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Saucony Endorphin

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Saucony Endorphin Racer 2 Review}}The original Endorphin is an ultralight outstanding running shoe that provides , providing a surprising level of cushioning at an ultralight weight. I had incredibly high hopes for its this second generation, with reports of improved cushioning and only slight weightgain. Obviously there's not as much cushioning as many heavier shoesThe forefoot was also changed to use TPU foam, but you might which can be surprised by how far more resilient and long-lasting, as well it does for itselfas provide rather more bounce than traditional EVA foam which is still used in the rear of the shoe. Of courseSadly, while the reports of the weight gain were true, the cushioning is actually quite a lot worse than of the original shoe this light may not provide enough cushioning for everyone, but . My initial runs in the endorphin 2 were a little slower than I'd recommend trying it out if have expected, and the shoe didn't feel cushioned enough to give me improved Running Economy youcan get with modest cushioning. My initial impressions of this being more of a minimalist rather than optimal running shoe were confirmed by some later calculations of the shoes measured cushioning. I're a reasonably efficient runner looking for an edgeve rated the endorphin to as "worth considering", as I think there are far better light weight running shoes on the market, including its predecessor. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin2-top.JPGjpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Endorphin top]]|[[File:Saucony Endorphin2-bottom.JPGjpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Endorphin bottom]]

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin2-inside.JPGjpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Endorphin inside]]|[[File:Saucony Endorphin2-outside.JPGjpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Endorphin outside]]

|}

{{FastBlr|saucony/kinvara-6-952|952|Saucony Endorphin}}

=Shape and Fit=

I don't normally comment on the fit of running shoes, as everybody's foot is a slightly different shape. However, I found that the Endorphin 2 has a rather unusual shape. I've found the key to getting a shoe that fits well is to ensure that the curve on each side of the forefoot matches the curves of the shoe. If you look at the photo below, the point marked by the blue arrows and red arrows should line up, so that the bulge to the inside of the ball of the foot matches the on the shoe, and likewise on the outside. With the Endorphin 2, I found that when I had a ideal fit from the ball of my foot back, the toe box was radically too small. While a misshapen toe box is endemic to running shoes, and I typically can't the toe box open, the Endorphin 2 is far worse, being too narrow and too short.

[[File:Shoe Fit.jpg|center|thumb|300px|Getting the right fit is generally a matter of ensuring the widest part of the forefoot lines up with the widest part of your foot. Everything else flows from that.]]

=Characteristics=

* {{H:WhyBuy}}. If you're after an ultralight, fast shoe, this is a prime candidate.* {{H:cushioning}}. The Endorphin 2 uses Saucony's EVERUN under the forefoot, which is remarkably well cushioned given its weight their form of only 4TPU foam.1ozTPU foam tends to be much longer lasting than traditional EVA foam, and it can be rather more spring the, but unfortunately quite a bit heavier as well. There is obviously a lot less cushioning than youI've generally found Saucony'd find in s implementation of TPU to be inferior to other shoes that would be normally be considered a light weight like companies, especially when comparing to the awesome [[Asics Gel Hyper SpeedAltra Escalante]]. I found the endorphin 2 to be rather under cushioned, but even that and therefore slower than a slightly better cushioned shoe weighs half , so I'm classifying it as a minimalist shoe, though it's probably got a little too much again. The Endorphin has enough cushioning midsole for most runners looking for me to consider it an optimal rather than a minimalist shoe. The lack traditional EVA foam used in the rear of the midsole is rather firm a than is typical, probably to match the cushioning characteristics of the TPU foam in the forefoot more closely. It's hard to see the dividing line between the two types of foam, but if you look closely at the photos of your see a minimalist shoe reduces Running Economydiagonal line, but and the Endorphin allows me to run with just TPU foam in the same biomechanics forefoot as I would in a far more cushioned shoemostly smooth finish, where the EVA foam has a crosshatch pattern embossed on it.* {{H:drop}}. The Endorphin 2 is zero drop (in fact, I measure it with 1mm of negative drop), which is nice to see. * {{H:structure}}. The Endorphin While the endorphin 2 uses a single density two different types of foam with no real "arch support" , these are not intended to cause problems. The gaps manipulate your running form in the midsole have never been way that a stone trap for me, and I don't think they should be an issuemedial post would. These gaps will allow water to drain out more quicklyIn fact, which the endorphin is nice for running through puddles (or even stream crossings)a remarkably neutral shoe, with a fairly flat shape under the heel, and very little in the way of rise under the arch of the foot.

* {{H:flexibility}}. The Endorphin is flexible due to the thin midsole combined with gaps in the outsole.

* {{H:outsole}}. The Endorphin 2 has lots a layer of smallharder, hard plastic lugs slightly sticky rubber outsole over the forefoot and extreme edge entire surface of the heelsole. These This outsole is perforated with lots of triangular holes, which are not easier to see as black triangles in the type rear of lugs you'd find on the trail shoefoot, but are intended to provide extra grip if you look carefully you can see these on asphaltthe forefoot, something they do nicelyrevealing the TPU foam below. For fast running on wet asphaltThese gaps in the outsole help with flexibility, these lugs are greatand I found the material they've used in the outsole to have pretty good grip. * {{H:shape}}. Like most running shoes, the shape of the Endorphin does not match the human foot, and narrows in but the toe boxendorphin is actually rather worse than most running shoes, and as noted above, I had to a real problem finding a good fit. [[Shoe Modifications| cut Cutting open the toe box open]] to prevent toe problemshelps somewhat but the fit is still pretty funky. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}* {{H:upper}}. The upper is thin, inflexible and seamless with absolutely no padding, but I found it surprisingly comfortable. There upper is nicely moderately breathable, with some holes midway up the a fine mesh reinforced by a honeycomb pattern of slightly thicker material over , as you can see in the midfootphoto below. I was surprised how tough the upper is given the lightness of the shoe<br/>[[File:Saucony Endorphin 2 Upper. jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]* {{H:tongue}}. The Endorphin 2's tongue is sown to the upper on the inside edge, which helps keep it in place. Just like its predecessor, I found the tongue is so thin I had problems avoiding it rucking up when I put the shoe on, but it never caused an issue during the run, only beforehand. * {{H:lacing}}. The Endorphin has traditional flat laces that are a little thinner than most, probably to save weight. I found that they stayed tied nicely, and there is a small amount of elasticity in the laces, which probably contributes to the comfort of the shoe.

