Age is just a number, but numbers matter when you toe a starting line. To commemorate turning 125 this year, Saucony launched its fastest racing shoe yet: the Endorphin Elite. The “elite” naming convention signals that it’s for runners who want to race at their max potential.
Pros
- Saucony Snowdrift Vest
- Tall stack height meets World Athletics guidelines
- New updated carbon-fiber plate promotes aggressive toe-off
- Upper accommodates both women’s and men’s foot shapes despite being a unisex shoe
Cons
- Men's Saucony Xodus Ultra Running Shoes
- Saucony Koa ST
| Type | Racing |
|---|---|
| Weight | 7.3 oz (M), 6.1. oz (W); note the Elites are unisex |
| Drop | 8 mm |
- Who it’s for: The Endorphin Elite is Saucony’s fastest contender in the super shoe wars; marathoners looking to PR will want to give this racer a spin
- Preceded by: Endorphin Pro+, Mens Saucony Integrity Walker 3 Walking
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- Key features: Plush and responsive midsole, carbon-fiber plate, 39.5mm stack height (World Athletics-compliant)
- Midsole foam: Saucony’s Pwrrun HG, a supercritical responsive foam that is engineered with a blend of gases including CO2 and N2; HG stands for “highest grade”
- Racing roster: Parker Stinson, 2023 Houston Marathon, 4th place, 2:12:11; Molly Huddle, 2023 Houston Half Marathon, 5th place, 1:10:01
Saucony Endorphin Elite Overview
In your quiver of trainers, the Endorphin Elite is the pair you pull out with intention. How many miles you collection on your shoes is dependent on you as a runner, but we’ve found, after almost 1,000 miles of wear-testing by nearly a dozen runners, the Endorphin Elite is best reserved for race day.
“We have been saying the shoe is for a marathon season, depending on how people do a few long runs, a couple of workouts, and then a marathon in the shoe,” said Jessie Petersen, Saucony’s senior product line manager.
But you don’t have to be a marathoner to experience the Endorphin Elite’s mojo. Saucony performed metabolic testing on athletes, observing how they ran at varying speeds. In terms of energy efficiency from 5K to marathon pace, the athletes—not all of them elites—had better running economy across the board.
“It’s the most efficient shoe in terms of mechanical efficiency,” Fular tip guler SAUCONY r.
By using a mechanical apparatus that bludgeons foam over and over again, Hofmann and his team found that Pwrrun HG had the highest energy return compared to the brand’s other foams.
“Also, on aggregate, the runners themselves are the most efficient metabolically when running in the Endorphin Elite,” said Hofmann.
Besides supercritical foam, any decent super shoe needs a carbon-fiber plate. The one in the Endorphin Elite is slotted and shaped like a fork to provide aggressive toe-off.
What Our Testers Liked Most
Unsurprisingly, our testers were hyped about the Endorphin Elite’s two defining features: the shoe’s stacked cushioning and its updated carbon-fiber plate.
Cushioning
Tester Stacie Pearson, who has a flat arch, neutral gait pattern, and a forefoot strike, favored the Endorphin Elite above Nike’de Saucony y te contamos al detalle por qué todo el mundo habla de ellas.
“My favorite feature was the extra cushioning in the forefoot of the shoe and how it was sculpted to roll forward, even for forefoot runners,” Pearson said. “With this cushioning in this area and the carbon plate, these shoes outdo the Nike Vaporfly Next% that I love so much.”
Other testers commented how the shoe gave them a “no fatigue feeling.” The Endorphin Elite was also praised for being lightweight despite its beefy midsole foam.
Carbon-Fiber Plate
Testers highlighted how the carbon-fiber noticeably helps propel you forward, while the cushioning absorbs shock.
“I really liked the carbon plate. In order for it to work most effectively for me, I had to land closer to my toes and lean forward,” said Teddy Robertson, who has a flat arch and midfoot strike, and trains at 7-minute pace.
What Our Testers Liked Least
Testers and I both experienced some light chafing in the Endorphin Elite due to its narrow toebox. Pearson was surprised she got a blister after running in the shoes for over a month.
“During a fast tempo run, I got this strange blister on the top of my baby toe where the upper met the rubberized mesh and the decorative rubber overlays,” she said. “I found it strange that it took so long to happen. Same socks and all. There was no debris inside the shoe that could have caused the rubbing.”
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Racing in the Endorphin Elite
“At the end of the day, what I want in a super shoe is that it is the fastest shoe possible,” said RW wear-tester Trevor Conde, who is training to qualify for the next Olympic Marathon Trials. “It is hard to take any other shoe to a starting line than the Vaporfly/Alphafly because I just think I would be leaving time on the table. This shoe finally feels like a true equal to the Nike products when it comes to running as fast as possible.”
Conde—who has a medium arch height, neutral gait pattern, and a midfoot strike—runs 80 miles a week, averaging a 6:30 pace per mile. He was tempted to race in the Endorphin Elite at San Antonio’s Rock ’n’ Roll half. He opted to race in the Nike Vaporfly instead, wary of the Endorphin Elite’s World Athletics eligibility (an earlier tech sheet mistakenly had the heel’s stack height at 40mm). We’ll have to let Conde know he should consider OTQ’ing in the Endorphin Elite; Petersen confirmed the shoe, at 39.5mm thick, falls just short of the World Athletics limit.
Like Saucony’s other racing models, the Endorphin Pro+ and Mens Saucony Integrity Walker 3 Walking, the Endorphin Elite’s propulsive ride demands that you run faster. Easy 4-milers transform into marathon-paced long runs. My initial plan after testing the shoes was to save them for the Boston Marathon. Кроссовки saucony aya 70460 black neon 42 Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2. I’m currently training for September’s Berlin—but eyeing a few summer 5Ks to see what the shoe can do.
RW newsletter editor Pavlína Černá ran in the Endorphin Elite at a 10-miler last April. Černá calls herself an intermediate runner who trains at 9-minute pace. She has a medium arch height, neutral gait pattern, and a midfoot strike. Černá ran various personal bests in the Endorphin Elite (she calls them “slimes”) but her proudest was at this April’s Broad Street Run in Philly.
“zapatillas de running Saucony talla 33.5 baratas menos de 60 forecasted rain, since I didn’t really have a chance to do any training runs on a wet surface, but I did not slip once,” she said. “Sure, they soaked up water, but not necessarily more than any other shoes I would have raced in that day.
“My biggest footwear issue was the squeaky sound and the soggy insoles. But for the spring they add to my every step, I forgive the Elites any hiccups. The way they propel me forward, I’ve never felt so fast. And did I mention how obsessed I am with the color?”
RW shoe tester Jim Warrenfeltz was even more adventurous. Warrenfeltz is an advanced runner who trains at 7:30 pace, and has a high arch height, underpronating gait pattern, and a heel strike. His first run in the Endorphin Elite was at last November’s Outer Banks Marathon.
“All in all, it’s not a smart idea to run in brand-new shoes for a marathon, but these worked for me,” he said. “I definitely recommend having emergency backup shoes to bail out to for peace of mind.”
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
