CARBON-PLATE SPEEDSTER

SAUCONY’S FIRST-EVER carbon-plated shoe is here, joining the competitive list of new speedsters companies have been developing to compete with Nike’s Vaporfly line. Each shoe company’s carbon-plated racers are looking to achieve the same thing – go as fast as possible in road races – but each get there a slightly different way. Three key features differentiate Saucony’s take on the carbon-plated shoe: the S-shaped plate (to complement what they call SpeedRoll Geometry), the shoe’s durability, and its price point.

The upper

The Endorphin Pro’s upper is inspired by Saucony’s track spikes. It sits really close to the foot, has no seams and is made of an extremely light engineered mesh. This provides a really comfortable fit, with no chafing or burning anywhere. This shoe also fits true to size. I ordered my typical size and had to shimmy my foot in a bit, but once I was in it was perfect (though I would recommend wearing thin socks).

The midsole

The carbon-plated shoe uses SpeedRoll Geometry to deliver a significant “pop” at toeoff to help the runner move quickly through their stride. The shoe’s midsole is made of the ultralight PWRRUN PB cushioning that’s 40 per cent lighter than Saucony’s PWRRUN+ (which is used in the Triumph). The S-shaped carbon plate runs the full length of the shoe and gives the rigidity it needs to perform.

I found the midsole gave the spring-back it promised, and also felt firmer, more durable and more stable than other carbon-plated shoes. After 100 km of wear, this shoe is still performing like it did in kilometre one. That kind of durability isn’t consistently available in this category of shoe. The rocker really feels comfortable and fluid – you certainly feel propelled forward on toe-off (thanks to SpeedRoll), making it easy for tired legs to turn over.

This shoe also feels better the quicker you’re moving, to a certain point. The Endorphin Pro isn’t designed for an easy cruise, so save this shoe for a tempo workout, hard long run or race. You want to wear it when you’re ready to run fast.

The outsole

The shoe’s outsole is minimal, but highly effective. It performed well on both wet and dry roads, and impressively well on gravel and dirt paths.

Overall thoughts

This is a very, very good shoe–one that I’ve really enjoyed running in. It ticks all of my boxes for hard workouts on the road: it’s got a firm feel and a smooth transition and it’s very durable. The price point is also a draw, as the Endorphin Pro delivers a similar performance at a slightly lower cost than several of its competitors. A consideration for racers: don’t worry about the shoe’s

durability, you can take it out for a few training runs before your race to make sure you like the fit. This is another vote for choosing the Endorphin Pro as your goal race shoe.

With triathlon racing on hold right now, many triathletes might be looking to individual running races this fall. If you’re looking to run a personal best in one of those efforts, or even if you’re just looking for a top-of-the-line training shoe, consider trying the Endorphin Pro.

Madeleine Kelly won the 800m at the Canadian National Track and Field Championships in 2019. She is an editor at Canadian Running magazine.