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When Saucony released its original Endorphin Speed shoe in 2020, it was an immediate outlier. While the running world was captivated by the wave of carbon-plated racing supershoes that were hitting the market in the early part of that year, Saucony quietly dropped what was really the world’s first modern super trainer just before the world shutdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s was light and bouncy, and just a joy to run in at any pace.
The new Endorphin Speed 5 is the latest iteration of that great shoe, and it retains many of the same characteristics and materials—including the semi-rigid nylon propulsion plate and bouncy PWRRUN PB midsole foam. Although there been a heap of carbon-plated super trainers launched in the interim, the latest Endorphin Speed is still a light, speedy, and versatile daily trainer sans carbon that’s ideal for fast workouts, long runs, and everything else you might lace up your shoes for during a week of training.
What’s New: The biggest changes to the Endorphin Speed 5 are a new, more breathable mesh upper, a slightly more flexible wing-shaped nylon propulsion plate (with only a “wing” extending to the medial side), enhanced flex grooves, a new flared heel collar design, and a tiny bit more rubber coverage on the heel of the outsole. It still has Saucony’s highly responsive PWRRUN PB midsole foam in a near-identical setup to last year. All of those things make this shoe a smidge heavier, but the 5 additional grams (less than a quarter of an ounce) isn’t noticeable when out on a run.
Fit/Feel/Ride: The Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 fits true to size with a medium interior volume and only a little bit of wiggle room in the toe box. This one felt slightly shorter than previous Endorphin Speed models, but not so much that I would have gone to a larger size. There’s plenty of interior volume to remove the premium sockliner for an after-market stability-enhancing insole, but I actually love the sockliner Saucony uses in the Speed 5 and the soft, snug step-in feel it contributes to. The new mesh upper and gusseted tongue (made from the same material) really provides a locked-down fit, while the padded and flared heel collar and interior heel counter offer comfort and support.
The ride feels consistently responsive and efficient at any pace, but this year’s edition feels slightly firmer and springier than last year’s model. It’s energetic enough to be a speed day training shoe, but it’s smooth and flowy enough to be a do-everything everyday trainer that can excel on long runs and also put some spring in your step on recovery runs. As a sub-maximal shoe, it offers sufficient cushioning while also offering very good proprioceptive feel for the ground, especially in the forefoot.
Price: $175
Weights: 7.2 oz (women’s 8); 8.4 (men’s 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 36mm (heel), 28mm (forefoot)
Why It’s Great: Aside from being a speedy, responsive shoe, I love the versatility of the Endorphin Speed 5. I like it most for up-tempo running (track workouts, tempo runs, fartleks, post-run strides, etc.) but I love it for long runs, too, because it puts a spring in my step when I start to fatigue but it doesn’t force me to hold on to a precise high-cadence gait pattern like more rigid racing supershoes typically do. It’s so versatile that, if you’re a new runner or a runner on a budget, this can be the only shoe in your quiver, given that it’s even capable of being a low-key racing shoe.
Why You’ll Love It: If you’ve never run in any of Saucony’s Endorphin Speed line, you’ll probably love this shoe for its lively responsiveness. And if you have run in previous models, you’ll know that last year’s Endorphin Speed 4 was softer and not as responsive as the Speed 2 and Speed 3 and generally kind of a sloppy mess. But the Speed 5 returns to its fast and snappy roots.
Pro: This would make a great 5K and road mile racing shoe for runners just starting to test their competitive mettle. While not top-tier fast or what you want to wear in your goal-race marathon or half marathon, it’s fast enough for fun summer road races.
Con: It’s a lively shoe, but it doesn’t seem as bouncy and vibrant as Endorphin Speed 2 was. That could just be my impression and the notion that so many shoes have become more energetic.
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Senior editor Brian Metzler has wear-tested more than 2,500 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2019). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado.