If you want to know how the New Balance SC Trainer V3 compares to the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, you’re in the right place. In this video, Run Testers Kieran and Nick tease out the design differences, compare the performance and generally pitch the two super trainers against each other, to help you choose which shoe might suit you best. Plus we’ll reveal where we’d spend our money. Hit play for the New Balance SC Trainer V3 vs Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 head to head.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:28 – Details: Stack height, drop, weight & price
1:15 – Shoe Comparison: Endorphin Speed 4 vs SC Trainer V3
3:27 – Fit
6:14 – The Run Test
14:41 – Verdict
17:27 – Now watch this
Hi people welcome to the run test and if You want to know how the New Balance SC Trainer V3 compares to the S endorfin Speed 4 you're in the right place in This video we are going to tease out the Design differences we're going to Compare the performance and generally Pitch these two super trainers against Each other to help you choose which shoe Might suit you best but'll also reveal Where we'd spend our money if it was up To us so let's get into it in the New Balance SC Trainer V3 versus the sakon Endorphin speed head-to-head The fundamentals first then starting With the stack height and the sck Endorphin speed four packs 36 Ms in the Hill 28 in the 4 foot for an 8 mil drop The New Balance SC Trainer V3 has a Bigger wedge with 40 Ms in the heel and 34 Ms in the 4T for a lower 6 mil drop In a UK men's 9 the speed four tips the Scales at 255 G or 9 oz the SC Trainer V3 comes in at 9.9 o or 282 G on price The speed for RRP is £180 in the UK or $170 in the US the SC Trainer V3 lands An eyew watering 230 in the UK that's a whopping chunk Price here here but just 10 bucks more Expensive in the US at $180 let's give you a quick shoe Comparison starting with the midsoles The speed for midsole features what now Looks like a medium stack when you look
At shoes that have come along since it's Launched it uses power run PB pack foam In tandem with a winged nylon plate and S trademark speedroll rocket shaping the Nylon plate is there to add stability Rigidity and a bit of 4 foot flexibility It also sits slightly lower in the mids Soole so there's more foam directly Under foot the SC Trainer has a fuel Cell midsole reformulated Eva peber Blend that now carries 20% peber it's The same phone that you'll find in the New Balance Rebel V4 the new carbon play Is now Fork to reduce weight and Increase the flexibility for a more Natural feel underf foot there's also The New Balance energy Arc a trench down The middle of the mid sole that's Designed basically to allow the carbon Plate to flatten on Landings and give More spring back on toe off the New Balance SC Trainer has a wider 4 foot Platform but it's narrower in the heel Than the speed 4 up top the Endorphin Speed for has a zonal mesh upper with a Light Airy perforated design and plenty Of flex in the toebox the New Balance SC Trainer V3 has an engineered mesh upper With new balance's Phantom fit Technology that's the same kind of upper Fit technology that helps wrap it's the Same that you'll get on the New Balance SC Elite V4 the New Balance uppers Marginally thicker than the speed 4 the
Heel colors on both shoes are medium Padded there's more padding at the top Of the back of the heel in the SC Trainer and the internal heel counters Rise slightly higher up here than in you Get in the speed four now both tongues Are gusseted and medium padded the speed Force tongue is notably more flimsy it's A bit more knitted it doesn't wrap the Top of the foot quite as well as the SC Trainer V3 now if you flip them over They both have generous coverings of out Soole rub with large sections covering The whole for foot and sections in the Troublesome heel areas the New Balance SC Trainer V3 definitely has a thicker Protective layer but the grip on both is Good for the needs of a faster daily Shoe So let's have a quick word on fitting These two I'm going to come to it later But they're very nice and roomy good Disappearing fit overall really roomy Toe boxes let's have a look at the New Balance SC Trainer V3 first I've gone Half a size up in this shoe as Recommended by New Balance and I've got Plenty of length in the toe box maybe Border on even just a little bit too Much there's lots and lots of space and Room up top in this toe box here lots of Wiggle room the uppers Flex nicely There's no pinching on the toe Knuckles The uppers just hold securely there feel
Really nice against the foot I had to Fiddle a bit but once I do I did get Good luck down across the midfoot and That I had to work a bit to make sure I Got kind of secure heel hold here a bit Of flex in the heels and I did have some Slipping initially until I managed to Dial in that lacing really well the nice Padded tongue to take the lace pinch Away and overall half a size up I think I'm kind of happy with the shoe I think If I went half a size down it might be Too snug and it does make for a roomy Fit but I quite like that particularly In a shoe I think you're going to want To go and use for longer cruising Efforts overall if you like it a bit More D in and race fit maybe you want to Go in your regular Size when it comes to the speed 4 this Is a dreamy shoe I absolutely love the Fit of this the way that it it holds It's nice and secure great midfoot lock Down plenty roomy toe box not quite as Roomy as the SC Trainer V3 but there's Good length towards the end I find these Kind of heels hold really really nicely Just nice balance in the padding both The heel collars and the tongues find it Really easy just to get this shoe in Place and running right and I recommend Going true to size in the speed four It's a bit more race fit it's not fully Kind of Mac X2 Titan snug race fit but
