The original Saucony Endorphin Elite was one of the best carbon plate running shoes, but the speed it delivered came with the caveat of quite a harsh ride that some runners, including myself, found uncomfortable over longer distances.
There’s little danger of discomfort with the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2, which swerves to the other end of the spectrum and has perhaps the softest midsole foam I’ve ever come across in a racing shoe.
That soft and squishy midsole delivers a fun and fast ride, but there is a cost with regards to stability, and the Elite 2 won’t suit every runner. Tom’s Guide Fitness Editor Jane McGuire and I have both been testing out the shoe; here's our Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 review.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 review: Price and availability
The Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 launched in limited numbers in July 2024 before going on general sale in March 2025. It costs $275 in the U.S. and £280 in the U.K., making it one of the most expensive carbon super-shoes. Saucony also has the cheaper Endorphin Pro 4 carbon racing shoe in its lineup, which costs $225 / £230.
You can currently get the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 in three colors including the White | Peel design we both tested. It has unisex sizing and comes in size 3.5-14 using men’s sizes or 5-15.5 using women’s sizes.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 review: design
The Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 has the same stack height and drop as its predecessor, standing 39.5mm tall at the heel and 31.5mm at the forefoot for an 8mm drop.
It’s also similar in weight to the original Endorphin Elite. My US men’s size 9.5 weighs 7.6oz for Endorphin Elite 2, while my Endorphin Elite is 7.7oz in a US men’s 10.
Upper
The Endorphin Elite 2 has a very lightweight knit and mesh upper that’s designed to keep the overall weight of the shoe down while also holding the foot securely in place on the run.
There’s a rubbery feel to the heel section of the upper, with some padding on the top of the high heel collar to cradle the Achilles. The stretchy knit tongue hugs the foot with a bootie-style fit without feeling too hot or oppressive.
Midsole
The biggest update to the Endorphin Elite 2 is the new midsole, which is now made from IncrediRun — a nitrogen-infused TPEE material that’s much softer than the PWRRUN HG foam used on the original Endorphin Elite.
Although very soft, the IncrediRun foam rebounds well to deliver a lot of energy return and propulsion, aided by the slotted carbon plate in the shoe’s midsole.
Outsole
The Endorphin Elite 2 has good rubber coverage on the forefoot and heel of the shoe, and while it’s quite a soft rubber, I’ve not seen any signs of undue wear and tear after around 35 miles of running.
I’ve not been impressed by the grip of the shoe, however. My first run in the Endorphin Elite 2 was on a greasy running track, and the shoe slipped a little at the forefoot regularly. It also offered less reliable traction than other super-shoe on wet pavements.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 review: Fit
Jane McGuire: I'm usually a UK 5 in most brands of running shoes, but having read about the Elite 2’s unisex sizing, I decided to size up to a UK 5.5 (US 7.5). I’m glad I did, as the shoe fits well — there’s not an awful lot of room at the front of the shoe, but like most racing shoes, you want a snug fit.
I was able to get a decent lockdown in this shoe — something that was important, as it’s extremely soft and bouncy. The bootie-style upper held my foot in place, and I didn’t experience any rubbing on the heel.
Nick Harris-Fry: I’m usually in between two sizes with Saucony shoes and went for the smaller one with the Elite 2. That was a mistake as it was a little too small — I think my normal larger size would have been OK.
Even if you stick to your normal size I’d be wary of the fit if you have wide feet, because the toe-box on the shoe tapers sharply and it can rub the outside of your little toe in particular.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 review: Running Performance
JM: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — I love a seriously cushioned running shoe, and this one is as bouncy as it gets. My first run in the Endorphin Elite 2 reminded me of when I wore the Nike Alphafly for the first time, and I felt like I was flying — it’s fast, and fun.
I loved the responsiveness of this shoe, but it’s not one I’d reach for on slower days, as the bounce paired with the carbon fiber plate makes it tricky to run slowly. I tested these on an 8-mile long run, which quickly turned into a progression run, as the Endorphin Elite 2 made it easy to pick up the pace, even with a cold and four hours of sleep the night before.
The downside here is the lack of stability. All that bouncy foam means the shoe really does feel a little wobbly on anything other than concrete sidewalks. I wore these for a tempo run on the Thames Path, which is light gravel, and found my ankles rolled a couple of times.
Of course, it’s unlikely you’d reach for a carbon super shoe for a trail run, but I’d wonder if I’d want to wear these for anything longer than a half marathon, as that ankle wobble on tired legs toward the end of a marathon could be concerning.
NHF: Even in the world of carbon plate super-shoes, almost all of which use soft and bouncy foams, the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 stands out with how squishy it is.
Even at slower paces, you can feel your foot sinking into the foam, and the plate isn’t that noticeable, especially compared with the firm ride of the original Endorphin Elite.
As you increase the pace, the rebound you get from the foam is more and more noticeable. During my first run in the shoe — a mammoth track session running 10 x 1K then 10 x 400m reps — it felt lightweight and fast throughout, with the rocker design helping to push me onto my toes with each stride.
There are downsides to the softness, though, with the main one being stability. Hitting corners at speed in the Endorphin Elite 2 feels a little treacherous, and throughout fast runs, I always felt quite aware of the shoe and a little worried about it even compared with other super-shoes, which never exactly feel natural on the foot.
Part of that is the poor grip I experienced with the midsole, which when combined with the wobbly midsole made the ride a little too wild for me at times
When it comes to pure speed in straight lines, the Endorphin Elite 2 matches its rivals though, and I think the soft ride actually makes it quite a welcoming and comfortable shoe for runners racing at a range of paces, as long as you’re not worried about the instability.
Should you buy the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2?
JM: I’ve been testing running shoes for the past decade, and the Endorphin Elite 2 is my favorite racing shoe from the brand. It’s fast, it’s bouncy, and if you like running with your foot wrapped in a big wedge of foam, you’ll like this.
That said, while this shoe will sit in my rotation for speed sessions and half marathon races, if I were running any further, I’d probably reach for the Nike Vaporfly 3, which feels far more stable around corners. I really, really loved this shoe, and if Saucony could tweak the stability issues, it would be a contender for the best carbon shoe on the market in my opinion.
NHF: The Endorphin Elite 2 is Saucony’s best racing shoe yet, with a faster and springier ride than the Endorphin Pro 4, and a more comfortable design for long events than the original Endorphin Elite.
It wouldn’t be my racing shoe of choice overall, though, partly because the foam was a little too soft for me, and also because of the price. The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris is my go-to racer and is a fair bit cheaper, as are the also-excellent Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 and Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 carbon shoes.
If you’re all-in on very soft and squishy foams, though, then it is the softest and squishiest super-shoe I’ve tried and might be worth the outlay. Just watch out for any sharp corners on your race routes.
