The Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 is the latest super shoe from Saucony that’s landing with a price that puts it up with the Nike Alphafly 3 as one of the most expensive racers.
Launching on March 2nd 2025, the new Elite sees Saucony make tweaks to the upper and outsole and most notably introduces its new IncrediRun foam to provide a feel to make it feel like different kind of super shoe.
Testers Nick, Mike and Kieran have been putting in the testing time to find what’s new about the Elite 2 and whether the changes make it one of the best carbon racing shoes of 2025.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:29 – Price and what’s new from Endorphin Elite?
01:26 – How do they fit?
05:19 – The Run Test
16:13 – Verdict
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Hey this is mik from the ran testers and This is the brand new sakon dorphin Elite 2 s's latest car plate super shoe Now myself Nick and Kieran have all been Putting the test in time in the new Elite where there are some pretty Significant changes from the first year We'll get into what those are exactly First then get into our running thoughts And let you know whether sorin Elite 2 Is a good upgrade from the elite one of The best carbon racing Super Shoes you Can buy in 2025 Okay so let's run you through those key Stats of the sakon and Dophin Elite 2 Let's start with price and it's £285 in The UK or $280 in the US so that's the Same launch price as the original Endorphin elit Weight Wise it comes in a Bit lighter with a men's UK size 8 Dropping on the scals at 206 G which is Down from 217 G in the same size it Sticks to an 8 mm drop and has the same Stack Heights as the elite at the heel And 4 foot it's got a knit and mesh Upper to provide that lightweight Breathable and racing style fit and Below that a midsole that Now features S's new TP based incred run foam to Offer big energy returns along with a New slotted carbon plate and S speedroll Rocker geometry to combine and create That fast propulsive feeling the outso Places rubber in similar places to the
Elite with more added at the medial heel Area of the shoe to add grip and boost Stability comes to fit of the Endorphin Leak 2 I made a mistake I went for half A size down in the shoe which is okay For me in some socony shoes including The Endorphin trainer and the Endorphin Speed but it's not the case with the Endorphin Elite 2 I think this has quite A dialed in fit it's quite narrow in the Toe box I should have stuck to my normal Size and I think I would have been Completely okay with that because I do Have a narrow foot but if you're someone Who has a wide foot or in general values A roomy toe box you're not getting it Here so much I think it does have the Potential to rub the outside of the Little toe in particular a little bit so Yeah I'd stick to your normal size but Be aware this is not the roomy is shuee And if you're someone with the wide foot Or has concerns about that kind of thing It might be a bit tricky otherwise the Fit's been fine for me around the heand Midfoot no real concerns I will stick to Your nor running shoe size that's what I Should have done but be aware it's not The roomiest toe box okay so let's kick Things off with fit and I would say There's some good and not so good for me In the Endorphin Elite to I think I'll Start with a good now I've got it in a UK size eight and that's the same size I
Had the elite in which generally had a Very good kind of experience with that Fit I think the changes here with the Elite 2 do make it nicer I like the fact That this more predominantly knitted Upper creat something that kind of locks You know things in place in the right Areas it's very comfortable has a nice Stretch to it also is very breathable Very well ventilated what you want from A racing shoe I think it really kind of Focus around what you're getting in you Know the front of this shoe I think it's Really down to me with these kind of Bits of kind of mesh that's kind of Harder material getting in the upper Particularly on the outside of the shoe And what I found is it really rubbed Against my little toe in pretty much Every run that I did and I really Noticed it on the first run be very wary About the socks I think you're going to Wear in this I wouldn't be wearing this Sock list because I think you're going To get very notable rubbing in those Kind of toe areas that's I think Elsewhere you know the lacing very good You know s hasn't messed around with That the all-in-one kind of builtin Tongue is very fine and it's got that Kind of fold down bit that you get on The Endorphin Pro 4 it's not a huge Amount of padding in the hill collar Very thin keep that weight down it's
Mainly focused on the back of the shoe Which I think you know works very nicely For me kind of kind of holds thing in Place but gives you that Comfort back There as well and I actually haven't had Any kind of irritation in those areas Where there is kind of minimal padding So I think going for the same size as The previous shoe has worked for me that Little issue in the toe though has Slightly you know been problematic for Me in pretty much all the runs that I've Done that's something to be aware of I Think on the Endorphin Elite 2o when it Comes to fit I ran in a US 9 and A2 UK 8 And A2 which is my regular size in Socony shoes on the whole I found the Fit was okay you get enough length in The toe box you get good clearance Across the top of the big toes I the Fact the toe box also has a bit of Structure to it that keeps the uppers Away from your toes it's quite rigid Actually so there's no black toenail W Here even over longer distances in the Shoes the integrated tongues I think Wrap and hold for really good Comfort Across the top of the foot sometimes I Worry about these booty uppers or I get Have a struggle kind of people with high End steps like mine sort of can struggle With booty fits but actually with these I had no problems at all it translates To really excellent lock down across the
