Saucony Endorphin Pro 2

• Posted on 14 June 2021
• By Running Lab Staff
• Posted in carbon, lightweight, neutral, Saucony
• 0

Looking for a quick, responsive racing shoe? Then look no further. Saucony's Endorphin Pro update rolls out even better than before.

What we have here is solely an upper-only update. Saucony made key changes to provide a more secure fit with a slightly stiffer heel counter and added midfoot lockdown straps through the laces. The cushion on the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 remains the same as the first version. While not a stability shoe, the carbon fiber plate adds the needed support for its bouncy foam. The carbon fiber plate (standard issue for super shoes) also makes for a responsive shoe for tempo runs, workouts, and races.

Geared towards racing, first and foremost, this shoe was engineered to go fast. Users might not feel the benefits from this type of shoe until they hit higher speeds or push off the toe to increase speed. Running Lab's owner Ken said slower miles felt "dead" in the shoe.

The Endorphin Pro 2 is akin to shoes like the RC Elite v2, ASICS Metaspeed Sky, and the Hoka Rocket X, walking the line between traditional and dynamic.

SUPPORT: Neutral
HEEL TO TOE OFFSET: 8mm (35.5mm/27.5mm)
WEIGHT: 6.3oz/179g women's,  7.5oz/213g men's
USE: Racing, tempo run, speed workout, everyday trainer
SURFACE: Road, track, urban

FIT

Ken: The Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 had no surprises in terms of fit. This shoe was an upper-only change from the first version so I am going to focus most of my time here. This shoe has a great fit and so did V1. They did find ways to make small improvements on the shortfalls of V1. The biggest difference I felt was in the heel fit. The heel collar wrapped around my heel much better than V1 did. V1 did not slip, but it did not feel secure. Endorphin Pro 2 feels secure and my heel sat down into the heel cup really well. This could be a result of the (slightly) stiffer heel counter or the added midfoot lockdown straps attached to the laces towards the top of my foot. All the other fit points on the upper did not feel any different than V1. The only thing I would say is maybe the mesh felt more substantial than the first version. I felt like the mesh would hold up more in the long run but it is tough to say without putting many miles on this shoe. I also never have any durability problems with uppers so I would not be a good feedback provider on this point. Overall the fit was improved for high-performance use and training.

The cushioning on the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 did not change from V1. The cushioning on this shoe is very responsive. The midsole material is a perfect blend of response and cushion. It seems Saucony has found a sweet spot here. Many super shoes tend to either be too soft or really firm. This blend of both worlds is how I feel this shoe has catapulted to one of the most popular super shoes out there.

Matt: The Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 was the most surprising review I have done yet. *SPOILER ALERT* In a GOOD way! I personally had my expectations set low for the second iteration of Saucony's top-end racer, as the original model just did not do it for me. It was slightly firm in ride for what is to be considered a "high stack" shoe and had a little bit of trouble keeping the heel held down given the shoe's rigidity. It was a more responsive race shoe and had trouble keeping up with the dynamic, any-skill-level feel of other super shoes in the same price bracket. It felt to me more like it required some high-speed running to really get out of it what it was meant for. Definitely not "new runner-friendly", and I dare say it's not as much of a marathon shoe as it is a half-marathon shoe; although marketed otherwise. It even was superseded in most ways by its little brother, the Saucony Endorphin Speed, which had a better fit and feel in all the aforementioned qualities than its pricier older bro. It seemed to me that they missed the mark on their top-of-the-line racing model. All that being said, Saucony listened to all the gripes and came out safe, but swinging with the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2. I already know for a fact people are going to sleep on this shoe because of the deceiving "lack of updates" to the model in its entirety. But after running in this shoe for the last week, I am happy to say I have a hard time not wearing it on any and all of my runs. The upper is not stretchy but not rigid, a nice happy medium. Some overlays here and there to help accommodate more stability. The heel was locked for me perfectly and I had no issues. This seemed to have a wider fit for a race shoe, and I really appreciated it considering everything else allowed me to feel snug in the shoe for those speed sessions but in a more caressing and less painful way. Now, I should have prefaced all this by saying I was sent my review pair in a size 11, a 1/2 size up from my usual. So, take the "roomy" with a grain of salt, but I'd comfortably say it runs true to size. I think the hold in general at a 1/2 size up was very impressive and I know my true-to-size would have been darn near perfection.

The midsole is where the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 blew my socks off, and then made me put 'em back on again for another run. Given the first iterations qualities, and what appeared to me to be an unchanged midsole, I did not expect to be wowed in the ride. But I was pleasantly surprised at how wrong I was, and it's always nice when you find yourself happy to be wrong. I mean, how often is that the case? At first glance, it seems to be the same exact midsole. It's even marketed as having the same exact midsole. But I am willing to go out on a limb, and beg to differ! Although it looks like a twin, the durometer of the foam is far more forgiving. I noticed IMMEDIATELY when I started running and felt like I was wearing the Endorphin Speed with a bit more pop off the toe. It's soft and bouncy; but not so soft and so bouncy that your hips feel it after 13+ miles. It has an extremely nice intermittent feel to it which lends to a smooth and protective ride that is pretty much set and forget.

As aforementioned, I was sent a 1/2 size up from my usual sizing, and although it felt great, I feel the lockdown would be pristine at my regular size. Definitely a true-to-size fit!

STABILITY

Ken: The carbon plate in this shoe offers the stability needed for these bouncier foams. The shoe felt stable underfoot. I would say the stability for this carbon racer is on par with Hyperion Elite 2 although that one is still the most stable out of any carbon racer I have tried.

