Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 Reviews

A 57-year-old ran a 3:19 Chicago Marathon in the Endorphin Elite 2, beating their BQ by 11 minutes; some outer knee pain after mile 21 they put down to its instability, plus toenail trauma from swollen feet. Bought another pair for the next marathon.

About 170 miles, including 6:00-pace tempo runs, steady road runs and races from the mile to 5K. They found the soft foam very bouncy and fast, with a light, breathable upper and a hard-wearing outsole. They disliked the wobbly feel at slower paces, the narrow toe box and loose heel, and noted the exposed foam is wearing away at toe-off. They think it suits runners with stable mechanics, best at faster paces.

Loves the Endorphin Elite 2 more every run, but its instability made them race a marathon in another shoe.

About 100 miles, covering threshold sessions, second workouts and some easy runs. They found the full-length foam the softest they have run in, and it firmed up slightly and felt more responsive over time; the outsole also lasted better than expected. It is unstable, though: it demands strong hips and ankles, the toe box is snug, and long runs brought chafing and tired hips. They would not race in it and see it for stable runners wanting maximum softness on longer efforts.

Loved how the Endorphin Elite 2 felt but it was wobbly standing, raising ankle-rolling worries.

An Endorphin Elite 2 owner loves it and finds it suits their biomechanics, but it's very soft and unstable walking or at slow speeds.

Picked the Endorphin Elite 2 as a race shoe: disappearing upper, great foam with lots of compression and rebound, but unstable especially when cornering; runs a bit short.

Instability for one tester. Bouncier and more compliant foam with strong performance grades. One tester found it not stable enough for runs past 12 miles, and the stiff toe guard and low toe box rubbed another tester's toes early on.