Saucony was founded in 1898. With over a century of running in their blood, they’ve evolved from a local factory to a global brand in the suburbs of Boston, inspiring good runs worldwide. They know Saucony isn’t the easiest word to say, but there’s a story behind it. Their logo is inspired by the Saucony Creek in Kutztown, PA, where the brand began and the water flowed around three distinct boulders. Today, they stand for the guiding boulders of the brand: good performance, good health, and good community. Saucony say about themselves, that they are the original running brand, build on a legacy of performance to offer among others also best in class running shoes.
The Endorpine lineup is the Premium running shoe lineup from Saucony. So what does Saucony say about the Endorphine Pro 3?
Lace ‘em or chase ‘em. It’s speed over everything when you lace up the Endorphin Pro 3. Designed with a carbon-fiber plate and an even thicker stack of PWRRUNPB foam cushioning, you get more pop underfoot for the ultimate go-fast experience. The shoe is best if used for fastest tempo training and racing.
It’s time to find out if the shoe is one of the best carbon racing shoes.
How I used the shoes so far
Till today I ran more than 150 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and a long run. But since this is a racing shoe I did a tempo run in them at predicted marathon race pace, a steady long run, one long run workout with 3 by 8 kilometers at goal race pace and I ran my last marathon in the shoes.
Fit of the shoe
The shoe for me fits true to size. While putting on the shoe the first time I could feel, that the upper material hugs the foot and that there is no problem with the lockdown. You can actually just lace up the shoe and you are good to go. The toe box is quite roomy for a marathon race shoe and has enough space for your toes. The heal cup has a little padding, just enough. All in all I must say that when putting on the shoe for the first time it felt comfortable. During the runs I did I had no issue with any hot spots or blisters and my feet.
A word of warning. The shoe has a formfit design and you can feel that it hugs the foot tightly, especially in the forefoot area. If you have wider feed you should try the shoe in a shop and keep them on you feet for some time before deciding on buying them. I have normal wide feet and would say that for narrow and normal wide feet this is no issue. Maybe even a benefit because you don’t need to lace up the shoes very tight to get a great lockdown. With that you have less pressure on the top of your feet.
One of the long runs I did in the shoe was on a warm day. The upper is breathable and even during the marathon I had no issue with over heating.
Performance of the shoe
I used other carbon racing shoes in the past and I don’t want this to be a comparison with other shoes. What stands out in the Saucony Endorphine 3 is the wide platform of the shoe that makes it a very stable shoe, despite the hight of the midsole.
Let’s move on to the fun part of the shoe. While you could run in it even at slower paces, marathon race pace and faster is, what the shoe is build for. I could feel a unique sensation when on my runs I picked up the pace. The faster I was running the more I could feel the energy return from the midsole and the transition from heel to to off was snappy. As if the shoe wanted me to run faster. The foam itself is not as soft as some other foams but the combination of the PWRRUNPB, the foam Saucony is using in this shoe, the S curved carbon fibre plate and the speedroll technology make this a great marathon racer. Well, not just marathon racer. I would use the shoe for anything from a 10k race up to the marathon.
There is just enough rubber on the outsole to protect the exposed midsole and to provide grip. While the forefoot has quite a lot of rubber, there is less in the heel. If you are a heel striker, as I am, you could feel that the grip is not the best on wet surface because of less rubber in the heel area.
At 150 kilometers some carbon racing shoes are over their prime. But I would say, that the Saucony Endorphine Pro 3 has at least one more marathon in it before downgrading it to a training shoe. One more marathon doesn’t mean just one more race but one or two more long runs, one more tempo run and a marathon, so at least another 150 kilometers. Other then some wear on the outsole, the shoe is as snappy as it was on the first run out of the box and looking at the midsole I can see no creasing.
How about during the marathon itself? Well it was comfortable, snappy and protective. Everything we runners need from a marathon race shoe. Especially in the later stages when the form brakes down a bit and when the legs get heavy, the shoe still helps to get a fast transition from heel to toe and the high stack of foam gives the legs enough protection from the pounding.
How will I use the shoe
I think that somehow I already answered this question. The shoe is build as a marathon racing shoe and should be used for fastest tempo training and races. That’s how I will use the shoe moving foreward. The next time I will lace up the shoe will be in a few months on a tempo run before my next half marathon and of course for the half marathon itself. If there will be still enough life in the midsole of the shoe I will even run my next marathon in it.
Would I recommend the Saucony Endorphine Pro 3?
It’s for sure one of the best carbon plated super shoes. Because of the formfit I would recommend the shoe to runners with narrow or normal wide feet. Other than that I would say it’s a shoe you should consider when looking for your next race shoe. It’s stable because of it’s wide platform, snappy and it provides enough protection. Everything we runners need from a race day shoe.
I am an ambassador with Top4Running, the number one online store for runners in Europe. If you want to buy a pair of Saucony Endorphine Pro 3 running shoes (or any other running shoes), please use the link below to support the Run and Smile community.
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Photo: Žan Tabak