Matt: Even a 1/2 size up, this shoe held my foot very well. I didn't feel like I was falling off the side of the shoe in the fabric by any stretch of the imagination, even when cornering. There was a LITTLE bit of loosey-goosey feel as a whole, but it was minimal and I blame that on the sizing discrepancy. The midsole, even with a softer durometer, hit's that sweet spot where you get that all-encompassing softness, without the mush or the "sea legs" feel. I joke that with some of these super shoe midsole foams I almost have to pop a Dramamine sticker behind the ear before a run. This midsole manages to maintain that dynamic feel that you KNOW you're wearing a super-shoe, without feeling like you have an alien on your foot.

SPEED

Ken: This shoe is geared towards racing first and foremost. You could also do almost everything else in this shoe: tempo, long run, speed workouts. The one thing I would not suggest is recovery or slow day mileage. You do not really feel the benefits from this type of shoe until you hit higher speeds or really pushing off the toe to increase speed. Slower miles kinda felt dead in this shoe for me.

Matt: I would recommend this shoe for anything ranging from a 10k to a full marathon. It can handle a 5k, but I would offer up something with more grab and go for that short of a race. Training-wise, it can obviously tackle the tempo runs of varying distances, but I dare say it can be used for any-paced long-distance running. Just an overall great feel for universal mileage.

COMPARISON

Ken: The shoe I most compare this to is the Endorphin Speed naturally. The E.Speed is more flexible though which is ideal for everyday training. The stiffness of the carbon plate in this shoe only felt amazing when I started picking up speed. I could see myself switching between those two shoes depending on the workout I was doing that day.

Matt: The Endorphin Pro 2 is a winner, and is comparable to a variety of super-shoes out there. It's not Vaporfly soft, but it holds its own against shoes like the RC Elite v2, ASICS Metaspeed Sky, and the Hoka Rocket X. I'd say it falls right on that fine line between traditional and dynamic, which makes for a fun ride that's solid everywhere, without being TOO fun with side effects. There can be diminishing returns with some of these foams, folks, whether that's durability, instability, or otherwise. This shoe won't be as exciting as bouncing around in the Nike Alphafly, but will also be more durable and consistent.

PREVIOUS VERSIONS

Ken: Not much of a change here. Since it is an upper-only change and a minimal one, be rest assured E.Pro 1 lovers that this shoe got some slight tweaks but is still the same shoe you loved in the 1st version.

Matt: Compared to the original, the only thing that wasn't upgraded on the Endorphin Pro 2 was the outsole. Still the same and still just above average. Nothing to write home about. If this shoe had a bit more bite from the outsole, it would cover a lot of bases, pun intended.

WHAT WE THINK

Ken: My first run in them was a group run where the pace was slightly slower, so my first experience was not positive. At slower speeds, the stiffness of the shoe really stands out and I did not love it. The next run I did in it I ran about a minute faster per mile than the group run and it was very different! The shoe provided more pop off the toe in my stride than it did on the first run. I have not run in them at race pace yet but I am sure the shoe only gets better the faster you go. This is a similar experience in my Vaporfly Next%.

This shoe is for a small to medium frame neutral runner looking for a carbon racing or training shoe that can handle more miles than advertised with most carbon shoes. The outsole takes wear really well for a shoe this light. It's a reliable shoe for most runners looking for a slight edge in their fast days.

Matt: Running in the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 just felt great, generally speaking. I was able to lace up, hit the road, and immediately find a nice, smooth and consistent ride. Like I said, set and forget. I did not expect to have any type of affinity for this particular model, and the shoe 100% derailed those expectations, for the better. I love any shoe that I can easily find that cruise control pace and zone out into my run, and this shoe does that in strides. Pun, again, very much intended.

I would have never said this about the initial Endorphin Pro model, but the Endorphin Pro 2 is very much a runner-friendly super shoe. I think anyone ranging across any running skill level would enjoy this shoe. If you want to do your first half marathon, this would be an awesome option. There are softer shoes out there for marathon distance running, but this durometer is comparable and I would wear it for marathon distance without too much worry or hesitation.

MEET YOUR REVIEWERS

Ken

38 year old
Wears men's size 9
I have 20 years of experience in the athletic shoe industry. I have worked for Dicks Sporting Goods in my early days, I was a sales rep for New Balance in the running specialty division, and have owned my run shop Running Lab for 10 years in Brighton, MI. I find myself enjoying mountain biking lately but have been running since I was 12. I have completed distances from 5k all the way to Ironman. I enjoy the challenge of helping customers find the perfect shoe for their particular stride or needs!

Matt

29 year old
Wears men's size 11
My name is Matt Leftwich, I’m 29 and I have been running since 2017. I have come to love it more and more every day, and although it started out as a hobby, it has grown to become a strong passion in my life. I run anywhere from 30-50 miles a week on average, all varying paces. I have a sub 6 minute 5k PR, and I have yet to run an official marathon, although the distance is not foreign to me. Running helps me to manage the general stresses and anxieties of the day, and adds a sense of structure to my schedule and overall being. Running takes the mundane away, and gives full control for as long as is manageable. It’s not always easy, but running favors courage and callouses pain amidst its own hurt. To have the ability to lace some shoes up, and go run 5 miles, or 10 miles, or 20 miles, is one of the most liberating and primal feelings available to us as humans. And that freedom is literally in our hands, on our feet, and right outside our doors.