tempo work on the streets and even for middle distance runs (14-16 miles) in my weekly training plan. If you enjoy a little carbon in your midsole foams, to help propel you down the road, this could be a great option for you moving forward…. And it’s on major sale right now!

Upper

After years of testing Skechers running shoes, I could not be happier with this updated mono mesh approach in the Razor Excess 2. For years and years their uppers have felt like plastic to the touch. I never thought on my runs testing other Skechers running shoes, that the upper laid on top of my foot very well. Through the toebox especially, the creasing that can happen at the bottom of the eyelet chain, poses problems for people with high volume forefeet. Thankfully, the mono mesh in the Skechers Razor Excess 2 does not crease, and it does not feel like plastic to the touch. The breathability scale is not incredibly high, which will do you well in chillier running conditions. 

Back to the build quality, Skechers really stepped forward in the eyelet chain construction. They chose to reinforce where the laces loop, and they nailed it! The reaction of the laces with the tongue of the shoe is superb, meaning, the upper cinches over the top of the foot so well. You really do feel locked into the shoe and in a comfortable way, in part because of the back of the upper. Sometimes on easy days you really do want a plush heel counter, collar, and tab. But for those faster fartleks, tempos, and possibly even a threshold day, the Skechers Razor Excess 2 heel counter, tab, and collar are perfectly cushioned. Not too thick, and not too thin, they walk the line of comfort and performance. Not to mention a nice pull tab!

Midsole

For the heart of the shoe, the midsole foam, Skechers went with a Hyper Burst material coupled with a patent-pending infused forefoot winglet plate. The stack height is landing at 30mm and 26mm, which is a nice alternative to the very high stack heights we usually see these days for road running. Ground contact feel is approaching for each footstrike, and you will not feel unstable, think the opposite of the Adidas Prime X feel on corners. 

In addition, that winglet plate creates a nice toeoff through the gait cycle, not to mention Skechers has their Hyper Arc design for a smoother transition through each stride. What I’ve always enjoyed about Skechers’ midsoles are how they construct them. Their “Super Critical” midsole molding process creates spherical-shaped cells that offer plenty of energy return and resilience at the same time. My prediction for the Skechers Razor Excess 3 is that the shoe will soften up on the durometer scale. I’m eager to see how Skechers evolves this model, especially with their patent pending winglet plate, a unique approach to midsole tech for the road running world. 

Outsole

In the Shoedio, I’ve mentioned many times how I love the collaboration between Skechers and Goodyear®. To help a road running shoe last longer understep, it just makes sense to lean into the technology and experience of a tire company. I never felt like I was slipping around at all in the 50+ miles of testing, a solid grip for a more effective toeoff. I would not be surprised if Skechers enhances their little decoupled groove in future iterations. Lastly, I must mention that Goodyear® rubber is not plastered across the entire outsole, which helps keep this shoe in a very lightweight category as a tempo, fartlek, middle distance, or daily trainer. 

Would I Buy This Shoe Again?

I would absolutely buy the Skechers Razor Excess 2 again, and the price is right if you can find it in your size. For a lightweight trainer with a great toeoff, and improved durability for the shoe overall, this running shoe shines in all three phases of upper, midsole, and outsole (+ price). The trick will be finding your size, or maybe you wait for the third iteration to land in the new year!?