It is a bit more locked in than the SC Trainer V3 but overall yeah maybe look If you want a bit more length go half Size up in the SC Trainer V3 speed 4 I Recommend going true to size so it comes To the fit of the Endorphin speed 4 and The SC Trainer V3 I've actually tried Two sizes of the so I've tried a uk9 and A UK .5 so the uk9 isly the same size as New Balance in the UK sizing and then The uk8.5 is a US 9.5 which is the same Size as New Balance in the US sizing so I think I'm going to go with that the US Sizing because it's a little bit more Consistent I would say across the board Than UK sizing can be and in that size Which is you know a normal size for me I Tend to be us 9.5 or a 10 but they fit Me very well I've got kind of a similar Amount of room in both shoes I'd say you Got a slightly wider toe box with the New Balance FC trainer V3 it's a Reasonably you know kind of lock dialed In fit around the toes I probably could Have looked at a us10 in both shoes cuz I am kind of in between those sizes but I was very happy in the 9.5 so I would Say generally stick with your normal Size overall I didn't have any problems With the heels on either shoe I had good Secure lock down in the midf and heel And I know the New Balance has been a Bit of a problem for some people but I Had no concerns at all same with the S
So overall I would say to stick to your Normal running shage maybe if you're in The UK have a look at us sizing cuz that Might be an easier way to compare with These Prints now in testing I've run many many Many miles in the sck Endorphin speed 4 And those of you who watch the channel Regularly will know that this is one of My favorite all time shoes all through The generations of the speed I've really Enjoyed them I've run hundreds of miles In it including marathons and longer I've run considerably less in the New Balance SC Trainer V3 not had it for as Long the longest I've run in this is 10 Miles done about two hours on feet but I've used both of these shoes across a Range of Paces from easy to all out most Of that has been on the road so that's How I've managed to compare them now if I'm summarizing each shoe quickly for me The speed 4 is one of the best do it all All around the running shoes going it Offers a lively cushion ride that feels Light and full of energy without any Harshness or fussy business it's a shoe That feels immediately natural on the Foot with all the reliable comfort of The ride 17 but I think a propulsive Ride that's more like the Endorphin Pro I think the speed 4 is a shoot you can Rock back and cruise in but it's also Built to perform when you kick up
Through the gears and really get those Paces going that's where the midsole The Rocker and that nylon plate really kick In and come to life for an energetic and Fun ride if someone told me I was only Allowed to buy one shoe to do all of my Training and Racing for for a marathon I Would happily make that the speed for at Least it would be high on my short list Now the New Balance SC Trainer V3 is a New one for me I had run in the first Two generations of this shoe and I think It's a very accomplished daily training With a decent level of cushioning that's Not too soft there's plenty of Controlled energy here for eating up Miles on longer runs there's lots of Versatility here too in this shoe and I Think it'd be a good weapon like the Speed for in anyone's marathon training Lineup now to really tease out the Differences between these two shoes I Also did a sidebyside mar where I had One sh on each foot for a mile and here Is what I found so I've just done a side By side mile I've got the sock endorphin Speed 4 on the left foot I've got the New Balance SC Trainer V3 on the right Foot there's a huge difference here in Terms of the way the ride feels both Them very roomy shoes on the foot Probably the new Balan SC Trainer V3 a Little bit roomier if you're going half A size up like I have that's not to say
That both these have ample room in the Toebox they're good shoes for long Hauling from that point of view nice Airy flexible uppers plenty of wiggle Room they feel comfortable good lock Down generally the speed 4 has a bit More Security in the heel I find than The SC Trainer V3 which I had to work Quite a lot to get it laced down right To get that good heel hole once I got The laces fixed in managed to keep that Nice and tight from then on in but it Did take a bit of fussing I think the Soccer endorphin speed four just feels Nice and natural on the foot both of Them good disappearing shoes though when You put them on they kind of vanish into The background and you can just get on With business now when it comes to the Ride underfoot the big difference here Is now the how Direct by comparison the Speed four feels that stack just you Feel the road a lot more coming through You're more connected it's more Responsive and more precise and more Controlled I think overall and you've Got a bit more bounce and a bit more Softness in the SE trainer V3 yeah I mean that that's the thing You've got a lot more cushioning in the SC Trainer V3 and the ride is more Bounce and energy from that foam whereas I think you've got more kind of respon And Rocker coming through from the speed
4 and it just feels a lot more direct it Just feels more minimal now by Comparison which it never did really we First put it on the speed 4 I didn't Think yes it was direct yes it was Responsive but you know I the difference Here in how much road it's coming out Through compared to the stack you've got In the SC Trainer V3 is really quite Pronounced um definitely a lot more so Than something like the SC Trainer V3 Versus the macx 2 that probably makes the trainer V3 a Shoe that you're more likely to enjoy For much longer cruising runs if you Like a bit more cushion in the shoe then You will do the speed for I personally Quite like the ground contact feel and That connection that you get the speed 4 And that control there's a good Stability to the speed 4 there's maybe a Little bit less so in the SC train and V3 it's not an unstable shoe because You've got that massive wide platform But I think the speed for just feels a Bit more reliable because you're Actually just feeling that ground coming Up through now if you're a bit more of a Heel strike or a heel Lander I think You're going to get more protection back Into the SE trainer V3 than you will do From the speed 4 as well if you're a Heavier Runner as well I think the SC Trainer V3 is probably going to protect
You a bit more particularly over those Longer Hall cruising miles the way that I probably split these shoes now is that I would pick up the speed four to go and Do much more of my kind of faster allout Speed sessions although it is a super Versatile shoe that can handle Everything that's the way I'd go with That in comparison to the SC Trainer V3 Which feels much better at those kind of Slower up to kind of mid a bit beyond Mid Pace runs it's a really good Cruiser It's probably not my favorite for going The really kind of lighter weight faster Stuff that you want to do hooka ma X2 or The speed 4 feel better for that Yeah speed 4 probably feels lighter it Feels like less sh on the foot so if you Like that more minimal bit more Traditional kind of feel then I think You're going to like the speed 4 if you Like it a bit more cushioned bit more Bouncy with a good bit of energy then I Think the SC Trainer V3 is probably Going to be the shoe for you onto the Run test and I've done a lot of running In both of these shoes over the course Of this year so far I've actually used Two different speed fors like I Mentioned I've done about 100K in total Across the two of them I've done about 110k in the New Balance SC Trainer V3 of Late using it for a lot of marathon Training speed 4 was a shoe we tested
And for me it delivers similar benefits As you've had from the Endorphin speed Line from the very first model you've Got think a slightly squishier heel on This shoe and maybe a slightly wider Design but overall for me it still Stands up as an incredibly Versa style Shoe that excels for fast training but You can use for lots of other stuff as Well main feeling you get from it it's Just a very Nimble lightweight feel and That rocker just always has really Worked for me The speedroll Rocker it Just really feels like it's helping me Flow through my running and whatever Speed I'm working at it just feels like A very natural shoe to run in and it Really has quite a lot of top end speed Like it doesn't feel the almost of wow On foot you not got a big sinking and Bounce and explosive bounce but it just Really helps me turn my feet over and I Find I can run you know at my race Paces In the shoe quite comfortably do think It's one that you could stand in for a Full race day shoe if you're not really Going for the all out for very expensive Carbon shoes the speed 4 I think is a Pretty impressive racer and a great Versatile trainer as well downside for Me it's it's a bit thin under the 4 foot So it hasn't got the stack height of Lots of shoes out there these days Especially under the 4 foot and I do
Start to feel a little bit of discomfort There over the course of long runs Sometimes especially harder long runs as A hill Striker of snaps through do put Quite a lot of force into that area of The shoe and sometimes it doesn't feel Quite as comfortable shoes that have Loads of foam under the forefoot one of Which would be the New Balance wasn't a Huge fan of the shoe out the gate I Would say felt a bit stiff and not that Impressive on my first run but it has Broken in it's got a bit softer a bit Bouncier and overall I really liked it Of late as a marathon training shoe in Particular it's definitely a shoe that I Feel really excels when it comes to Longer runs longer sessions it can you Know Hoover up a lot of that stuff in Marathon training and that's what I've Been using it for over the past couple Of weeks as part of my kind of Valencia Marathon build I've done a double Workout day doing both workouts in the Shoe I've done a longer workout doing Four times 4K reps and an easy to steady 15 Mile and all of those kind of faster Sections in those runs have been done at Not Flatout Paces like I might have got Towards my marathon pace but I've not Been doing really allout intervals in The shoe and I think that's where it's Best like those easy to steady Paces Those kind of maybe marathon pace