* {{H:heelcounter}}. Not surprisingly, there is no real heel counter in this shoe. There is a tiny tab that sticks up from the back of the heel, but nothing else.

=How Far Can I Run in the Endorphin? =

Different runners want different levels of cushioning, so this shoe may not suit everyone. Some runners want a [[Maximalist]] shoe when they run a 5K, while others will run a 100 mile race barefoot. Most people find that as the distance increases, they want a little more cushioning to protect their feet from the pounding and to offset a little of the fatigue that sets in over time. You can see from the charts below how the cushioning compares with other shoes I've tested for some comparisons. Remember that a thicker, firmer shoe would have the same cushioning rating as a thinner, softer shoe, but would feel rather different. I've run the marathon distance in less cushioned shoes than the Endorphin, but I'd probably want more cushioning for a road 50 mile race. .

=Comparisons=

Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.

==Saucony Endorphin and New Balance RC5000==

The question you should be asking is if the Endorphin is better than the amazing [[New Balance RC5000]], the fastest shoe I've tested. The simple answer is the RC5000 is lighter and therefore faster. However, there is a slightly more nuanced answer that you should consider. The reason the RC5000 does so well is that it provides roughly the minimum amount of cushioning needed to boost running economy. So while the Endorphin is better cushioned, this doesn't help to improve running economy. However, it's not inconceivable that some people may need slightly more cushioning than the research suggests in order to get the boost in running economy. If that were the case for you, then the extra cushioning could make the Endorphin the faster shoe. The other advantage in the Endorphin has over the RC 5000 is that it is zero drop, which is rather nice.

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin top]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin bottom]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin inside]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin outside]]

|- valign="top"

|[[File:New-Balance-MRC-5000-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|New Balance RC 5000 top]]

|[[File:New-Balance-MRC-5000-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|New Balance RC 5000 bottom]]

|[[File:New-Balance-MRC-5000-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|New Balance RC 5000 inside]]

|[[File:New-Balance-MRC-5000-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|New Balance RC 5000 outside]]

|}

{{FastBlr|new-balance/rc5000-v1-852|852|New Balance RC5000}}

==Saucony Endorphin and Mizuno Wave Universe ==

While the [[Mizuno Wave Universe]] seems similar to the Endorphin, they are actually rather different. The difference in cushioning between the two shoes makes a huge impact on [[Running Economy]], so the Universe is a slower shoe. I've also found that the Endorphin lasts much longer than the Universe.

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin top]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin bottom]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin inside]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin outside]]

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Mizuno-Wave-Universe-5-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Mizuno Wave Universe 5 top]]

|[[File:Mizuno-Wave-Universe-5-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Mizuno Wave Universe 5 bottom]]

|[[File:Mizuno-Wave-Universe-5-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Mizuno Wave Universe 5 inside]]

|[[File:Mizuno-Wave-Universe-5-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Mizuno Wave Universe 5 outside]]

|}

{{FastBlr|mizuno/wave-universe-5-1089|1089|Mizuno Wave Universe 5}}

==Saucony Endorphin and Asics Gel Hyper Speed==

The [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] is another favorite shoe, and if I need more cushioning than the Endorphin, the Hyper Speed is my first choice. Don't expect a plush, cushy ride even from the Hyper Speed; it still is stripped down, go faster running shoe. In fact, I'd argue that the difference in comfort in the upper of the two shoes is far less than you'd expect, though the cushioning difference is significant.

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin top]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin bottom]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin inside]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin outside]]

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 top]]

|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 bottom]]

|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 inside]]

|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 outside]]

|}

{{FastBlr|asics/gel-hyperspeed-6-192|192|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6}}

==Saucony Endorphin and Asics GT 2000==

I realize that this is an extreme comparison, as the Endorphin is only about a third the weight of the GT 2000. I like to compare shoes against the [[Asics GT 2000]] as it represents the traditional running shoe, so what do you get for all that extra weight? Mostly you get over engineering, with excessive features that go against [[The Science of Running Shoes]]. This is more likely to cause problems than solve them, as well as adding a lot of extra weight. Of course, you also get more cushioning with the GT 2000, with better padding in the upper, especially in the tongue and ankle opening. Running in the GT 2000 after the Endorphin feels like you've put on a wooden clog and ankle weights. This weight difference impacts your [[Running Economy]], and the calculations suggest that an average runner in the Endorphin is around 10 seconds/mile faster than in the GT 2000. (In practice, I feel like it's a bigger difference than that.)

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin top]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin bottom]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin inside]]

|[[File:Saucony Endorphin-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Endorphin outside]]

|- valign="top"

|[[File:Asics-GT2000-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 top]]

|[[File:Asics-GT2000-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 bottom]]

|[[File:Asics-GT2000-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 inside]]

|[[File:Asics-GT2000-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 outside]]

|}

{{ShoeGraphs}}

=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=

{{:Shoes-include}}

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