Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 Review

In our comprehensive review of the best men's running shoes, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 receives our highest honor for its excellent cushioning and responsiveness. We often feel that trade-offs must be often be made with cushioning and responsiveness, but not with this model. The PWRRUN PB foam compresses under load but then still feels quick and agile when toeing off. This motion feels natural due to the Speedroll technology, which Saucony claims helps propel you forward. We agree.

With a modest 8-millimeter heel-to-toe drop, this well-rounded shoe is great for long training days and it can easily transition to tempo or race efforts. The overall lightweight package and comfortable performance fit upper are more reasons why this shoes makes our top spot. This model does lack some support and stability compared to some other models, so you may want to look elsewhere if those attributes are high on your priority list.

Performance Comparison

Cushioning and Landing Comfort

We have great things to say about the cushioning and landing comfort of the Endorphin Speed. Each landing is comfortable, supple, and compliant without feeling too soft or loose. Each footstrike has gentle compression that feels solid and precise and never felt overly squishy or like we were bottoming out.

This shoe was a favorite of ours during our long runs, where the foam seemed to absorb and reflect much of the our footstrike energy and left us feeling fresher and less fatigued much longer into the day. The PWRRUN PB foam is a favorite of ours and has less of a soft, sinking feeling in this shoe compared to other competitors. We appreciate the firmness achieved once the foam compresses; as this helped rebound us into a more powerful stride moving forward.

Responsiveness

Each comfortable compression of the PWRRUN foam returns a lively amount of energy that helps propel you forward. The use of a nylon plate delivers substantial power transfer from the ground, which makes aggressive running feel extremely satisfying. We had some of our best and fastest runs while wearing this contender, and if we were racing, we would not hesitate to use this model for any distance.

A subtle heel-to-toe rocker helps get you on your forefoot for maximum energy transfer, and while not as pronounced as some of the other models we tested, we found this to be the most refined and least cumbersome design. On our first run, we noticed that it felt like the ends of our toes dropped off the front of the insole when toeing off, but we experienced no rubbing sensation, meaning the shoe was sized correctly. We believe this is due to a steeper toe-off angle. At first, this took some getting used to, but we found that it did a great job of letting our toes drop that last little bit to initiate a powerful toe-off. This became one of our favorite features out of all we tested, and it allowed for a great rocker without the need for overbuilt outsole designs.

We did not expect a shoe with such excellent cushioning to also be the model we would also choose for our tempo or race efforts. Getting into a rhythm makes each stride feel powerful even when the fatigue slowly starts to set in.

Upper Comfort

A thin, lightweight upper almost mimics what is found on the lightweight Saucony Kinvara 13, a model that we also love. The upper material is thin, breathable, and has a slotted fabric design that dumps heat and allows for fast drying. The tongue is also a thin piece of fabric that is flexible and easily conforms to the top of your foot. This stays in place well, with two internal elastic pieces maintaining centeredness over the foot's top. We experienced no issues with the upper, and while not as form-fitting as some one-seam knit uppers, this does a great job of conforming to our foot shape. The toe drop that we mentioned in the cushioning section feels comfortable overall. While it feels unique at the start, we ended up loving how comfortable it made our toes feel when applying pressure to the ground.

The heel cup is well-positioned and has enough support and rigidity to feel locked in. There is minimal arch support found on this model, and your foot is left in a natural state. There is a slight taper to the toe, which helps prevent unwanted side-to-side movement when taking corners. The lacing design is snug and comfortable, with no hot spots on the top of the foot. While not the most luxurious upper we've tested, we found this upper to be simple, comfortable, and not over-engineered. A minimal pull tab is included for easy on and off.

Lateral Stability and Support

The Endorphin Speed ranks highly in all metrics except for lateral stability and support. Due to the lightweight nature of this model, there is a lack of support or stability. We think that this design will be sufficient for the average user, but some runners that require more support and stability may feel underwhelmed. The stack height of this model is quite high, which makes it feel a bit less predictable on uneven surfaces or when cornering.

There is little added structure or rigidity throughout this model except for the nylon plate, which was mentioned in the responsiveness section. Other models contain added rigidity designs that may be something to look into if you prioritize support and stability.

Weight

To weigh only 8.30 ounces in a men's size 9.5 while housing several high-performance features is another win for the Endorphin Speed 3. While not always the case, weight is often a corresponding factor when looking at cushioning and responsiveness. But, as we mentioned before, this model excels in both categories, and we did not hesitate to pick this model up for our long runs and our race efforts.

Saucony has done a great job designing such a responsive cushioning model in a lightweight package. There is a lack of a sturdy, durable outsole with such a low weight, but we have not experienced any issues or early signs of wear. Testing these in rainy conditions still gave us confidence in cornering on slick surfaces. Those looking for a more durable model will probably need to look at a heavier shoe.

Should You Buy the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3?

We think this contender is worth its price tag, given its overall performance and how well it scores in every one of our test metrics. If you are looking for an all-around shoe that you will put on for your long runs and your tempo workouts, we would highly recommend this model. With its performance cushioning and springy rebound, we think Saucony developed a model which will be popular for years to come. With a great fitting upper and lightweight design, this would be the first we would recommend for those looking for a lightweight all-around trainer.

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