Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 Introduction
When a model makes important modifications to the sequel of a profitable shoe, some runners love the brand new modifications however others hate them. Within the case of the Endorphin Elite 2, I believe most will fall into this second group.
It’s all the time an enormous threat to stray too removed from what made runners love the earlier variations. That’s why Nike doesn’t change the Pegasus an excessive amount of from replace to replace. The identical goes for the Brooks Ghost and the Hoka Clifton. It’s too huge a threat to upset the loyal fanbase. The Endorphin Elite doesn’t fairly have the identical giant fanbase however I do know loads of runners who love model 1.
The Endorphin Elite is the head of Saucony long-distance racers. It’s the prime quality, most costly Saucony highway racer. It’s lighter than Saucony’s different racer, the Endorphin Professional and it has a more recent midsole foam.
The unique Endorphin Elite was my favorite tremendous shoe of the previous 2 years. I beloved how stiff its midsole was and the way its aggressive forefoot rocker made quick operating really feel simple, particularly within the second half of marathons when my drained legs felt like lead.
The worldwide launch of the Endorphin Elite 2 is 1 March 2025. Saucony was compelled to launch a small batch to the general public as a result of a Saucony elite athlete used it within the Paris Olympic Marathon. I used to be in a position to buy a pair on the Saucony UK web site.
There wasn’t any advertising and marketing marketing campaign for the Endorphin Elite 2 so not a lot is thought about it besides that it weighs 7 oz (199 g) for a males’s US 9, it has a 39.5mm/31.5mm stack peak and it encompasses a “subsequent era” tremendous foam.
The worth is 280 GBP or $275, the identical because the earlier model.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 First Impressions
My first run was a observe exercise consisting of 400 m intervals. My principal thought was that model 2 felt like a totally totally different shoe to model 1. The squishy, new midsole foam made it really feel like I used to be operating on a marshmallow. It felt very squirrelly underfoot.
The trip felt actually unstable and the plate was extra versatile than its predecessor. The aggressive rocker feeling had additionally been toned down. It didn’t really feel as quick as model 1 however it was probably the most bouncy trip I’ve ever skilled.
The trip jogged my memory of the Nike Invincible Run variations 1 & 2 which additionally had extraordinarily squishy rides however the Endorphin Elite 2’s trip was even softer and fewer steady.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 Higher
The Endorphin Elite 2’s higher is an enchancment over model 1 primarily due to its new heel cup which leads to higher lockdown. It’s now a semi-bootie building however it has the power to do a runner’s knot.
Breathability is nice however inferior to v1 because of the new knitted tongue which doesn’t have air flow holes in it. The brand new heel cup flares away from the Achilles and jogs my memory of the one on the New Steadiness 1080v10.
It has an accommodating midfoot and forefoot with a traditional toe field. I like to recommend going true to dimension and it must be appropriate for runners with extensive toes.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 Sole Unit
Over time, many manufacturers have used marshmallows to promote and convey how mushy their midsoles really feel. More often than not, it’s an exaggeration. With the case of the Endorphin Elite 2, you get the primary and true “operating on marshmallows” expertise.
The trip of the Endorphin Elite 1 was focused at runners who needed a steady, agency trip with a distinguished forefoot rocker. That is in stark distinction to the Endorphin Elite 2 which is focused at runners preferring an excellent mushy, bouncy trip with a light forefoot rocker.
The dangerous information is that the Endorphin Elite 2 doesn’t really feel as quick because the earlier model. Transitions really feel extra relaxed and it feels extra like a coaching shoe than a hardcore racer now. That is primarily resulting from its new midsole compound.
The unique Endorphin Elite had a midsole product of PWRRUN HG, a Pebax foam. It had a agency trip with little compression.
Within the new model, the unnamed midsole foam is now an aliphatic TPU, just like the one within the PUMA Deviate Elite 3 however a lot, a lot softer. This foam has a really squishy trip with a whole lot of compression.
I get pleasure from mushy footwear for coaching; the Invincible Run 1 and a pair of had been my favorite trainers of all time. However for racing, I choose a agency trip. A agency trip interprets to higher stability for lengthy distances and a extra responsive trip. When the froth is as mushy as it’s within the Endorphin Elite 2, it takes a very long time for it to compress when loaded after which to decompress.
Throughout transitions within the Elite 2, it looks like my heel is sinking in an excessive amount of earlier than rolling onto my midfoot and forefoot. I felt comparable transitions when testing the PUMA Quick-R Elite 2, one other racer with an aliphatic TPU midsole; it doesn’t really feel environment friendly.
I used the Endorphin Elite 2 for a 30 km race. I’m a heel striker with slight overpronation- it felt manner too squishy and unstable for my kind. I additionally didn’t really feel a excessive stage of velocity help from it, simply a whole lot of bounce.
One of many options that made the Endorphin Elite 1 stand out was its excessive toe spring and stiff forefoot that made it really feel prefer it was tipping you ahead. With the softer midsole foam of model 2, the plate needs to be extra versatile and it doesn’t really feel prefer it’s throwing you ahead throughout toe-offs.
Sturdiness is without doubt one of the worst I’ve ever skilled. On the outsole, the uncovered foam is so mushy that it will get chewed up by the highway. On my pair, on the heel part, the half which isn’t protected by rubber is lacking a big chunk as a result of I heel strike. This additionally occurred with the unique Endorphin Elite however it wasn’t this dangerous. This can be a shoe that it’s important to reserve for racing solely.
Outsole traction is okay on dry surfaces however very slippery on moist ones. Once I raced in it, I went via water stations and I may really feel that the outsole wasn’t gripping the moist highway properly.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 Conclusions
The Endorphin Elite 2 is a disappointing replace as a result of it feels nothing like model 1, which was top-tier. It’s quite a bit softer and it has a extra relaxed trip. It’s additionally very unstable and never as supportive.
They’ve modified too much- all they wanted to do was so as to add additional rubber on the outsole and to enhance the heel lockdown (which they did). In the event you’re a fan of model 1, you need to refill now whereas it’s nonetheless obtainable.
It’s maybe one of the crucial fragile trainers I’ve ever examined. In the event you’re a heel striker otherwise you’re laborious on outsoles, you’ll face sturdiness points because of the midsole being so mushy. Even the one-race Adidas Adios Professional Evo 1 has a extra sturdy outsole.
The Endorphin Elite 2 shouldn’t be a top-tier tremendous shoe for me and I received’t be racing in it once more. I might even select the Endorphin Professional 4 over the Elite 2 for its additional stability and its higher outsole sturdiness.
I’m unsure why Saucony selected to go in a totally totally different route for the Endorphin Elite 2. It looks like a prototype or an experimental launch.
It fits a narrower vary of runners than its predecessor resulting from its instability and I don’t assume elite runners like their midsoles to be this mushy and squishy.