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The Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 takes learnings from its hugely popular predecessors by making a few modifications to improve the ride. The most important of those is a re-engineered wing nylon plate to provide additional reinforcement while maintaining flexibility.

There’s also an updated mesh upper design that aims to give a more secure fit than the slightly roomy Endorphin Soeed 3, and a new lattice outsole rubber to improve grip and durability.

The Mach X is a shoe that Hoka fans have been eagerly awaiting, designed to take learnings from the impressively versatile Mach range and combine that with a propulsive carbon plate.

That plate sits between two layers of foam, EVA to provide a supportive ride and a new PEBA section to improve responsiveness and rebound. That combination is built to feel soft for easy sessions but with plenty of pop for faster efforts.

Tom, Nick, and Kieran have been testing the shoes out to see which one reigns supreme.

Check out the monthly podcast for the latest kit news and updates:

JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00​​​​ – Intro
00:15 – Stats
00:39 – Design
01:43 – How’s The Fit?
04:26 – The Run Test
13:16 – Verdict

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Hey Tommy from the runers and welcome to Another running shoe versus in this Video we are going to be comparing the Sakon Endorphin speed 4 and the haker Mac X let's have a Look socon endorphin speed 4 cost £180 Or $170 it weighs 239 G or 8.4 Oz for Men in a size8 and the drop is 8 mm the Haw Mac X costs £60 or $80 it weighs 242 G or 8.5 o for men in a size 8 and the Drop is 5 Mm the so endorphin speed 4 takes Learnings from its hugely popular Predecessors by making a few Modifications to improve the ride the Most important of those is a Re-engineered wing nylon plate to Provide additional reinforcement while Maintaining flexibility there's also an Updated mesh upper design that aims to Give a more secure fit than a slightly Roomy endorphin Speed 3 and a ltis Outsole rubber to improve grip and Durability the shoe still uses the Brand's power on PB phone to ensure a High level of propulsion when picking up The pace combining that with a smooth Ride thanks to the impressive speedroll Technology the Mac X is a shoe that Hawker fans have been eagerly awaiting Designed to take learnings from The Impressively Versatile Mac range and Combine that with propulsive carbon Plate that plate sits between two layers

Of foam Eva to provide a supportive ride And a new peber section to improve Responsiveness and rebound that Combination is built to feel soft for Easy sessions but with plenty of pop for Faster efforts other features include a Creel jackard upper for breathability And comfort a gusseted tongue and a Generous layer of outso rubber for grip And Durability comes the fit of the two Shoes I was happy using my normal size I'm a uk9 with s it's a us10 with the Hoker it's a US 9.5 General hookus have A slight tighter fit as a result because Of the way the US and UK sizes uh scale Across but they're also quite narrow Shoes in general that usually suits me I Have a narrow foot and I do like the fit Of the macx all around it was Comfortable around heel and midfoot and I had enough room in the toe box but it Is fairly narrow shoe might be something To look out for if you have a wide foot S is a slightly wider fit which actually Was a problem for me with the Endorphin Speed 3 which is a bit too wide item Heel slippage I haven't had those Problems with the Endorphin speed 4 Though so I was completely happy in my Normal running shoe size with it and I'd Say in general that's what I'd go for But I would look out for the narrowness Of the hok max if you have a wide foot

So when it comes to fit I ran in my Regular running shoe size in both these Shoes which is a UK 8 A2 that's what I Go for in Hocus that is what I would Normally go for in SES and overall I Would say go true to size in these shoes The big difference here I think on fit They both have sort of good dialed in Good control across the midfoot I think The heels hold well on both of these Shoes I have no trouble with any kind of Weird movement I get good lock down all That kind of stuff the one thing I will Say when you've got both shoes on side By side you really feel the difference Is that the hokers like hus do they come Up a little bit snug they're a little Bit tighter particularly where that sort Of big toe knuckles sits and into that Kind of toe box area that is a bit Narrow if you've got wide feet or you Like things a little bit roomy you might Want to go half a size up there the Hocus definitely offer a more snug fit Than the Endorphin Pro the Endorphin Pro Have a little bit more room across the Top of the toebox there's definitely More wiggle room the upper Flex a bit More there's a little bit more Lengthwise as well so overall the room You fit is in the soc endorphin speed For the hak X have that sort of slightly More dialed in race fit and if you don't Like it too snug and too narrow you