Midfoot I got really good hold However I did find they came up a little Bit tight narrow and squished around the Little toe um that did loosen off Somewhat the more miles I logged in the Shoes it was only really a worry on my Longer runs but I'd recommend looking Closely at the size if you've got Particularly wide feet in terms of that Sort of toen knuckle area or you're a Fan of just having a bit more room for Your toes display I also sometimes worry About the security of these kind of less Structured minimal heel collors that you Get but the Endorphin Elite 2os heel Package holds securely without unwanted Movement or roll down I think swapping a Structured heel counter for this sort of Almost rubberized kind of it Springs Back kind of heel setup really works Actually and overall I think on sizing I'd recommend going true to size to get A good race Fit so into that run test now briefly my Time in the S endorphin Elite was okay I Mean it is definitely a far shoe Definitely definitely lived up to Super Shoe status and I think a lot of people Really like that shoe it was definitely Very aggressive definitely very wild and I think part of that kind of Aggressiveness did kind of slightly Contribute when I was testing it to some Injury issues that I had and maybe it
Was just a little bit too wild for me The Elite 2 is a very different shoe From the elite let's get that out of the Way first of all and I think if you were Hoping for an identical shoe that's Slightly tweaked I don't think that's Really what you're getting here and That's really down to well the upper has Changed but I think it's really about The change in the midsole that midsole That you know s is calling it's a credy Run kind of cushioning technology which Is considerably softer than the kind of Power run HG that we got in the elite Now what that has done is no it's still A far shoe and it's still a bounce is Shoe you know kind of this High rebound Just roll you through really nicely You've got that kind of speed roll Rocker in there as well so all the kind Of qualities of a fast soy shoe you just Noticed that it is very soft and I think What I found is when I've done it we run In very controlled kind of environments Very straight kind of you know I've got Straight kind of long kind of route to Run this shoe really works really nicely It's bouncy it's Lively it's fast and You know once your mechanics are really Working really well you really get the Best out of it you know when I used it In my first couple of sessions I think Had a kind of rep session on a treadmill Kind of rep session outdoors and I did a
Track session with it as well it felt Very good in those environments Definitely a loud shoe particularly when I use it on the track and kind of wetter Conditions but I did feel this was a Shoe that felt you know Lively you know Aggressive all the things I wanted and I Probably felt it was a little bit more Accommodating for that faster running Than the Endorphin leap for me in my Experience of the two shoes but I do Think that if you had slightly more you Know challenging kind of environments to Run in that softer nature of the midell Will create some instability it does Feel a little bit more unstable and you Know trying to stay controlled in the Shoe is going to be a little bit more Challenging I think if you had a kind of A marathon half marathon where the route Is very flat straight you know this Would be a great shoe to do or use for That type of run I I think the other Thing for me is the outsole the outsole You know it's not the best on a super Shoe I think not many things touch the Pum d8 Nitro Elite 3 from that point of View in this kind of category um there's Not a huge amount of rubber you know it Was fine for me but I do think in wet Conditions would it be a an outso that Really trust over other shoes possibly Not and probably I'd like to see a bit More in that department and maybe seeing
Some improvements there so I think the Endorphin Elite 2 absolutely it's a fast Shoe it's a bouncy shoe it's a lively Aggressive shoe I think in the right Environment it can be a very capable Super Shoe I think you know it's whether It has that same versatility of other Shoes I think you know is it a shoe that I want to ease off which you think it Would be compared to other kind of Super Shoes where it's got that softer more You know forgiving kind of midsole I Still think it's a shoe that you're Going to want to F fast in because of All the other qualities in that ride That you're getting and what's happening In that mid sole so I've definitely had Some good runs I've definitely had some Fun runs in the Endorphin Elite too it's Just whether it would be the shoe that I'd grab over other ones you know Particularly so competitive in this Space and this is you know not a cheap Super shoe I'll get into that and more In my verdict so I've run around 50k in The Sak endorphin Elite 2 including a Couple of big sessions in the final few Weeks of my prep for the cevil marathon The biggest of which was the one we Showed in our first run video where I Did a long track session I've also done A session running miles and then also a Run where I did you a mix of paste Including some quite easy stuff cuz I
