While there isn’t much support through the midfoot and forefoot, the lacing, heel, and collar give you all the structure you need to get a locked-down, secure fit.Īs I’ve noted before, I love a rocker design (Saucony calls it SpeedRoll Geometry) that encourages the forward momentum of running. The engineered mesh with 3D printed overlays is oh-so-light and breathable. With the Endorphin Pro, Saucony has put together one beautiful, form-fitting, lightweight, carbon plated gem of a racing shoe. Kudos to the design team for taking a risk and dropping all-white for the initial colorway. Last thing– man, this whole lineup looks so good, but in a bold and different way. It’s the kind of shoe you just want to run fast in, forever. The cushion is just right and the energy return simply springs into the next step with little to no effort. The shoe is firm, but in the exact way you want it to be for a race-day shoe. It felt like I was doing no work with my feet and legs, just carrying over and over into the next steps. The turnover– aided in part by the Speedroll geometry of the outsole– is lightning quick and buttery smooth. When taking it down below 5K pace, it picks up completely effortlessly. Step-in feels a little squirrely, but once the shoe gets going, everything irons out perfectly. Because of its minimal structure, it’s super breathable and flexible.
No extra fabric, no intrusive collar edges– it just locks down beautifully. The FORMFIT upper is made of ultralight materials and minimal 3D overlays that wraps the foot perfectly. That said, this shoe will be my heart, stars, horseshoes, and clovers for any race I have in the near or distant future. Patrick’s Day 5K course until my entire race schedule broke in pieces like the heart of a sad leprechaun without his Lucky Charms. When we got the shoe a few weeks ago, I was ready to rip it on a St. The Endorphin Pro was a great way to start.
ROBBE: Despite reviewing a ton of shoes here, I actually haven’t had a chance to run in any carbon plate racers (the Carbon X withstanding, which isn’t really a race shoe). It all comes together to provide an incredibly responsive and form-fitting shoe. Speaking of midsole, it’s made of PEBA-based PWRRUN PB, which is 40% lighter than Saucony’s PWRRUN+ and allegedly provides 88% energy return. The carbon-plate is a full-length S-shape following the bottom of the black paint on the midsole (while coincidentally mimicking the Saucony river logo). QUICK RUNDOWN: The Endorphin Pro is a lightweight, carbon-plated race day shoe, the king of the Endorphin line (which also includes the Endorphin Speed and the Endorphin Shift). Now all the shoe had to do was perform well in the ring. Sometimes you know the minute you slide your foot into a shoe if it is a champ or a chump– the Endorphin Pro was love at first stride. Personally, after trying on the Endorphin Pro at The Running Event last December in Austin, Texas, I have eagerly been waiting for a chance to run in the trainer. Finally, the Olympics being postponed was a blow, but it was a gut punch for everyone. Molly had a knockout performance in the Endorphin Pro proving they have a world-class shoe and athlete. They have an awesome shoe ready for production in time for the World Athletic ruling. THOMAS: Not to throw a jab at Robbe, I don’t have the same level of sympathy for Saucony as Robbe does, in fact, I think you can look at all these things in a different positive light. MEAGHAN: I’m just the referee in this match, so I’ll hand it over to the other side of the ring. Now, there’s no official timetable on the release of the Endorphin Pro (the April 15 release has been pushed), and it’s a damn shame because it may be the best shoe on the market for $200 or less. Then a recovery jab to the competition as Molly Seidel took second in the Olympic Trials Marathon, guaranteeing them a spot in the 2020 Olympics.īut wait– here comes an uppercut to the chin– COVID-19 and the postponement of the 2020 Olympics until next year. While I think the buzz is still holding strong for the Endorphin line, they’ve gotten totally f-ed over in the last couple of months.įirst, a left hook to the side when the World Athletics ruling made them move up the Endorphin Pro release by a month and a half to April 15. ROBBE: Honestly, there may be no company I feel worse for right now than Saucony.
Saucony should give out free pairs to anyone who gets a Mike Tyson-style face tattoo of the river logo.The shoe is a straight-up rock’em, sock’em knockout.Full-length S-shaped carbon fiber plated midsole featuring PWRRUN PB cushioning.