Certainly might want to consider looking At going half a size up in those shoes So fit for me in these two shoes I'm a Size eight in the UK these are both size Eight the S endorphin speed uh I've had No issues with at all it's a little bit Less roomy when than the S endorphin Speed 3 which a lot of people had a Problem with because it had quite a Roomy upper and people found it hard to Get a lock down fit in um I didn't Really have a problem with that shoe I've got very average size feet um but Equally I've had no issues with this Either the size my size in this has been Absolutely fine and it's been very Comfortable uh to wear the Hawker Mac x Uh I um haven't had any issues in it Before I know that it is a little bit Narrower than um some people like um It's fine for my feet I've had no issues With this shoe it's been very Comfortable but I I can tell it's a more Narrow shoe than the socc Dophin speed 4 So just take that in consideration if You're looking to buy the shoe and You've got wide Feet so I've just done my side by by Side mile speed for on the left foot I've got the Hoka macx on the right foot First thing to say it's been a while Since I've running the macx with any Kind of intent and I've forgotten how Much I really like the shoe it's I find

It really Lively it's energetic it's got That good combination of the I like Which is sort of a nice Rocket Ride but With a midso that doesn't sink too much It comes back really quite quickly There's an immediacy and a kind of high Turnover clip to the hoker macx which I Find this kind of plenty of spring in There there's plenty of energy from it And actually conversely when you put it Up against the speed 4 what you Noti is The speed 4 actually has a slightly Softer slightly more cushioned platform It's feels a bit wider the one thing you Really feel is that hoker kind of rocker In and the way that midsole it almost Creates like a anyone can sort of think About it's like a bowl of foam underfoot So when you land in the hill you get Rolled right through on the Rock and you Can feel the foam engage really quickly As it rolls you through the speed for Land a little bit flatter with a little Bit more cushion they are light and Energetic and what you get back is a Little bit more bounce you I think you Know the foam comes back when they kind Of plate kicks in and then off you go so Overall I think the speed for is going To offer you a little bit more cushion Protection for those kind of longer Slower runs the hooker macx they feel a Little bit more direct they feel a bit More immediate as a result and yeah I

Think you going to have to be running Quite well in those shoes to really Enjoy that over longer distances I Certainly think these are both kind of Good capable fast Punchy shoes that are Good for those sort of speedio workouts If I was choosing to go slightly slower I would go speed four and if you're Looking for a versatile shoe that can Cope across the distances my suggestion Probably would be that the speed for is Going to handle that a bit better at the Top Paces I think the real difference Here is whether or not you like that Sort of more immediate Rocket Ride With A Sort slightly more direct or yes foam Not kind of sinking so much coming back Quicker you got to go macx if you want Something that is a bit wider a bit more Stable bit more cushioned maybe a wider More reliable platform to run off and Than I think the speed 4 is going to be It but overall I think these shoes are Both really Lively really Punchy and I Think for those sort of top end workouts That you might be doing you know Marathon pace intervals faster than Marathon pace intervals I think both These shoes can do a really good job for A half marathon Race perhaps I would go Mac X I think they might give you a Little bit more kind of life but yeah I Will sum up which one of of these I Would actually go for in the verdict in

