Few brands have amassed a following quite so loyal as Saucony. In the world of elite running shoes — where aficionados obsess over everything from “responsive” foam to the nuances of gusseted tongue designs — few brands have amassed a following quite so loyal as the American sportswear brand Saucony.
Founded more than 120 years ago, the company has built a reputation for its singular focus on producing footwear that athletes love. Its speed-focused range — made famous by the Hornet style of the ’70s and further popularised by bestsellers including the Jazz and Shadow sneakers of the ’80s — are designed to maximise comfort and performance. And, of course, the endorphins that many attribute to the “runner’s high”.
This feel-good effect was the original inspiration for the brand’s contemporary Endorphin range. It’s proved so popular that Saucony has just released a fourth iteration of two hallmark shoes from the collection. While staying true to the line’s signature aerodynamic silhouettes, these racers deliver several key updates. Endorphin Speed 4 features a re-engineered winged nylon plate, which provides extra reinforcement while maintaining flexibility through the forefoot.
The brand’s exclusive PwrRunPB foam — billed as a unicorn in the market for its firm yet springy feel — gives the shoe race-day edge. The Endorphin Pro 4 builds on these elements, upgrading the nylon plate to a carbon-fibre one and adding in a layer of ultra-energy-efficient PwrRun HG foam, which is slightly firmer, to create an even more responsive and propulsive ride. Meanwhile, popular sneaker The Endorphin Elite has undergone a colour update to white with vizi red (a high chroma-fluorescent orange-red hue) and contains a forked carbon plate, which adds stability, reduces fatigue and increases the energy return on each stride.
The Endorphin Elite still features Saucony’s aggressive SpeedRoll technology and elevated PwrRun HG cushioning that provides massive rebound and forward momentum. All of this translates to a faster and more explosive run. Endorphin Elite continues to be light as a feather, with the women’s shoe weighing roughly 185 grams. Run, don’t walk, as they say.
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