Saucony endorphin speed 2
Buy now £155 Saucony.com
Rating: 10/10
First released in July 2021, the endorphin speed 2s are marketed as an all-round road running shoe – something you can smash a 5K PB in one week, and put in the long, hard miles for marathon training the next. However, as the second iteration of the endorphin speed range, Saucony has made some marginal improvements, specifically to the heel fit and mesh breathability.
At its core though, it’s effectively the same as the original endorphin speed – meaning that the outsole and midsole remain. While there is often a desire for brands to tweak and refine each element when releasing a new version, Saucony had already hit on a winning formula, so why make changes for the sake of it?
The outsole is the same XT-900 carbon-infused rubber as before, and it has been beefed up in regular contact points with the intention of providing consistent grip from your first kilometer to your 300th. After a number of runs on tarmac and the odd excursion onto gravel trails, the amount of wear is pretty minimal, so we’d back them to last the length of a whole marathon training plan. The tread itself is road-focused (there are none of the lugs that are common on more trail-leaning shoes), but we found that it offered good grip in both dry and damp conditions.
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The midsole is Saucony’s “PWRrun PB” – a beaded foam that doesn’t look dissimilar to the one popularised by Adidas’ ultraboost (£140, Adidas.co.uk). The American brand claims that its version is half the weight of EVA (which is used in other running shoe’s midsoles) while being more durable, and provides an 88 per cent energy return. In practice, they were springy and bouncy underfoot whether we were on a recovery run or completing sprint intervals, but there was some light scuffing where it met the outsole after about 50km of general use.
Within the midsole lies a nylon plate. Like the carbon ones first popularised by Nike’s vaporfly, the idea is that the plate absorbs energy when you plant your foot before releasing it again as you lift off – literally putting a spring in your step.
Nylon has two benefits over carbon – one, it’s cheaper, and therefore the overall shoe isn’t going to set you back £200-plus; two, it’s slightly less “aggressive”, meaning the shoe shouldn’t be reserved for race day-only. The combination definitely helps the endorphin speed earn its name though, and we set our mile PB in the shoes for seemingly less effort.
This is all aided by Saucony’s “speedroll” technology – the geometry and shape of the midsole. An 8mm drop between heel and toe makes you slightly lean forward, encouraging a better running form and minimising the heel strikes we’ve found to be common with rocker-shaped running shoes. When combined with the cushioning of the midsole, you’re left with a responsive shoe that helps you run faster without having to resort to pounding the pavement.
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Having a great midsole and outsole is all very well, but it counts for nothing if the uppers are poor-fitting and uncomfortable. Fortunately, this isn’t an issue with the endorphin speed 2s.
Our UK size nine’s fit like a glove and the padded insole provided welcome comfort on longer runs without dulling the sensation of the terrains and surfaces you get underfoot when running outside. The mesh uppers were breathable and kept our feet cool even during hard efforts – the only downside being a slight chill when setting off on cold starts.
In terms of colourways, the pair we were sent definitely fall into the Marmite camp, but there are eight other designs (including some subtle blues and a nice peach pair) to choose from if bright white and shiny silver detailing isn’t your cup of tea.
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Weighing 224g on the scales, they’re not the lightest running shoes around, but they’re by no means heavy either – an impressive feat given how bulky certain sections of the midsole is.
Their price also puts them middle of the road for a high-performance running shoe. Sure, they’re not cheap, but they aren’t the most expensive even in Saucony’s line-up – that title goes to the carbon-plated endorphin pro 2 (£190, Saucony.com). When you consider that they can be used as an every day training shoe and a PB-chasing race day set, they could even be considered good value.
The verdict: Saucony endorphin speed 2Next time you’re looking for a pair of running shoes, why not go against the big brand-dominated grain – variety is the spice of life, after all. In the endorphin speed 2s you won’t be left disappointed. Just as at home in recovery runs as they are in all-out efforts, they’re a great all-rounder with an added, pacy edge. Among our regular testing rota, we found ourself returning to them time and again – high praise when you consider we’re slightly spoilt for choice in the running shoe department.