A second so these two shoes are part of Uh the world of super trainers or plated Trainers that have um are designed for Doing daily training in but also to be To run a bit faster in as well um and The speed Series has been one of the Most popular ones that we've ever tested Um when it comes to Super trainers it is Cons continued to be a really really Solid allrounder training shoe that you Can do pretty much everything in uh it Skews more towards the speed side of Things but you can use it for easier Runs you can use it for daily runs some People racing it I know a lot of people That buy this shoe as their one shoe and They don't have any other shoes they Just maybe a new Runner or maybe just Don't want to have loads of shoes and They tend to buy the soin speed uh early Versions of it uh for everything and They'll they'll train in for a marathon With it and they'll they'll eventually Do the marathon in it and that's a Fantastic uh example of what this shoe Can do it really can take off a lot of Things um it really allows you to pick Up the pace nicely it's got a lovely Fluid motion it's quite poppy um and and It's just a really solid shoe but even Even those easier Paces it still feels Very comfortable it doesn't feel like It's forcing you to go fast um so it's a Fantastic allr a daily shoe um and still

One of the top ones that you can buy at The moment the HW ma X is an interesting One because um H Mac Series so the HW Mac 4 five and six which have not tested Yet um was has been one of our favorite Allrounder shoes daily shoes for Versatility running faster in uh and Even competes with the plated so Dophin Speed uh the three um and possibly the Four um so we were very excited when the Haw and Max X was released because we Thought that's going to take the a Fantastic Haw and Max series and really Propel it into being a fantastic super Trainer um in fact it didn't really do That uh the shoe is more it it doesn't Really gain a lot from having that plate In it um over the um existing uh Haw and Max series um and when it first came out I really wasn't that big a fan of it I I Think I was hoping for a lot more from This shoe than what I actually got over Time I've warmed to it and I've started To realize the uses for it and it Normally comes into play when I'm doing Marathon training so I wouldn't use this Shoe for easy runs because it I don't Feel it's that beneficial for easy runs Um and when you're running really fast In it it just doesn't seem to have the Versatility and the speed of the speed For um but what I tend to use it for now Is I have a lot of sessions which are Running at a fairly consistent steady

Pace it's not my easy Pace I'm not Racing um but because I'm marathon Training I'm running at consistently Challenging Pace but I'm not really Going too hard and that's I think where This shoe comes in because it's quite a Nice Cruiser it feels quite efficient it Feels quite fluid when you're running in It but you can't really do a lot else in It so I wouldn't say it's the most Versatile shoe in the world but it does Do quite well at those consistent Cruising Paces um especially when you're Sort of doing marathon training runs Where you're not going all out but Equally you're not going root easy or Really slow as well so they on paper They do look quite similar but in Reality they have different uses and I Think it really comes down to that Versatility because the uh speed 4 is Just fantastically versatile shoe one of Those versatile shoes we've ever tested Aaxx isn't really a verstile shoe and it Doesn't really gain a lot from having That plate in it so um it's not if You're looking for a plated super Trainer um there's not really many Reasons why you'd get the HW Max whereas The so doin speed 4 still maintains its Place as a really really good versatile Super trainer um last thing I'll say on These is the outsole on these the i' Definitely prefer the outsole on the S

Doin speed 4 it's got this new waffle Ltis designer I think that's what it's Called Uh solid great really good at Gripping wet surfaces um not had any Issues with it at all H Mac X it's okay Uh it's not as good as the outsole on The so doin speed 4 I haven't slipped in It or anything but I do feel that it's Just a little bit smoother and not as Grippy as on the sock Dophin speed four So I've done a lot of running in both These shoes I think they're both pretty Impressive super trainers all around I Think you get a slightly different feel From them though they are while they are Both very versatile shoes and very Comfortable and useful for easy runs and Recovery runs as well as having that pop For Speed work that you expect from a Plated training shoe like this I think They sit at slightly different ends of The scale when it comes to Super Trainers speed for I think is a very ver Shoe and a very quick shoe like it Really is good for fast hard efforts I Find whether that's holding a good speed For extended periods on long Tempo runs Or something like that or going for all Out reps it has quite a nice grounded Feel like even though it is a pretty High stack shoe you do get a good feel From the ground from it it rolls you Through your foot strike really nicely With the speedroll rocker and you get a

