Endorphin Pro 5 vs Endorphin Speed 5

The Endorphin Pro 5 is Saucony's carbon marathon racer, and the fifth version is the most complete one yet. This is a road racing shoe built around a slotted carbon SpeedRoll plate sitting in a stack of PWRRUN PB and Super Critical foam, so you get that firm, rockered snap through toe-off that the Endorphin line has always chased. At £225 it lands squarely in the super-shoe bracket alongside the Nike Vaporfly 4 and adidas Adios Pro, and it earns the price if you are racing anything from 10k to a marathon. Compared with the Endorphin Pro 4 it feels a touch more planted and a little more forgiving on tired legs, without losing the rolling geometry that makes it want to move at pace. In our view this is a proper PB tool, not an everyday cruiser. Buy it to race, and it delivers.

The Endorphin Speed 5 is Saucony's do-it-all tempo trainer, and in our view it is one of the most useful running shoes you can own. It sits below the carbon race shoes and above the plush daily trainers: a springy, nylon-plated shoe built for the fast half of your week. At 155 pounds it costs less than a carbon racer, and the nylon plate means it flexes rather than dictating your stride, so it stays friendly across a range of paces. Push into a tempo and the PWRRUN PB foam gives you real bounce and rebound. Slow it down for a steady long run and it still feels smooth and protective. Plenty of runners will race a half or even a marathon in it. If you want one lightweight shoe to cover workouts, tempo days, progression runs and the odd race, this is the running shoe we would point you to first. The nearest rival is the adidas Adizero Boston 13.