Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 Performance Review

Last year, all the hype leading up to the Saucony Endorphin line release was around the Endorphin Pro, as it was expected to be a Vaporfly competitor, and perhaps the beginning of the end of Nike’s dominance in road racing. However, while the Pro was a great shoe and is beloved by many racers (especially for shorter distances), the Endorphin Speed ended up being the big surprise shoe. Throughout running, it received almost unanimous high praise as a lightweight plated trainer for workouts, faster running, and even everyday running.

The Endorphin Speed 2 is quite similar to the first edition, weighing in at 7.9 ounces (0.1 heavier than the first edition), an 8 mm drop, the same bouncy PWRRUN PB midsole, and a full-length nylon plate.

DAVE: Let me cut right to the chase and say that I categorize the Saucony Endorphin Speed into the “versatile trainer” category. What is the “versatile trainer” category? A do-it-all shoe. One that matches up well with the current day’s training discipline, but is also just damn fun to run in all the time. Very few shoes fall into that bucket, but a couple similar models would be Atreyu’s The Artist, and the smokin’ fast New Balance Rebel v2.

Last year, I pounded out over 500 miles on the first Endorphin Speed, and just as it was about to be retired, Speed 2 showed up at the door, like the Chinook salmon returning home to spawn. Nature is truly healing and I’ve got close to 80 miles in this newest version.

The original Speed was one of the best shoes I’ve run in over the past 10 years. Maybe 15. The Base Model from Atreyu made me feel that way as well. Sometimes you hit a grand slam.

ADRIENNE: The Saucony Endorphin Speed was one of my favorite performance trainers of last year. My Future White colorway quickly became Present Gray with how many times I hit the pavement in one of the rare bright spots in 2020 running. Each run had a shot at being a good one in the Endorphin Speed-and most of those that I can recall were.
First impression … um … these look … fast? Loud? Extra? Although this is a performance review, the checkered flag aesthetics were the first thing that grabbed my attention. I will say, the Hot Wheels/Ska/Album Cover colorway made a statement: these shoes are made to go fast. Whether you want to break out the Sublime or Mighty Mighty Bosstones on your run in these is your prerogative.