Pretty good amount of Pop from the nylon Plate and the power run PB foam I think The macx is more skewed towards the easy End of things is a very comfortable and Stable shoe for cruising around in at Relaxed Paces you do then get a little Bit of Pop from the uh from the peo on The top layer there and the plate in the Shoe but it's not that much I think it's Got a slightly duller feeling under it I Think than and the speed it's another Quite well rocked shoe but again I think The rocker is a bit faster a bit more Aggressive with the speed so with the Hoker I really enjoyed it most for kind Of Fairly relaxed runs and you know it's Good for long runs it can do some Slightly faster stuff like pushing up Towards kind of steady Pace Tempo Pace Maybe even marathon pace but really I Found it a bit big and not that kind of Lively and aggressive when I didn't Wanted to do the faster stuff whereas I Think the speed has that greater range When it comes to the faster end of Things when I tried on both shoes at the Same time for a short run I felt that Very clearly really I think the speed Just feels more Nimble and aggressive It's feels like a much lighter shoe and Actually difference in weight isn't huge But the speed feels like a night lighter More Nimble more aggressive shoe and has A faster transition onto the 4 foot hook

Just feels a little bit more ponderous To me and it might just be down to it Being a slightly denser material under The foot and maybe if you putting a bit More Force into it if slightly heavier Running you might get a bit more life Out of it but I didn't really feel like I was engaging the plate and the Foams In the shoe as well as with the speed Even when I was running quick in the Hooker it felt fine and I moved through Okay in it but didn't really have that Lively feel like spec from a super TR I'm going to use it for fast runs really Like I say it Excel for me at more Relaxed paces and long runs speed can do Those runs though and I think that's the Difference between them I think the Speed's got that wider range because it Is comfortable and relaxed at easy Paces But then it has that more aggressive Feel that lighter faster feeling when You are going to up the Pace okay my vs on these two shoes Pretty easy really uh I'm going to go For S dophins be for all of the time uh Just because if you're going to buy one Of these shoes you're buying it for that Versatility you're buying it for uh Having allr the quality of doing lots of Different things and ultimately because Of that you're actually saving yourself Money because you you don't need to buy Loads of different shoes you can do it

All in the socer Endorphin speed 4 a lot Of people will probably buy lots of Other shoes as well as the speed 4 but You don't have to uh if you just want to Get one pair of shoes and you might be Racting it and things as well the macx Doesn't have that versatility if you buy This shoe you're probably not going to Be doing easy runs in it you're probably Not going to be racing in it um so it It's a bit of a nce shoe or a bit of a General shoe which doesn't really um Succeed in any real real area for me It's just all right uh which is not what You want if you're buying a plated super Trainer you want something that really Does something and delivers those Efficiency gains um and gives you a bit More versatility so I'd definitely go For Sor in speed 4 uh if I was if I was Picking between these two shoes even if It was a bit more expensive other Options out there I'd say the New Balance Rebel V4 is a really good option It's not plated but it's very versatile Very light feeling very comfortable to Run in good at easy runs good at faster Runs uh and well worth looking at if You're looking for sort of an allrounder And maybe don't want to plate in it also You got the HW Max series I haven't Tested the Haw Max 6 I should be getting That soon but the four and five massive Fan of um and actually prefer to the HW