Sections for short stints of runs it Works of those really well it doesn't Feel as Nimble and fast as the speed 4 When you really are pushing it and going Very fast but it's very comfortable to Control a fast pace in this shoe and it Can also do easy runs very well as well So do think it's a really ver shoe for Those kind of longer distance Runners Focusing on lots of marage doing lots of Long runs with faster sections but not Necessarily going and you know smashing Out 10 times four at the track or Anything like that that's an area where I think the speed 4 has a bit of an edge Because I do think it can do all the Runs I've talked about doing in the SC Train of3 but but then does have a bit More top end speed do think you are Getting a bit more Comfort though in the SC Trainer V3 for long runs especially Under the 4f foot did do a short run Wearing bow shoes at the same time and The speed force certainly feels nimbler To me and lighter and when I'm running In the shoe it almost feels like I'm Kind of just skipping along the ground You know just touching it kissing it and Moving on it doesn't really feel like I'm having a huge amount of ground Contact or anything like that I don't Think it's changing my stride or Anything like that I'm sure I'm getting The same ground contact stats with both
Shoes but it really does feel like I'm Just moving very well and very light Footed in this shoe and it feels Narrower and nimbler and all around a Bit faster than the than the SC Trainer Which feels much more that you're Pushing into that foam then getting a Nice amount of bounce back you know it Feels really cruisy it feels like it's Helping it feels good but doesn't Necessarily feel flat out fast you know It feels more like a stable daily Trainer with a bit of edge to it for Those long runs like I say whereas the Speed for does feel a bit faster whilst Having the Comfort I think for daily Runs as Well these are both excellent Tempo Shoes good cruisers for longer faster Efforts if you live in the UK it's hard To shake the fact though the SC Trainer V3 is so damn pricey no matter what tech Is on board £230 is a lot of money for a Training shoe even a super trainer now I Get this premium foam carbon plate Tech In the shoe but actually Runner who can Race and train in the shoe canceling out The need for a pricey carbon shoe as Well I don't think you're going to get More run potential for your money than You will from the cheaper endorphin Speed 4 if the SC Trainer V3 came in at 180 pounds or 190 I think this would be A much closer call but based on what you
Can do in both shoes I think the speed For offers the better value if you're in The US that picture changes somewhat Because there's just a 10 Buck Difference between the prices of these Two shoe then I think the Cho always Comes down to whether you want a more Compact lower stack precise shoe with More ground feel that feels more Nimble Or if you want something that feels Bigger on the foot with a bit more cushy Feel a wider platform that's probably a Bit more protective when you're moving Slower for me I still choose the form of The speed 4 but I don't mind a more Direct shoe in my running even at my Slower efforts the only place where I Think I choose the SC Trainer first is Tackling a big road Ultra like the Comrades Marathon or something like that Comes to the verdict the Endorphin speed 4 is the better allrounder for me I I Think it can do all your easy stuff Really well but then has more of a top End range than the new Balan SC Trainer V3 that said I do think there'll be lots Of Runners to find the Endorphin speed 4 A bit too lightweight and lacking in Cushioning for easy runs or maybe find It a bit unstable I think with the SE Trainer V3 you are getting an uptick in Comfort stability in general just a bit More support from the shoe like you Really noticeable sidewalls of foam and
That kind of thing and that will make it A better choice for some people who do Find the speed for a little bit too Lightweight and Speedy I also have Enjoyed it more when it comes to those Long runs things like easy to steady Runs I think it you know is a really Good option for those I do like doing Those in the speed 4 though and like I Say I do think it has a bit more Edge And versatility in terms of top end Speed I'd be much happier to go to a Race in the Endorphin speed 4 than the SC Trainer V3 I think it's better for Fast sessions as well I will say though The SC Trainer V3 could be a good race Day model for people who don't want to Go to a full carbon shoe and want a nice Supportive and comfortable ride I think It does provide that but you know I do Think the speed 4 is the faster shoe and That's mostly what I'm focused on when It comes to racing speed for is also a Cheap issue by miles in the UK and then Even by a little bit in the us as well The UK price of the trainer V3 kind of Rules out of all these kind of verses in My mind CU it is so overpriced but it Will come down in sales so that's why We're talking a lot about performance as Well but the speed4 is a bit cheaper I Do think it's the better shoe so that's The one I'd go for so there you have it That's our head-to head between the new
Balan St trainer V3 and the so and Orphan speed 4 I hope you found it Useful drop us a like if you did if You're not subscribed to the channel We'd absolutely love it if you would do Us the honor of hitting that button and Then ringing the bell to find out when Other reviews come onto the channel if You want deeper dives into these two Shoes I'm going to put reviews of both Of those up on the channel now going get Stuck into those otherwise thank you Very much for stopping by and until next Time happy running people
