//
Where to buy
Today's tracked prices
- 01Flannels3d ago£139.00£240.00−42%
- 02Cruise Fashion3d ago£139.00£240.00−42%
- 03Run ActiveLIVE£139.99£240.00−42%
- 04365RiderLIVE£144.16£240.00−40%
- 05Bog DogLIVE£145.00£240.00−40%
- 06Alpine Trek3d ago£167.67£240.00−30%
- 07SportsShoes2d ago£167.99£240.00−30%
- 08Snowleader.co.ukLIVE£169.90£240.00−29%
- 09RunningXpertLIVE£180.00£240.00−25%
- 10AchillesHeelLIVE£196.00£240.00−18%
- 11Run4It3d ago£198.80£240.00−17%
Tracked daily
Price history
Expert review
Our verdict
The Endorphin Elite 2 is Saucony's no-compromise carbon racing shoe, built for one job: chasing a personal best on race day. At 199g with a 39mm heel stack and a full-length carbon plate, it sits right at the top of the marathon shoe class alongside the Nike and adidas super-shoes. The star is the IncrediRUN foam, a soft, aggressively bouncy midsole that stores and returns energy when you load it at pace. This is not a do-everything running shoe. It feels twitchy and over-eager at easy jog pace, and the 6mm drop plus stiff plate ask for a confident forefoot or midfoot landing. Hold half-marathon to marathon effort and it comes alive. If you want the same Endorphin DNA for less money and more daily versatility, the Endorphin Pro 5 is the calmer, cheaper sibling. But for pure race-day return, the Elite 2 is one of the most propulsive carbon marathon shoes we have run in.
Key features
- IncrediRUN midsoleStores and springs back energy the harder you load it, so the legs stay fresher late in a marathon
- Full-length carbon plateTies the foam together and snaps you through a strong, rolling toe-off at race pace
- 39mm rockered stackRolls you forward stride to stride and takes real sting out of the road over long distance
- 199g race weightKeeps a big-stack super-shoe light enough to turn your legs over when you push
- Stripped race upperBreathes and locks the foot down without adding bulk when you are racing hard
Who it suits
Who should buy it
- Marathon and half-marathon racers chasing a personal best who want maximum energy return at pace
- Efficient forefoot or midfoot strikers who can load a tall, soft plate
- Experienced racers who already own a daily trainer and want a dedicated race-day shoe
- Runners who found firmer carbon racers left their legs trashed late in a marathon
Good to know
Extra information
Fit & sizing
The Endorphin Elite 2 fits true to size for most runners, so order your usual Saucony race size. The fit is on the snug, performance side rather than roomy: a low-volume midfoot, a secure heel, and a tapered toe box that hugs the foot the way a racer should. There is enough length in the toes for toenails on long efforts, but width is average to slightly narrow, so runners with a wide forefoot or high-volume foot may feel the sidewalls. The thin, race-weight upper wraps close with very little padding, which keeps the weight down and lockdown tight but means it is not a slipper. Lace it firmly and the foot stays planted on the plate through hard corners. If you are between sizes or plan to race in thicker socks, sizing up a half is the safer call. For very wide feet, a roomier racer is worth considering instead.
Performance breakdown
Ride & feel
The ride is fast, rockered and unmistakably a race-day feel. The IncrediRUN foam is soft underfoot but springs back hard when you load it, and the carbon plate ties that energy into a strong, rolling toe-off that flicks you onto the next stride. At marathon and half-marathon pace it feels smooth and eager, almost like the shoe wants to run quicker than you do. Drop to an easy jog and that same energy turns fidgety and unstable, so this is not a shoe you reach for on recovery days. The tall stack gives a long lever, rewarding a forefoot or midfoot strike and punishing a lazy heel-first landing. Over a full marathon the legs stay fresher than a firmer racer would leave them, which is the whole point.
Cushioning
There is a lot of foam here, with a 39mm heel and 33mm forefoot stack, but it does not feel plush in the pillowy sense. The IncrediRUN midsole is tuned for return rather than comfort, so it reads as soft-yet-lively: it compresses deeply then snaps back, giving you protection over marathon distance without the dead, mushy feeling of a max-cushion trainer. That combination is what keeps the legs fresher late in a long race. The trade-off is that at slow paces the cushioning feels unsettled and hard to control, because you are not loading it enough to get the rebound. Push the pace and the depth works with you rather than against you.
Stability
This is a neutral racing shoe with no stability structures, and the tall, soft stack makes it one of the less stable shoes you can put on. There is no medial post, no guide rails, just a narrow platform sitting a long way off the ground. At speed, with a committed forefoot landing, the carbon plate and rockered geometry provide enough guidance to keep things pointing forward. At easy pace, or if you are tired and start heel-striking, it can feel tippy and vague. Runners who need real support, or heavier heel-strikers, should treat this as a specialist tool and look elsewhere for anything but hard, fast efforts.
Honest reviews by runners
Reviews (1)
4.0
1 review
100%
would recommend
5★0
4★1
3★0
2★0
1★0
Fit4.0
Comfort4.0
Value4.0
Common questions
FAQ
The numbers
Specifications
| Category | Race |
| Surface | Road |
| Drop | 6mm |
| Heel Stack | 39mm |
Keep looking