Was interested to see how this shoe felt At easy Paces I have seen other reviews Talking about it as really friendly Accommodating shoe that does work for a Wide range of Paces for me it feels a Bit too wobbly so I wanted to try their Easy paces and see how it felt just Doing that as well I definitely think This is a shoe that performs well when You are running fast though it's got a Really fun energetic ride with that Really bizarre feeling foam Under Foot The incred Run foam here it's very soft You're sinking a lot but you get so much B back and response here that it never Feels like it's sapping your energy or Anything like that and you still got That rocker throwing you onto the front Of the shoe there now with the first Version of the Endor finally I found it A bit too harsh I think the foam is a Bit firmer that sharp Rock a me that as A hill Striker I'd snap through and I'd Get 4ot discomfort from the plate and The foam in general if I did anything Long actually even over a 10k race I Felt it and I certainly felt it in a Half marathon Race now you're not going To get that really with the Endorphin Elite 2 because it is a super soft shoe And for me the new foam you have here The incred Run foam is better than the Power run HD you had on the do of elite Because it is really soft it's really
Fun but it's also super springy and Responsive you're not going to get lost In that foam it's not going to start Sapping energy it does really bounce Back and I find that the feeling only Got better the faster I ran in it so in That first run I did in the shoe I did 10 times 1K and then 10 time 400 in the Track session running the K reps at 315 And the 400s at 75 seconds and felt nice Comfortable supportive that was a long Session on the track and you felt like I Had that protection and that Comfort Underfoot you get from these modern day Carbon plate shoes but also the pace was Always there and even as you're sinking Quite a long way you're always Rebounding back and I think it felt even Better on the 400s than it did on the K Reps just a really lightweight fun Bouncy feeling and then I did a mile Session as well just fairly relaxed Session starting with some quite easy Reps and working my way down to I think It was about 520m for the last couple of Reps and again just nice lot of Protection there comfortable in the kind Of cool down and warm up and the Sections in between the Reps and then You loads of pace it firms up a little Bit I'd say when you start running at PACE that springy softness is there but It does become a bit firmer and more Controlled which is what you want when
You are trying to run fast and then yeah Like I say it does feel quite good at Those easy Paces I did go for a little Pole around in it changing my Pace here And there it was quite fun to run it at Those Paces but there is stability Concerns with this shoe and I think That's was noticeable to me when I was Running on the road in particular on the Track wasn't so bad obviously it's very Controlled environment but taking Corners at speed is something that I Think is a little bit dicier in the shoe Than others cu the way the foam kind of Compresses down it compresses down in All manner of directions and then you do Get that nice targeted response from the Plate that drives you forward and makes It a fast shoe but if you're hitting a Corner hard and that kind of thing it is A slightly wobbly feeling shoe I think That's accentuated for me by the fact The grip hasn't been very good on this Shoe on the track or on the road it's Not a great outside I think and that Little feeling of insecurity you get There in terms of slipperiness really Then magnifies the slight wobbliness of The mid cell so in combination I think You don't get the most secure feeling Under foot which you some won't mind Because it's a wild racing shoe it's Really fun to run in but you know if You're really going focused on a go on
The road you don't want to have to worry About your shoe and I think that's one Thing I had throughout my run test with The Endor Le too I was just always a Little bit too aware of it is how i' put It like all these lots of these Super Shoes have very crazy feelings you know You really you know you notice them a Lot because they are quite unnatural but This I'd say takes it upper Notch and It's not always unnatural in the best Way it's something that you know you're A bit too concerned about at times and That is something I definitely noticed You over the course of my fast runs in The shoe in particular other thing I'd Say is that with a shoe this s you would Be concerned about losing a bit of that Energy return over the course of a long Or something like a marathon I'd say I've done one run over 20k and one run Just shy of it and I didn't feel like The shoe lost any of its bounce Throughout those so I don't think I'd Worry about that with this incred run For it really does feel like it delivers That same level of Bounce throughout Those long runs so if you aren't Concerned about the instability of the Shoe and that kind of thing and just Really love the feeling of it I think This can be a really great all distance Racing Sho now in testing I've run north Of 40 miles in the new sakon endorphin
