The Saucony Endorphin Trainer is a plated training shoe that replaces the Saucony Kinvara Pro, having a similar design to that shoe but with a midsole that features Saucony’s new Incredirun foam on the top and PWRRUN on the bottom. Tom, Kieran and Nick have been out for their first runs in the shoe, here’s their initial take on the Saucony Endorphin Trainer.
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
01:57 – How’s The Fit?
03:40 – First Run
12:19 – Early Verdict
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Hello welcome to run testers my name is Nick and this is our early review of the Sakon Endorphin [Music] Trainer so the Endorphin trainer is the Successor to the kvara pro it's been Moved between sakon silos and I think It's fair to say it fits a bit more Naturally into the Endorphin Silo as Opposed to the Karo which has always Been a pretty low stack low Tech shoe This is a high stack shoe with a lot of Tech going on in the midsole and I guess Is designed to be in the Endorphin range As a more cushioned version almost of The Endorphin speed 4 they can handle a Lot more daily mileage might suit a Different kind of Runner it's expensive Shoe it's $180 don't have the UK price Confirmed yet but the convir pro is £200 As well as being $180 so that might be The same as here it weighs in at 296 G Or 10.4 o that's in the UK 8.5 which is A US 9.5 it's got an 8 mm drop and a Stack heite of 42 mm at the heel 34 mm At the forefoot so with the design of The Endorphin trainer you've got an Engineered mesh uper quite a lot of Padding around the tongue and heel of The shoe pretty substantial internal Heel counter as well to add more Structure at the back there you got a Midsole that's made up of two different Foams with the convar pro the top layer
Was power run PB but you've now got s's New tpe foam in credy run on the top Which is the same foam we've got on the Endorphin Elite 2 that's a really soft And springy foam and in order to add Stability to a shoe that's designed for More mileage compared to something like The Endorphin Elite racing shoe You' got A big bottom layer of power run foam Which is Nia foam it's a lot firmer a Lot denser a lot more stable than the Acred Run stuff on the top and between Those Foams you've got a 3/4 length Carbon plate in the shoe and you've got S speedroll geometry as you'd expect Really from an endorphin shoe it's one Of the reasons this shoe fits more Naturally into the Endorphin range than The canara range I'd say that Eva bottom Layer also acts as most of the outs Soole on the bottom of the shoe there But you do have little bits of rubber on The key toe off and kind of heel Striking areas there to add yourability [Music] Okay so if this shoe has anything going For it it's fit for me uh it's a really Comfortable shoe I really like this uh Upper design it's quite comfortable Quite malleable quite flexible there's Loads of space in the for foot there's Loads of space towards the sides of the 4 foot uh and I found it very used to Get a nice lock down fit there's plenty
Of padding around it I quite like the Tongue that's quite um it's plenty it's It's cushioned enough but not too uh Chunky and I found it really easy to get A nice comfortable fit in this very much Enjoyed that first run based on the fit Of the shoe and I definitely say to my Size in the sock ending trainer first Things first these shoes super Comfortable I love sakon's uppers and The fit and the way that it's very easy Once you slip your foot into them they Tend more often than not to feel really Comfortable from the off like Disappearing fit good balance in the Heel collars of padding and plushness The tongues and the uppers leave plenty Of clearance across the top of the toes They fit my kind of wider feet really Well as well they're never really or Mainly never feel too snug get exactly That here with the socer Endorphin train It's a really easy unfussy shoe to put On and head out so comes to the fit of The shoe I've got a UK 8.5 here so I'm Usually either an 8.5 or a 9 in s shoes And with the Endorphin trainer an 8.5 Has fitted me perfectly well I've got Enough room in the toes maybe could have Gone for the size n had even more room But it's certainly spacious Enough For Me based on my two runs so far and a Good hold around the heand midfoot with Some of the more racy socking issues
Like the Endorphin Elite 2 for example I Did need a uk9 but with the Endorphin Trainer I was happy enough in the uk8.5 Which is the same size I've also got in The Sak dorphin speed 4 if that's any Reference so generally I'm in between Two sizes and I think either of those Sizes would have been fine in the Endorphin trainer I don't think it's a Shue with a troubling fit all around so Probably stick to your normal size is What I'd [Music] Say so when I got this shoe I wasn't Very excited the um the previous version Of it or the the earlier version that This takes learnings from which is the Um kimara Pro I did not like I did not Enjoy that shoe at all I found it to be Like a big block of uh quite hard rubber That didn't really do a lot for me it Felt like running in clogs uh I was Pretty honest about my feelings around That shoe and I used it for a a race I Used it for quite a lot of different Training sessions I did not really enjoy Any of them it just didn't work for me Didn't feel very comfortable and I Couldn't quite work out what saky was Trying to do with the convar pro also Didn't like the fact that they called it The kimaru pro um the first run I did I've done in this was a fem run fairly Easy ran it about 5 minute kilm which is