Ma X when it comes to versatility and Training especially if you're doing Faster sessions but you want something You can still run at a nice comfortable Pace at so picking between these two Shoes for me the speed is the winner I Think it's the more versatile the more Impressive super trainer around it's the One in stick in my rotation as a general Trainer that you can use for pretty much Everything and maybe just rounded out With slightly faster carbon shoes for Races and key sessions and maybe a even More cushion slightly more relaxed shoe For some easy runs think the hoker is a Nice shoe it fills the same role in the Rotation is a do or daily trainer but It's not one that I feel really Impressed in the same way the speed does Especially when it comes to faster runs I think the macx is a great shoe for Just cruising around daily training runs But I don't know it doesn't feel like You're getting enough from it to really Make it worth the outlay to do that Because I think there's loads of shoes That are great for cruising around at Relaxed Paces on daily runs and when You've got all that super trainer Tech In it you want it to then also be Explosive and impressive at fast paces And I don't think the macx really is Certainly not the extent of the speed Anyway I think the speed is very

Expensive but it's worth the outlay Because it can do all the things you Expect from a super trainer it is a very Versatile shoe great shoe to use for any Kind of run really whereas the macx just Feels like it lacks that top end speed For me like it's a big shoe maybe that's Part of it and I think maybe the way the Hoker are planning to adjust the shoe With the second version maybe stick a Bit more of the PE foam in there line up A little bit give it a slightly more Punchy feel when it comes to the fast End of things it's a nice shoe to use For cruising around but I just don't Think it delivers at the sharp end of Things and when you're spending a lot of Money on a super train of load of tech I Think you need that to make it worth the Outlay and that's what the speed does so I'd be picking the sck and the Endorphin Speed myself verdict then and if you've Watching the channel for anytime at all You'll know that I'm a massive fan of The S endorphin speed was of the three Absolutely love the four as well I think It's just a really Good well I just think it's a wonderful Versatile daily training shoe that can Cope with pretty much anything you throw At and I wasn't really quite expecting The macx to give it that much Competition in my affections but having Just done that side by side and have

Looked at kind of how the macx performs Overall it's a much closer call than I Really thought it would be I think these Are both really very good capable fast Daily trainers they're both excellent Shoes I've enjoyed running them both I Was a big fan of the macx as well if it Comes down to which shoe I think I would Choose overall for me I just think the Sakon Endorphin speed 4 probably edges It overall on versatility does that make It kind of worthwhile for the extra Money you're going to pay for it oh I Think probably if you're looking for Something that's going to give you a bit More cushion protection they can do a Little bit the slower paac is better With a bit more room bit more overall Foot Comfort maybe the speed 4 is going To be the shoe I think that's the one to Go for if that's your kind of ride Profile if you like things kind of sort Of quite aggressively rocked with a Lower drop you want a more immediate Ride that feels kind of good that kind Of clip fast kind of responsive ride Then maybe the macx is going to be your Shoe but be aware that it is going to be More dialed in it's going to be snugger Unless you go half a size up I think if I was going to go and run more than sort Of two hours on feet which sh would Protect me the most and give me the most Energy that kind of perfect combination

Of balance cushion but propulsion and Protection I think the speed four is Going to do it if I was going to go and Race a half marathon you know what I Think maybe I would go for the Mac X in This shoe it might even just be livel And with more clip along but it probably Wouldn't protect me beyond that so I Think it's a really difficult one to Choose here actually I think these two Shoes both have really strong merits I Think the choice is going to come down To whether or not you like slightly more Cushioned and protective with a s of Slightly lower stack or you want that Kind of big Rocket Ride that's more Responsive if you want the cushion Protection and the speed as well go for The speed 4 if you really like that kind Of f rocket responsive ride feels a Little bit more direct even though it's Got a bigger stack then I would go for The Mac X put a gun to my head and say Which shoe are you going to run the rest Of your life in K and out of these two Shoes it's going to be the speed four I Think it just has more in its Locker It's got more range I think it's overall A bit more comfortable more natural Feeling on the foot yeah so for me it Would be the speed for but I honestly Don't think you can go far wrong with Either of these two shoes that's it from Us on these two shoes thanks a lot for

Watching don't forget to like subscribe Click that little Bell and if you go Into catch and blow you can find a link To our podcast which comes out at the End of each month thanks lot for Watching catch you next Time