Elite I'm currently training to attempt My fourth sub three hour marathon at the London Marathon sh don't say it too loud To anyone but I've put done some long Marathon training runs around 990 Minutes on feet in this shoe with Marathon pace segments built in there I've also done things like an allout 550 Minute mile in the shoe to really test That kind of upper Pace I've logged some Short slower runs as well most of my Miles have been on the road for reasons That I think will become clear this shoe Isn't a shoe that I would use even for Light off-road sometimes I'll do my Training on of river PS and stuff but I Wouldn't use this for that I have loved My time in this shoe though it's a Really fun shoe to go guns blazing it's Light incredibly soft hugely bouncy fun Energetic wild it's wonderfully untamed And kind of nothing like the first gen Sakon and dfin Elite I don't think some Runners found that first gen shoe too Harsh for long runs I wasn't one of them I did a 50k Ultra on my own in a tunnel In them and love the consistency that That shoe gave but if that was you if You found them a bit harsh you might Want to revisit the Endorphin Elite Because this is now probably the softest Carbon race shoe going and it gives it Somewhat unique feel but you're Definitely getting softness the mid salt
Is all about high compression and high Rebound which creates a sort of Slingshot ride that's big on energy but Definitely at the cost of certainty if You need lots of stability this probably Isn't the race shoe for you because it Is as I've said wild and a bit Untamed From the moment you lace them up you're Immediately wondering if you're going to Be able to control this shoe it's sort Of you feel it sort of soft and Squishy And a bit wobbly and when you're moving I think the key point about this shoe is You have to focus on your Landings you Got kind of careful consider foot Placement is the order of the day here That is less the case I think when You're running up mid to 4 foot and You're engaging the front section of Phone things are more reliable when You're moving like that you still get All the kind of Highly resilient sort of Bouncy energy from the ride but there's More control than when you land further Back in the shoes sort of towards the Heel where I think things can get a Little bit wobbly a bit more out of Control now while Landing further back I Also noticed there was a slight Disconnect for me between the heel and The forefoot there's almost sort of a Drop in the middle of the shoe between That front and the rear sort of doing Slightly different things I get that a
Little bit in the Adidas adios Pro 4 as Well doesn't make for the smoothest Transitions and I felt some slightly odd Suction when I was running that all out 550 mile it was a bit distracting it was Almost like that middle bit was being Sucked down and I could almost hear it I Also ran in some seriously wet Conditions and at times I didn't find The grip to be as reliable as I would Like uh for example if I went on Anything kind of shiny smooth or Slightly cobbled wetter pavement or I Went into tight Corners I didn't feel 100% secure I mean this isn't a shoe Really that Corners that well that Reliably because of that soft platform No matter what the weather however I'm Sort happy to suck that up because when You land right in this shoe it subs up I Think everything you want in terms of Repulsion energy and bounce this is a Shoe that wants you to give it full Beans on straight line runs with a good Surface underf foot and I think it's Kind of be most at home punching out Long straights at kind of top Pace During urban city marathons things like Chicago New York Berlin so I think the Sak endorphin Elite 2 is a great racing shoe it's an Upgrade on the first model it's Sak's Best racing shoe ever I would say I Think it really is at the same level as
Most of the best carbon plate racing Shoes out there it's one that you can Pull on and feel confident you're going To perform as well as you possibly can Your shoe is not going to hold you back I'd say personally it's not my favorite Racing shoe and this is just personal Preference here I think the little bit Of wobbliness there the super soft Bouncy feeling just isn't one I like as Much as some other Racing shoes I do Think this would really appeal to some Runners because of the way it feels like It is a little bit different I think to Everything else I've tried but I prefer A slightly firmer base a little bit more Of a responsive feeling shoe one that Kind of turns over with me rather than Having that high level of Bounce and one That disappears a little bit more on the Foot than this which like I say I was Hyper aware of throughout most of my Runs because it is such a an exaggerated Feeling so my favorite shoe is still the ASX meta speed Sky Paris I just pbd in The S Marathon wearing that shoe and That kind of has those features that I Mentioned there it's got a slightly Firmer feel a more responsive feel still Very comfortable even over Marathon Distance but even lighter than the shoe And just really helps me turn my feet Over and get a nice bit of pop off the Forefoot in a way that works better for
Me or I feel works better for me than This shoe Nike Al 3 is another shoe That's really really good I think you've Got some of the softness at the back of The shoe that you have on this the tuing The Endor and Elite but it's not as Exaggeratedly soft and you get driven a Bit more forward with the setup of the Ally 3 onto the aom pods I think you get A bit more pop off that for foot as well Also really big fan of the Hocus yellow X1 2.0 which again really bouncy shoe Not as crazy soft as this but a very Bouncy responsive shoe that again I feel A bit more controlled in and Direct in Whereas this yeah does feel a bit too Wild at times sometimes for me I do Think like I say this shoe matches those Shoes on performance it really will be a Case of what you like the most if you do Love a really unnaturally fast feeling Crazy soft springy shoe that's lots of Under running and this is is it it does Do that job and I think it's definitely Sck's best racer as I've mentioned the Elite one I think was a bit too harsh For me and the pro for just doesn't have The same level of propulsion you're Getting here and again is a bit firmer So it's a really good shoe it's a really Fast shoe it's a fun shoe to run him It's not quite to my taste but I do Think it's one that will appeal to lots Of Runners do think you have to be a bit
