The Saucony Endorphin Elite may not be as widely worn yet in the marathon world, but that could change soon.
After a half-decade of pure marathon shoe selection dominance by the Nike team with the three versions of the Vaporfly, I think Saucony may be on the right track to dethrone Nike.
In the marathon world, making this type of declaration is huge.
Let me explain why I’ve switched from Nike Vaporfly to Saucony Endorphin Elite as my primary choice for the marathon.
Scared to Switch
Without a doubt, I was scared to make this change.
Don’t mess with what’s worked is an adage that has applied to me in the running world.
From the 2019 California International Marathon through the 2023 Santa Rose Marathon, I ran six marathons in the Nike Vaporfly. I BQ’ed four times in those races and ran a personal best 2:58:58.
Needless to say, the Nike Vaporfly’s helped me achieve incredible marathon times.
With that success came the pressure to not mess anything up on my part. If they worked so well, then why even try something else?
This mindset is difficult to break.
However, I hate the phrase, “Well, that’s how it’s always been done so that’s why we do it this way.”
Just because Vaporfly’s were helping me and so many other marathon runners excel, that doesn’t mean there isn’t something new that might be better.
Leading into the 2023 California International Marathon, I knew I was not going to be prepared to hit PR times. This made this time a perfect chance to take a risk, ditch the Vaporfly’s, and go for it with the Saucony Endorphin Elite’s.
My Saucony Past and Present
From the first time I tried on the Saucony Endorphin Speed shoes about 3 years ago, I knew I was in love.
Before the Endorphin Speed series, I had never worn a Saucony running shoe. Call it ‘generational marketing’ but I had always thought Saucony to be my dad’s type of shoe.
The Endorphin Speed’s changed my mind instantaneously.
The Saucony Endorphin Speed series makes my easy days feel softer underfoot, my longer threshold workouts come with a bounce, and my recovery has drastically improved.
I have purchased somewhere between 8-10 pairs of the Endorphin Speed series 1, 2, and 3.
These days, 90% of my running shoe rotation and my day-to-day shoes are Saucony. I use the Kinvara and Endorphin series for running and a separate Kinavra for day-to-day wear out and about.
If I could only choose one running shoe for the rest of my life, it’d be the Endorphin Speed and I wouldn’t hesitate to say so.
Saucony Endorphin Speed vs Pro
The next logical step from the Saucony Endorphin Speed was to the Saucony Endorphin Pro.
I made this leap when running the 2022 Ironman California. I went into this race not planning on racing it so taking a risk on the shoe was not of concern.
The primary benefit of the Saucony Endorphin Pro over the Saucony Endorphin Elite was the addition of the version Carbon-fiber plate in the Pro versus the Speed which has a Winged nylon plate.
Though not attempting speed at Ironman, I wanted the additional bounce of a carbon plate and the overall lighter weight.
Saucony Endorphin Pro or Speed
What I came to realize with the Saucony Endorphin Pro was that I didn’t get the same bounce or pop as I did with the Nike Vaporfly. For my race approach, which was just to finish, it ended up being okay and still a great shoe, but I realized the Vaporfly was a better racing shoe for me than the Endorphin Pro.
Either the Saucony Endorphin Pro or Speed are great distance running shoe options.
Following Ironman 2022, I went back to Vaporfly’s for CIM 2022 and 2023 Santa Rosa Marathon.
Con’s of the Nike Vaporfly’s
PR after PR after PR, the Nike Vaporfly’s were doing the trick. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have issues with them.
The primary issue I had throughout three different pairs (two of Version 2 and one of Version 3) was that they destroyed my feet.
For days up to a week post-marathon, my feet felt like a hammer hit them. Especially on the outside of my feet which was an odd place. I always buy a size up (14’s) so it wasn’t that I was just buying the wrong size. It was that they weren’t a wide-based shoe.
I had to figure something out.
Saucony Endorphin Elite at CIM
Going into the 2023 California International Marathon race, I was trained for a 20-mile race. That’s never ideal when the race is a marathon.
Thus, I decided that since a PR was not in the books going into the race, this was another great opportunity to test a different marathon race day shoe.
Due to my love of the Endorphin series, I chose the Saucony Endorphin Elite to test relative effort for the marathon distance.
I was pleasantly surprised that the Saucony Endorphin Elite held up strong if not equally as powerful for the marathon distance.
The most important aspects though were that they were also comfortable and my feet didn’t hurt post-marathon for the first time.
I’m downplaying the performance as I don’t want to be blinded by my Endorphin love and the fact my feet weren’t in pain.
The footbed of the Endorphin Elite must be a bit wider than the Nike Vaporfly. That’s the only explanation I could come up with.
If I can perform just as well with the Endorphin Elite at full effort in the marathon and have no foot pain, I see no reason for me to go back to the Vaporfly’s.
Positives of the Saucony Endorphin Elite
Besides the improved foot recovery of the Endorphin Elite, there were a couple of other aspects I appreciated.
- Tread | I’m unsure what the actual material is on the outsole for the tread, but I think it’ll hold up far longer than any other super shoe. There’s minimal wear and did not weigh the shoe down. I plan on using this pair for another 50-75 miles of workouts.
- Gets Comfortable | When I tested them out on the track, I was concerned that the tongue was gripping my ankle. However, the shoe/tongue quickly fell into place after a few miles and a re-tie.
- Lightweight | At first, I thought there would be no way this shoe would stay on and tight as there is absolutely minimal material on the upper. However, it did so through the grueling endurance of a marathon. No slippage whatsoever.
Saucony Endorphin Elite vs Pro vs Nike Vaporfly
So, which would I suggest to other runners looking to run fast speeds?
All three shoes are phenomenal and me knit-picking them doesn’t do them all justice.
Here’s how I’d approach the Saucony Endorphin Elite vs Pro vs Nike Vaporfly selection process:
- Pick the Nike Vaporfly If:
- You’ve used Nike’s before and they worked for you. Don’t mess with what works.
- You can find a prior version on sale. I didn’t notice much difference in usage between the series so you may have luck finding an older version for far less.
- Pick the Saucony Endorphin Pro If:
- You want more cushion while still having a carbon plate.
- This shoe is by far the most comfortable of the three.
- Pick the Saucony Endorphin Elite If:
- You want more room for your foot in the footbed.
- You need the bounce of a great carbon plate.
- You’re looking for an alternative to the most popular super shoe in the Vaporfly.
Is Saucony Endorphin Elite the Next Most Popular Marathon Shoe?
No, but not because of the shoe.
Saucony is nowhere near as mainstream enough to compete with Nike.
However, 2023 CIM was by far the most non-Nike super shoes since their launch. I remember two years ago 90% of the super shoes at CIM were only Nike. This year, it was only about 50%.
With the amount of love the entire Endorphin series gets in the running community, I can see the Endorphin Elite becoming a top 3 most worn marathon shoe in the coming iterations.
It’s exciting to see the Saucony Endorphin Elite grow in popularity and I see myself choosing this shoe for marathons to come.
