Endorphin Speed Shoe Review

As most people familiar with Saucony know, Saucony created three new shoes in the Saucony Endorphin line.  I like this approach to their shoes because they categorize them into the various needs of running. You don’t need to run all of your miles in a carbon plated shoe, so having other easily distinguishable options is great.

Saucony created a few models in their Endorphin series including:

• Saucony Endorphin Pro: The full-length carbon fiber plated shoe made for race day.
• Saucony Endorphin Speed: Lightweight trainer made for more speed.  Instead of a full-length carbon fiber plate, the Saucony Endorphin Speed uses a nylon plate. It’s made for faster speeds like tempo runs.
• Saucony Endorphin Shift: Trainer Endorphin Shift. The Shift is the base model in the Endorphin series. It’s made for easy or recovery days.

As the name suggests, the Saucony Speed is a faster shoe but without the carbon plate. The Saucony Endorphin Speed is the middle of the ground, everyday trainer, that you can run fast in.

Saucony Endorphin Speed Quick Facts:

Weight 6.8 oz

Heel to Toe Drop: 8 mm

Saucony Endorphin Speed Fit:

The Saucony Endorphin Speed is made with a lightweight engineered mesh upper with ventilation holes. Of any carbon plated shoe series, I think the Saucony Endorphins upper is the best. It’s breathable and has plenty of width.

Interestingly, with the Saucony Endorphin series, the ventilation holes are big enough that you can see through them to your socks. This doesn’t affect the durability, and the material will last. It’s a slightly different upper than the Saucony Endorphin Pro.

On the upper, there are minimal overlays, and the heel is padded for comfort. I don’t know why many brands have opted to remove the padded heel because it affects the general comfort of the shoe.

The Saucony Endorphin Speed fits similar to the Saucony ride 13 with a wider toe box but with a more narrow midfoot. It’s not narrow by any means, but it is more narrow than many trainers. If you are looking for a faster shoe but have the width to your foot, I would recommend the Saucony Endorphin line.

Typically I wear a women’s size 10-11 wide and the 10.5 fits well in the Saucony Endorphin Speed.  Like all Saucony shoes, the heel counter is lower than other brands. While your foot won’t slide out, it does take some getting used too.

Saucony Endorphin Speed Ride:

With the three Saucony Endorphin Shoes, what makes the Saucony Endorphin Speed different?

Instead of a full-length carbon plate, the Saucony Endorphin Speed has a nylon plate plus enhanced foam. Those two pieces create the “Speedroll Technology,” which keeps you rolling through the gait cycle efficiently. This is a shoe made for faster paces, and if you are more injury-prone or carbon plated shoes don’t work for you, this could be your full marathon racing shoe. In fact, pre-2016, this would probably be many people’s full marathon racing shoe.

The nylon plate creates a propulsive feeling, but it’s more flexible, durable, (and cheaper to make) than a full-length carbon plate. This makes it better for training or someone looking for more flexibility in a running shoe.

Like many of Saucony’s new shoes, the Endorphin Speed uses a new foam: PWRRUN PB cushioning.  The foam in the PWRRUN PB Midsole is the lightest and springiest from Saucony, so the shoe feels fast. The faster you go, the more responsive the Saucony Endorphin Speed feels.

One of my favorite components of the Saucony Endorphin Speed is the weight. At only 6.8 oz, Saucony has done well with light shoes but cushioned and durable shoes.

Finally, the traction underneath the Saucony Endorphin Speed is there. Saucony uses an abrasion-resistant rubber outsole. This allows you to feel like you aren’t sliding in inclement weather.

I’ve found the Saucony Endorphin Speed to be a great shoe for long faster runs, longer efforts, and harder runs.  I don’t love it for short track workouts and I think there are better shoes to run easy run and recovery miles in.

Saucony Endorphin Speed Conclusion:

I’m pleasantly surprised with the Saucony Endorphin Speed. Sometimes brands put all of their eggs in one basket (like all of their eggs in the carbon plated shoe), but Saucony has done a great job with the Saucony Endorphin Speed.  It’s shaping up to be one of my favorite faster runs shoes of 2020. I’ve run just over 50 miles and found the durability to be there.

Current Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: Saloman Sonic 3 Balance,  Brooks Glycerin 18,  Mizuno Rider Waveknit 3, Nike Pegasus 37, New Balance 1080 v10, Diadora Mythos Blushield Blushield Hip 5,  Asics Cumulus 21

Speed Work: Saucony Endorphin Speed, New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Reebok Float Ride Run fast Pro

Long Runs: Brooks Ricochet 2 Shoe Review, New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Hoka Cavu 2

Trail Running/Hiking: Saucony Peregrine 10, New Balance Hierro v5 

Races: New Balance Fuelcell 5280, Nike Next%,  Saucony Endorphin Pro, Brooks Hyperion Tempo, New Balance fuelcell TC, Reebok Run fast Pro 

You Can See All Current Shoe Reviews Here.

If you’re interested in learning more about running shoes, I wrote an ebook and you can read here.

Questions for you:

What is your current favorite shoe?

Have you tried any of the Saucony Endorphin Series?