Pretty comfortable for me I did pick up The pace a little bit just to see how it Felt um um and there's probably two ways I can go with this review so the first One is I think is an improvement on the On the convar pro which it takes Learnings from uh I definitely noticed The difference with this incred run foam In there there's it's a bit softer than What experienced in the conar Pro you Can feel that on the run it's a bit more Comfortable um and as a result um it Wasn't a bad experience I enjoyed that Running it I I definitely felt like it Um was a bit more uh a bit more there's A bit more energy in it it felt a little Bit bouncier to me um I I I noticed that It it's not as firm as the previous Version so it did feel like there's a Little bit more to this shoe um and also I like the hill to toe transition in it It felt like I was moving along quite Nicely it felt like it was helping me a Bit go forward um so yeah so when Comparing it with the convar pro I think It is an improvement I think that incred Run phone does make a difference to the Ride now if I'm reviewing it as a Standalone shoe and uh comparing with Other shoes out on the market it's still Weird shoe it's it's definitely a shoe That I'm not quite sure what s is going For with this uh the only thing I can Think is that it's a shoe a training
Shoe designed for heavier Runners that Firmer midso in there I'm not getting The best out of that I don't really I Don't think I'm compressing it in any Way it still feels quite clunky it still Feels quite hard um and definitely isn't A shoe that I pick up for faster Training sessions because I just don't Seem to be getting the what's best out Of this shoe this power run foam Underneath the incred run is must be one Of the firmest Foams I've ever tried and It really does I'm definitely not Getting the best out of what this is Designed for I think if you maybe a Heavier Runner you might compress that a Bit more but it's a very hard phame to Compress and you can really feel that Out on the Run uh the addition of the Incred Run does make it a little bit More of an accessible shoe and I Definitely didn't mind running in it on On that run um so as a standalone shoe I Do think it's a strange one and I'm not Quite sure what it's designed for I I Think for the price it's going up Against some really really good shoes And if it's a trainer designed for Faster pce training for daily miles Where you may be up in the pace and Doing you know Tempo sessions interval Sessions things like that I don't think It's a particularly good option um but If you really liked the convar pro and
That worked for you then and you wanted A little bit more softness in a bit more Ury return you do get that with this Shoe so it is an improvement on the Previous version but as a standalone Shoe I'm not quite sure what it's going For um but having said that I didn't I Did not dislike it on that run I found It relatively enjoyable to run in um and And was pleasantly surprised with the Updates with that new foam that's been Added into it the outside of the shoe um There's not a lot of rubber on the Bottom of the shoe but that's because This power on foam is uh really thick And sturdy so it's I think S A Bas in The principle it doesn't need rubber Because this this foam is so hard and Probably quite durable uh but they have Stuck a couple of bits rub on the front And back for traction um didn't really Notice the difference on that um on the Run I did it was fairly wet was raining Um and it felt absolutely fine on the Wet roads that I was on but I didn't Really put it through any really tough Tests I wasn't shifting around corners Really quickly or anything but it seemed Fine on that run um but it's it's not Got a lot of grippy rubber on so this This exposed midsole this power on Midsole is not very grippy so I imagine That if you did take it on some pretty Tough conditions then you're probably
Going to notice that so I've done two Runs in the Sak endorphin trainer so far First was a very easy recovery Seven Mile day after session and I've also Done another mostly easy hour in the Shoe as well was not a big fan of the Canara pro I found it just bit heavy a Bit clunky a shoe that didn't really Have a lot of life to it and I have to Say so far I'm not that impressed with The indor trainer either it feels like a Pretty similar shoe all around despite The fact you've got the new incred run Foam in the midsole which is a foam I Really like on the Endorphin Elite 2 It's very soft and bouncy on that shoe And it really delivers a very Lively Ride very interesting and fun ride but With the Endorphin trainer you've just Got this big bottom layer of power Run Phone just dampens I think a lot of the Fun out of the incred Run layer you have In the midsole and it's very much the Predominant figing you get on the run is From the power run foam rather than the Incred Run foam I'd say I don't really Think you're getting enough of a layer There to really enjoy a nice sinking and Cushion feeling at the heel like it is Comfortable but you don't really get a Big squidgy feeling like you do on the Elite and you don't really get a big Responsive toe off either so so far I've Just been ticking along in it mostly
