The RW Takeaway: This speed training version of Saucony’s top racer might just be the better option for most of us amateur athletes.
- PEBA-based foam is exceptionally lightweight and bouncy.
- A nylon plate is embedded in the midsole instead of the pricey carbon-fiber found on the Endorphin Pro.
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Price: $160
Type: Road
Weight: 7.8 oz (M); 6.8 oz (W)
Drop: 8 mm
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The Speed is the mid-tier training shoe in Saucony’s new Endorphin collection. It’s the more affordable workout shoe to complement the company’s Endorphin Pro model ($200), which is perhaps the most exciting marathon racer made by anybody not named Nike—Molly Seidel zapatillas de running Saucony asfalto distancias cortas talla 45.5 azules zapatillas de running Saucony asfalto maratón talla 32 wearing it. Saucony didn’t claim any performance gains with that shoe the way Nike did with its Vaporfly 4%, but Jared Ward saucony ride 10 damen laufschuhe.
While it costs less than the Pro, the Speed gets most of the same features, Bianco the bouncy, PEBA (polyether block amide)-based foam. One key difference: instead of the extremely rigid carbon fiber of the Pro, it uses a nylon plate in the midsole. That makes the shoe significantly easier to flex and boosts comfort for longer runs and workouts.
Pros
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Cons
In our testing, it didn’t feel noticeably slower than the Pro, even for one of our wear-testers who was knocking at the door of an Olympic Trials qualifier. “My first run was a hilly 15-miler, which is likely not the first run you want to take a new pair of shoes on in case something feels off,” he GRID. “However, the Endorphin Speed performed great and felt awesome underfoot. I also wore them on the track, running sub-30 seconds for 200s, and even running an 800m interval in sub-2:00. I found it amazing that a shoe built to handle longer distances felt so comfortable doing true speedwork.”
Speed-Training Sole
Carbon-fiber plates have garnered all the headlines over the past couple years, but there is a lot of great technology in the footwear game, like what you find on the Endorphin Speed. It’s technically a takedown model, built to similar specs as the company’s top-tier Endorphin Pro but with some cost-savings features. But don’t mistake the Speed for being a lesser shoe as a result. The midsole foam and the outsole rubber are the exact same as you’ll find on the Pro, so you’re still benefiting from the soft and bouncy PEBA-based foam (similar material to what’s used in the Nike Zoom Vaporfly Next%).
In this case, the raw material is in a pellet form, which Saucony fuses together with steam and pressure. The company says they’ve found better durability with this construction, and compared to the lightweight foam used in Nike’s top racing shoes, we’ve noticed less wear on this shoe at comparable mileage.
The foam, combined with the underfoot shape, really makes it comfortable at high speeds. Saucony uses what it calls “Speedroll” to get you from heel strike to toe off efficiently. Basically, that’s what we used to call toe-spring—the front of the shoe curves upward. On this shoe, it begins a little further back than typical, beginning its rise slightly back from the ball of your foot. The curve underfoot isn’t as dramatic as a rocker—where the whole sole is rounded almost like a wheel—but it’s enough that you can feel yourself being propelled forward.
While most of the fastest runners will still reach for pricier racers with carbon-fiber, like the Endorphin Pro and Nike Alphafly Next%, the Endorphin Speed will be a suitable racing option for most of us. It’s still stiff—though the nylon plate is far more flexible than carbon-fiber—and snappy, and the cushioning works well for short, fast races all the way up to the marathon distance. Where the Speed shines, however, is in your everyday training. For tempo runs and interval sessions, the Speed delivers all the hustle you need for your workout, while saving you some cash vs. those more expensive race-day models.
An Upper Built for the Masses
Unlike the Pro, which has just enough material to keep the midsole affixed to your foot, the Speed delivers a little more structure and comfort—though it still clearly has a lightweight, racy build. The upper here is an engineered mesh, which provides just a little better control through the midfoot. Also, the Speed has a lightweight heel counter to lock your foot in place over the midsole—the Pro does not have one. The collar and the tongue are lightly padded, making it just a bit more comfortable for longer training runs.
Even with those changes, the Speed checks in close to the weight of the Endorphin Pro. My size 12 sample weighed just 0.3 ounces heavier.
What One Tester GRID
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“The Saucony Endorphin Speed is one of the best shoes on the market for those who want to run fast, but not sacrifice comfort or cushioning. I loved the versatility of the shoe. Because it could handle both higher mileage and true speed work, it allowed me to execute some great workouts with easy logistics. For example, I was able to run a long warm up from home to the track, do my intervals at fast paces, and then jog the long cool down back home. Traditionally, I would not be able to do this because I would need to change shoes into a racing flat for the interval portion of the workout. So I used to drive over to the track. Loop around for warm up and cool down, so that I could return to my car to switch into racing flats for the track workout phase. These shoes, being truly “do all” shoes, allowed me to seamlessly transition through workouts of any pace or variety.”
Saucony Kinvara 7 'Boston' Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. A true shoe dog, he's spent more than a decade testing and reviewing shoes. In 2017, he ran in 285 different pairs of shoes, Bianco a streak of 257 days wearing a different model.
