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The massively improved Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 is comfortable and speedy, seamlessly striking a beautiful balance across our testing metrics. It blends responsive PEBA foam with a full-length nylon plate, making it suitable for many distances. This 4mm drop shoe could be the all-in-one solution for some runners, effortlessly transitioning from recovery days to race day. Its ideal role is as an uptempo trainer; it may not be as responsive or expensive as a super shoe, but its geometric design offers more comfort than race-oriented models while still delivering a performance boost. It's a top choice for runners who want speed in their daily trainer, though its price point is slightly above entry-level.
REASONS TO BUY
Responsive
Comfortable
User-friendly
Versatile
REASONS TO AVOID
Slightly expensive
Less stable
We have tested multiple versions of the Saucony Endorphin Speed over the years and loved them all the way through; however, this model is on the pricier side. If this shoe appeals to you, but the higher price tag is a stretch for your budget, you're in luck. Past season versions of this shoe are often available at a discount, which makes it a high-performing and great-value shoe. In our previous testing, we liked the Speed 3 almost as much as we liked the 4, and we would recommend it as a budget-friendly alternative. The Endorphin Speed 4 has improved stability and upper comfort over its previous iterations, but the 3 is a bit lighter, so you can choose which model is best based on your running goals. If you are interested in getting more of the deets on the differences, take a look at our review of the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3.
Soft and bouncy, this slightly pricey shoe is a winner when it comes to running versatility
This running shoe offers the performance technology and comfort needed to be your go-to shoe, no matter your running goals
For epic versatility in a single shoe, we recommend this lightweight superstar
With strong responsive bounce and enough comfort for long runs, this shoe will suit marathon hopefuls and speed demons alike
While not a race-focused shoe, this affordable and bouncy option will keep your legs turning over quickly and easily
Rating Categories
Saucony Endorphin S...
Asics Novablast 4 -...
Hoka Mach 6 - Women's
Puma Deviate Nitro...
Saucony Kinvara 14...
Cushioning and Landing Comfort(25%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
7.5
Responsiveness(25%)
8.0
7.5
7.0
8.5
7.5
Stability(20%)
6.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
5.5
Upper Comfort(15%)
7.5
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
Weight(15%)
7.9
7.4
8.5
7.7
9.5
Specs
Saucony Endorphin S...
Asics Novablast 4 -...
Hoka Mach 6 - Women's
Puma Deviate Nitro...
Saucony Kinvara 14...
Sizes Available
5 - 12 US, regular
5 - 12 US, regular
5 - 11 US, regular & wide
5.5 - 11 US, regular
5 - 12 US, regular & wide
Style
Plated daily
Neutral
Daily
Neutral/race
Neutral
Measured Heel Stack Height
36 mm
40 mm
34 mm
34 mm
30 mm
Measured Heel-to-Toe Drop
4 mm
9 mm
2 mm
8 mm
5 mm
Plate Type
Nylon winged
None
None
Carbon
None
Rocker Angle
25.0 deg
22.0 deg
24.5 deg
12.5 deg
26.0 deg
Rocker Apex Location
67.62%
69.48%
65.38%
68.82%
68.15%
Measured Weight
6.86 oz
7.36 oz
6.27 oz
7.02 oz
5.55 oz
Upper
Engineered mesh/knit
Engineered knit mesh
Creel jaqquard
Mesh
Mesh
Midsole
PWRRUN PB
FF Blast Plus Eco
Supercritical EVA
Nitro/Nitro-Elite
PWRRUN, PWRRUN+
Outsole
Rubber
AHAR outsole
Rubber
PumaGrip ATR Rubber
XT-900 rubber
Heel Tab Type
None
Finger loop
Extended heel pull
None
Finger loop
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparision
For combined comfort and speed, this is one of our go-to recommendations for runners wanting to purchase a single shoe.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Landing Comfort and Cushioning
It is not often that we find a speed shoe that is designed with comfort in mind. The updates to the Endorphin Speed 4 have made it a fantastically comfortable shoe that is ready to move. Its PWRRUN PB midsole and winged nylon plate provide a comfortable crashpad that rebounds with every footfall.
The responsive bounce and balanced cushion help make this shoe one of our favorite “soft” super shoes.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
The Endorphin Speed has a total heel stack of 36mm, which is plenty to protect your joints from the repetitive impacts of regular pavement pounding. The differential is 4mm, leaving plenty of cushion on the forefoot side of the shoe as well. The bounce of the underfoot textiles helps transfer energy from one footfall to the next while remaining comfortable, making this a great daily trainer for runners hoping to up their speed and mileage in tandem.