Easy paces and you know it does that Okay but it doesn't really have the most Fun or Lively ride even for those easy Runs and yeah I don't really think You're going to get a lot of respon Faster Paces either another thing I've Noticed after a couple of runs so far is That this is a loud shoe it is a it's a Stompy shoe it's a CL Sho you definitely Feel that and hear it on the run as well Like I was running around hide Park in This you know Turning Heads you know in The same way you do when you running Something like the alply but not Something you necessarily want in a Daily trainer so yeah certainly First Impressions would be that it's pretty Similar to the gar Pro which is just a Shoe that it doesn't really suit me as a Runner like I prefer lighter shoes I'm Going to go and do something and pick up The pace I don't really know what the Plate is doing in the shoe for me Because it's certainly stable enough Without the plate I'd say because of This big Power on layer and I don't Think it's adding a lot of like life for Propulsion or anything like that so if Anything just adds another layer of Firmness into the into the area it's Covering and again just reduces the the Fun feeling you might get from this in Credy Run phone so all round not so Impressed so far with the Endorphin
Trainer but I'll get out for some more Runs and see if it you know changes my Mind over the course of our full review So I'm just back from my first run in The sock endorphin trainer I did a 4 and A half mile I was going to mix up the Paces I took a bit on the road and then I hit the river path here by the temps When you get moving I never like to Judge a shoe from the very first run Totally because today I don't know it Was just me that was tired but the first Impressions here are that shoe it's a Little bit soft and a bit sluggish bit Slappy it's got a bit of nimbus going on Here you know it's got that kind of sort Of super sort of Soft kind of high cushioned feel to it Which today I just I felt like it was I'm I'm quite tired but I felt it Slightly draining I wanted something to Give me a little bit of extra energy Today even though for parts of this I Felt like this had to sort of turn into More of a recovery run I did try and Push the paces up but I wasn't really Getting back what I needed from it in Order to do that today I definitely Think that I will test that again though Might just be me being sluggish you know It's the replacement for the kinvara pro And it had all those Hallmarks with the Kar Pro which is that you're going for Kind of softness and cushioning and
Protection and cradling over any kind of Energy or bounce I wasn't getting that Today from the shoe if you do want that Kind of cradling softness the way that It sort of holds and cocoons the foot Underneath is really there I mean that's Really soft it's really comfortable it Is really cushioned and it does the edge Off the road you know you're not going To feel the road coming up through I Guess one of the things that I'm sort of Coming from shoes like the Brooks gin Max or shoes like that there are shoes Now where I feel like you get that Cushion and you get a little bit more Back as well and for me on this run I Just wasn't getting that so jury's Firmly out on it I think for a kind of Easy slow plotter it's got potential What I really want to know is whether or Not when you hit kind of cruising Paces Whether it can do a job as well my mind Immediately Springs to can I use this For Ultra as well on the road you know I Use the canar Pro when I did the Berlin Wall 100 mile the first time round for a Big section of that and it did a pretty Good job for a while this one I feel Like it's could do that same job as well One other thing that I noticed when I Went from the road to that kind of light Trail which is kind of almost like a Compacted kind of Stony path along the River was that there is a bit of wobble
In that softness of the mids sole as Well some of the stability wasn't quite There I I felt underfoot that there was A slight uncertainty from the big soft Stack not so much on the road when You're getting into kind of a surface Which is I guess more reliable in terms Of the surface the shoes also felt more Stable and more reliable more consistent In that kind of Landing through the Transitions into toe off uh yeah so but I did notice that when I went to those Slight [Music] Offroads so my early verdict on the Sorin trainer uh it's an improvement if You're comparing with the conar pro Which just takes learnings from um but It's not it's not a massive Improvement I I think it's softer I think it's more Comfortable I think if you like the Convar pro then it is an improvement on The convar pro I didn't like the kar Kar Pro and I didn't mind that running it so It's definitely a shoe that um is better Than its predecessor but I would say That it's still not the most amazing Shoe in the world if you were to compare This with shoes that are doing the same Sort of thing uh training shoes like the Super Blast 2 uh things like the Adidas Evo SL shoes that are designed to do a Bit more you can do daily training in Them but you can do your faster sessions
