The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is perhaps the most hyped running shoe of 2023. Our review of the ES3 sets out to see whether this Saucony running shoe lives up to the high expectations of the online running community.

• Neutral Support
• Winged Nylon Plate
• Light, fast, and soft cushioning
• 8mm drop (36mm stack in the heel, 28mm in the front)
  

Overview

I’m a long-time lurker of the subreddit r/RunningShoeGeeks. If you’ve never perused, I highly recommend doing so. There’s excellent advice and reviews (and, of course, the occasional bit of sh**tposting.) Anyway, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is one shoe held in high esteem by members of the forum, so naturally I had to test it out.

While I’ve been using the trusty New Balance More V4s for their stability and support as a runner recovering from cervical myelopathy and ACDF surgery (full review here), like many runners the desire to go a little quicker soon set in. Now, I’m certainly not slagging off the New Balance More V4. They’re a fantastic shoe and they’re the reason I’m still running today. However, they did start to feel a little bulky and warm, particularly as training runs became increasingly longer. What’s more, in pursuit of marathon glory, the Runna plan I’m following incorporates some speed work as well as segments of marathon pace in the weekly long run. Put simply, it’s not what the New Balance were designed for. Enter the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3.

Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 Review

The Endorphin Speed 3 (or ES3) is, according to Saucony, best used for speed workouts and fast running. Considering their name, this makes sense. The ES3s have an 8mm heel to toe drop and contain a winged nylon plate, providing support and propulsion from toe-off to landing. The ES3s pack PWRRUNPB foam, an ultra-light, responsive foam that contributes to the shoe excelling in scenarios where you want, and need, to go fast.

While this might be the official line from Saucony (and perhaps what they set out to create with this shoe), our review of the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 seeks to assess whether they measure up to the reviews we’ve read online. That is, that the Endorphin Speed 3 is actually a running shoe from Saucony that can not only do it all, but excel in all domains. More of a “super trainer”, if you will.

Initially, I found the ES3s to be a really good all-rounder. They’re an exceptionally comfortable shoe with great underfoot feel, and it’s easy to pick up the pace without realising you’re doing so. The softness of the PWRRUNPB foam in tandem with the comfortable lightweight mesh upper provides a fantastic step-in feel, while the nylon plate works to subtly propel you forwards, helping keep your legs reasonably fresh.

When I started reviewing the Endorphin Speed 3, the longest runs on my plan were around the 10-12 kilometre mark. From what I’ve read, people seem quite happy taking these shoes to half-marathon distance and beyond. Personally, I feel they perform best up to about 10 kilometres. After this, they seem to bottom out and become a tad uncomfortable. I’m not exactly heavy, weighing around 65-68 kg depending on the day, so I was quite surprised to find this. Of course, we all have different biomechanics, foot shapes, and run in different circumstances/terrain, so your mileage may vary!

While the upper is extremely comfortable (perhaps one of the highlights of the shoe), I found the lacing awkward to get right. I’d often get pins and needles in the soles of my feet, or pain on the top of my foot from lace bite if I tried to achieve good heel lock. Ultimately, I ended up re-lacing them entirely, skipping a couple of loops so as to avoid this. This did help – so anyone with the shoe might want to try a different lacing method.

In reviewing the Saucony ES3 running shoes, I completed a total of just over 60 kilometres. I tested the shoes during easy recovery miles, speed workouts, and long(ish) runs. Paces ranged from 4:41/km right the way to 7:21/km, the shoe feeling at home across the board despite its selling point being speed.

While 60 kilometres isn’t really sufficient to comment on their durability, the ES3s still look (mostly) brand new. The exception to this being a scuff to the outside heel of one of the shoes. It looks like I’ve torn off a tiny bit of the foam, but I imagine this is more user error (dragging feet while tired, perhaps) than anything else, with people regularly hitting 800kms in them. I certainly wouldn’t be worried about durability with the Endorphin Speed 3.

Conclusion

When I initially tested and reviewed the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, I was a complete newcomer to the sport and to the advances in technology running shoes have received in recent years. At the time, of all the shoes in my rotation, the Saucony ES3 was the one I was inclined to choose irrespective of the day’s session. Saucony have managed to strike a really good balance between support, comfort, and speed with the ES3 – just enough of each to make this an ideal daily trainer rather than the speed demon it was designed to be. Despite the trial-and-error lacing and the bottoming out, it simply felt joyous every time I put them on.

But as my weekly mileage and therefore long run increased, I knew it wouldn’t.. couldn’t be the shoe I went with. Training for a marathon as a complete novice is already a difficult task. It doesn’t need to be made any more difficult by badly chosen shoes.

I’ve since had the opportunity to test a number of other shoes and sadly (not that sad, actually) the Endorphin Speed 3s have been re-homed. Instead, I now opt for either the New Balance SC Trainer V2, or, even more recently, the Asics Superblast. While these are wildly expensive shoes, they really do live up to the expectation of a “super trainer”.

Now, while I’m sure large parts of this review sound negative, that’s not really how it’s intended. I do think the Endorphin Speed 3 is a great shoe. On the foot it feels amazing, the foam is incredibly soft, it’s lightweight, snappy, and fun. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work for me and my feet. Moreover, I personally agree with Saucony’s intended use-case. The ES3 excels during speed work, which is exactly what it was designed for. But the hype around this shoe was that it was a near perfect all-rounder. A “super trainer”, if you like. If that’s how you experience the shoe, more power to you. But if you’re after something that really fits that description, better options exist.

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