The underfoot comfort of the Endorphin Speed is better than most speed-focused shoes, making it comfortable for daily running.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Responsiveness
The Endorphin Speed 4 features a full-length, winged nylon plate embedded in its sole. With a 25.0-degree rocker angle and Speedroll technology, this shoe delivers ample bounce and energy return without being overly firm. Unlike typical carbon plates, the nylon plate offers a slight underfoot give, ensuring comfort during high mileage runs and securing its reputation as a comfortable daily trainer. The shoe's 4mm drop is comfortable and contributes to its smooth ride. Often, highly responsive shoes can push your toes into the front edge and become uncomfortable, but the Endorphin Speed's neutral build and cushioning prevent this, providing energy return while maintaining comfort. It's rare to find speed-focused shoes that offer such a high level of comfort. The updated Endorphin Speed combines all these responsive features into a daily speed shoe that our expert testers highly recommend.
The nylon plate helps provide responsiveness without creating a stiff underfoot feeling.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Stablity
For a speed-focused shoe, the Endorphin Speed stands out with a stability component that surpasses its super shoe competitors. Its thoughtfully placed cushioning ensures comfort as you navigate sharp turns. The Endorphin Speed excels at maintaining speed around curves, thanks to its slightly underbuilt propulsion and mild structure along the lateral edges of the heel cup. Marketed as a more user-friendly speed shoe within Saucony's lineup, it delivers impressive results. While it may not be ideal for correcting unstable gait patterns, it provides enough stability for long runs, promotes agility, and offers a reliable, strong feel. Saucony redesigned the outsole of the Endorphin Speed, and while it is a bit more reliable than previous models, we recommend a true trail shoe for true traction.
Elements of the Endorphin Speed provide some stability, though this is certainly not a stability-focused shoe.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Upper Comfort
Though the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 weighs slightly more than comparable shoes, it offers significant additional comfort. The dual-layer, gusseted tongue is soft, stretchy, and slightly cushioned, creating a comfortable lockdown across the lace bed. This iteration of the Endorphin Speed demonstrates significant improvement in the comfort department, minimizing its previously-polarizing components that caused runners serious pain. The shortened heel counter is secure, comfortable, and more universally designed than in the past. In fact, the heel counter helps secure your rearfoot, which adds to the Endorphin Speed's ability to tackle more directional changes. The stretchiness and breathability of the engineered mesh upper further add to its overall upper comfort, creating a shoe that is enjoyable to lay down fast miles in.
The breathability of the upper mesh and thoughtful tongue cushion help keep the Endorphin Speed comfortable over double-digit mileage.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Weight
The Endorphin Speed 4 weighs 6.86 ounces per women's size 6.5 shoe, and while this is slightly more than many super shoes, it is still incredibly light. In this case, our testers are happy to run with, and recommend, the extra ounce or so because of what this shoe offers. The weight is well-distributed, and the comfort features come in clutch as the miles add up. If you are seeking a balance between comfort and responsiveness, the weight of this shoe should not sway you one way or the other - it weighs more than many race-focused shoes we've tested but less than the comfort-and-stability-centered kicks in our lineup.
The Endorphin Speed is not the lightest shoe in our lineup, but it provides a great comfort-to-weight ratio.
Credit: Ally Arcuri
Should You Buy the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4?
While the Endorphin Speed 4 didn't take home any awards from our female testing team this season, we wholeheartedly recommend it as a daily running shoe. With a prime balance of responsiveness and comfort, the overall execution of the shoe is excellent. It might not suit runners who want a plush, maximalist style shoe, and it might not feel techy enough for runners wanting to add a true super shoe into their arsenal. But if balance and a bit of kick are what you are after, we think you'll love the Endorphin Speed in the same ways we did.
Nearly every component of this shoe is awesome, making it one that we are happy to recommend to other runners.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
What Other Road Running Shoes Should You Consider?
The most comparable shoe in our lineup is the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4. The Endorphin Pro is a more technical and slightly less comfortable version of the Speed. The Pro version offers a carbon plate that is more geared toward racing. The pro cuts down on weight, but this comes at the expense of comfort. The Puma Deviate Nitro 2 is a great choice for racing in comfort. A bit beefier, the Deviate Nitro rides more like a traditional running shoe, but its full-length carbon fiber plate helps you hit the paces you desire. If an all-out speed shoe is what you want, the Nike Alphafly 3 is a racing-specific shoe that is built to fly.