Your temp sessions all that sort of Thing I would not even look at this shoe As as an option for those because those Shoes are far superior to the shoe when It comes to faster training um so I'm Not entirely sure what this shoe is for Still I I had no idea what the canar pro Was for but this shoe I I didn't mind That run I think it was very comfortable So it be interesting one to test out Over the next few weeks I'm wondering if It's going to get a bit softer in that That um that midsole that power on Midsole uh the conar pro didn't it Retained its hard firmness um for Throughout the duration of my testing so Be interested to see how this feels over The next few runs I have a feeling that Um KNX a lot is going to change though Based on my experience of the previous Shoe so um yeah an improvement on the Previous version but not a shoe that I Would advise anyone to get based off the Off of that first run early verdict is That the Endorphin trainer still feels a Lot like the canar pro to me and for me That isn't the positive just because I Didn't really enjoy running in Kara Pro Much at any kind of pace and I still Feel this shoe lacks you know much life And fun under 1 even on easy runs well Can do those and then I don't know if It's going to be all that responsive and Fast for faster runs something we'll put
To the test for our full review just Think there's a lot of you know easyday Cruisers out there that have fun rides And they have lower prices than this Shoe as well like even saky has the Hurcan 24 which is you know a fair bit Heavier and wider and this probably will Have a bit more life in it for fast runs But I still don't really see it being an Exceptionally versatile shoe and just Feel like there's a lot going on still In the midf like there was with the Conar pro but the end result is just a Shoe that you probably just use for Ticking along at easy paces and with all This stuff in the mid you may be expect A little bit more for that especially if You are looking at you know $180 price Tag if it is also £200 in the UK If you Look at some of the equivalent like Big Max cushioned super trainers with playes That you lean more towards daily Training there's a stuff like the Sak Endorphin speed 4 and the hak X2 are Great fast super trainers they probably Lean more speed focused whereas this is More in the category I think with Something like the Brooks Hyperion Max 2 Or the mauno Neo Vista even the Nike Zoomly 6 the new balanced SC Trainer V3 Just all those shoes I think are more Fun more lively underf foot more Versatile they're lighter they Definitely have more you know about them
For faster runs but also you know Slightly more fun rides at easy Paces as Well with softer Foams and that kind of Thing and this just feels a bit in Between those and then full cushion Shoes and yeah I don't know if it's a Niche that necessarily needs filling and I just didn't get you know enough life Out them ins so even with this new foam In which I do think is a good phone but Like I say it's still early days only Done a couple of runs we'll do some more Testing and see if the Endorphin trainer Turns me around but for the moment it's Not one I'd be really going for in Sakon's range or if you want a big cushy You know trainer like this like the Muna Neov Vista is a lot more fun even Cheaper as well yeah so first Impressions there are things I like About this shoe I like the Comfort on The foot I like the way it disappears in Terms of the way the uppers feel the way You get the lock down the way the heels Hold all of that kind of stuff there's Nice plushness and sort of balance to it It it does that upper bit really well Underfoot I think it's got a perfectly Good soft cushioned ride what I'm Wondering or what I didn't find today Was maybe enough bounce and I think that Could be a limiter so my first Impressions are I'm a little bit worried That it's only going to have a couple of
Gears shoe and there are quite a lot of Shoes now that have more gears so that Is my first initial Instinct as I said Before that might be that I'm tired and I didn't have any gears today but yeah That's something I'm definitely going to Put to the test it goes into the mix With a lot of very competitive shoes That are doing something along these Lines with a big high stack lots of Cushion some of them I think give more Bounce that's my initial reaction or bit More energy so for me it's it's kind of Middling on that kind of First Impressions I'm not writing the shoe off Though I do want to do more I'm just Judging against some shoes I think might Just offer a bit more but we will see When we do the full review more miles Needed in the socon and orphin trainer To really test that out
