Vaporfly 3 vs Endorphin Elite 2

The Vaporfly 3 is Nike's carbon racing shoe for runners who want to go fast without the towering stack of an Alphafly. It is a pure road racer, built for 5k up to the marathon, and it does that one job very well. At 194g it is light, the 8mm drop keeps you rolling forward, and the carbon plate gives you real pop when you commit to race pace. This is not a shoe for plodding. It rewards a quick, efficient stride and comes alive the harder you push. If you have run in earlier Vaporflys you will know the feeling: fast, slightly twitchy, and unmistakably a tool for race day. The newer Vaporfly 4 refines the formula, but the 3 remains a serious marathon shoe, and when it drops below RRP it is one of the better-value carbon racers you can buy. We rate it for runners who already have a daily trainer and want a dedicated PB weapon.

Saucony swapped the firm foam of the first Elite for something far softer, and the Endorphin Elite 2 ended up as one of the bounciest carbon racing shoes around. Lab testing at RunRepeat rated its midsole the softest they had measured, and reviewers mostly describe a ride that squashes at easy pace and pushes back once you speed up. That makes it a marathon shoe before anything else, and it's also why it wobbles. The Run Testers found it unsettled on fast corners and slippy in the wet, and pointed to the Metaspeed Sky Paris as the steadier pick. The toe box is narrow as well. With steady mechanics and slim feet, you get a very lively half or full marathon shoe. If your form tends to fade late in a race, the Endorphin Pro 4 is calmer and cheaper, and Saucony has since followed it with the Endorphin Elite 3.