More careful in this shoe than some Other fast racing shoes even though all Of them are a bit wobbly at times but if You can get over that it's a really Superb shoe I find a shoe to run in just Be a little bit careful about the fit With that you know slightly tapered Front end you have there so my vote on The socony Endorphin elite team I've Already mentioned this to the other guys And I think it's been a long time since I've been so undecided about how I feel About a shoe like the S endorphin ellite To now part of me really loves this shoe I think you know obviously I did have Issues with parts of the fit but I think In general the changes are positive I Think I like the ride I think it's Enjoyable I think it's Lively I think I've got on more with this shoe running Faster than I have done with the Original Elite I think the other side of It is that as I said very much in my Experience in the right conditions this Can be a great shoe in the wrong Conditions it's going to be a bit more Challenging to run in I don't think it's Going to work for everyone I think that You know am I going to want that kind of Softer feeling midsole on a longer kind Of faster harder kind of race I'm not Entirely convinced right now so I Haven't raced in it yet and I will do But at right now I'm not you I'm kind of
On the fence about that I think you look At the price it is is expensive and There you know it's you know just off The Nike alphafly 3 in terms of pricing Now I've got the alphafly 3 haven't Raced in it or running it yet so you Know I can't cast judgment how compared To that just yet but I look at the other Shoes that sit below it and you know This category is becoming so much more Competitive you know we looked at things Like hello X12 which is slightly cheaper But I think you know I think it's going To work for a lot more people I think You got things like the Brooks hyperian Elite 4 PB if you're just testing and is A lot cheaper things like pum DV8 Nitro Elite 3 S endorphin Pro for think There's elements of that shoe here but You know it's probably going to be one That's going to be more accommodating For a lot more Runners and probably it's It doesn't feel as soft or super soft as This shoe so I think I like this socking Endorphin Elite too is it a you know a Better shoe than the original Elite I Think it's a different shoe I think People who like the elal typ of Something exactly the same that's not The case here so that might be a Disappointment I think you know it might Work for a lot more people but yeah that Softer foam definitely does change Things for Sak on the Endorphin Elite 2
Which might make it great for some People not so much for others verdict Then and this is a very capable fast Racy PR Chaser that really delivers when You're running fast concentrating on Good form working hard with good foot Placement when you're punching into the High rebound 4ot stack of that super Soft inced run with purpose I think Deliver everything that you need from a Propul Ive leg sparing carbon ratio I Would happily lace these up for a Marathon or half in the right conditions Dry straight is mainly those two Conditions that would be perfect for Them and they're definitely in my top Five allout carbon ratios but they come With a big warning some Runners I think Are going to struggle with how soft they Are the lack of stability that kind of Unique feel that you're going to get From this ride depending on how you Strike in the shoe I think they lack Reliability in The Landings and at time There's a bit of a disconnect between The forefoot and the heel that's not Always As Natural or smooth in the Transition as some of the other carbon Races that we've got mid to four foot Strikers might not notice that so much Heel strikes I think you're going to get It a bit more when you're moving fresh Moving well these shoes are definitely On your team when you get really tired
Though or you end up on an uneven Surface or a tight twisty course that Lack of control I think is going to Present problems for some Runners saky Has delivered a race day ride that's Pretty unique and like the first gen I Think that could divide opinion over the Endor and Elite to they won't be for Everyone that is one thing I'm certain Of now if you're looking for a more Natural controlled ride that has a bit More stiffness and snap to the spring I Think shoes that are interesting right Now the Brooks hyper and Elite 4 PB Enjoying that the asex Met Sky Paris is Still a really good shoe those are Probably better bets the Adidas adios Pro 4 has some of the Elite 2 softness And wild energy but I think it might be A touch more controlled as well those Shoes all of them I just lifted there Are significantly cheaper than the S and Dophin Elite 2 which still has quite an Off-putting price tag as well okay so They have it on multitest to take on the Socony IND dorphin Elite 2 now rest Assured we will have comparison videos On this shoe with things like endorphin Pro 4 and other carbon racing Super Shoes that we've been testing recently If there are any ones that you Desperately want to see first do let us Know in the comments as always like And Subscribe hit that little bell to find
Out about latest videos and yeah we'll See you for next one test this video He
