SAUCONY ENDORPHIN TRAINER
First look review
Saturating a saturated market? or just simply the wrong market. This is a tough shoe to market as I’m not sure where it falls. The idea behind the model is great, but the execution has fallen short. Adding a training model to the already impressive endorphin range was a bold move that has, in my eyes, tainted the name. There is possibly room for one more model in the range, but I believe it to be more of a single foam non, plated shoe, something Saucony hasn’t done yet in their trainer racer lineup. This is a popular model on the market now with the ON Cloudboom zone, New Balance Fuelcell rebel and the ASICS Superblast. Maybe something in this category to compete with these options would have been a better route. However, in saying this, the shoe shill has some redeeming qualities that people may seek in their new purchase.
FIT
This model's forefoot is a true Saucony shape, with a nice roomy toe box for your feet to spray without feeling overly spacious. The midfoot is where this shoe struggles. The upper material is too wide for the sole, and it really struggles to hold your foot in place. With no underlying structure to the upper, it feels baggy and roomy. The heel counter also feels odd, and the side walls and counter shape doesn’t give a great lockdown fit.
FEEL
I'm confused by the marketing of this shoe and the actual feeling. Saucony has said this shoe is “crafted for effortless speed, turning everyday runs into personal bests” which unfortunately can’t really agree with them. The shoe feels like it has been thrown together from parts of previous models. They have taken the sole of the Kinvara, the plate from the Kinvara pro and the incredirun from the endorphin elite 2. All great in their separate shoes but not so fun when thrown into a cooking bowl and baked into a new trainer.
FUNCTION
Now this where the trouble strikes with this shoe. The shoe itself isn’t a bad shoe, it’s just been marketed wrong. Instead of putting it in the endorphin category, which is associated with speed, separate it and put it in its own category. This shoe isn’t a trainer racer, its not light or fast enough to fit into that category. We see it as a cruiser, a category that fits a 4-5hr marathon pace. It offers all the aspects of a super shoe just in a much less aggressive and more supportive package.
OVERALL
As alluded to above the shoe has just been marketed in the wrong category. Like many shoes these days they are made for a purpose. That is a very specific purpose and anything outside of that it may not excel at. The purpose of this shoe has been clouded due to marketing to just be careful to do some research when deciding what you are wanting from this mode.
