Saucony is introducing a new update to their Endorphin Collection, the Endorphin Pro 3, and we here at Marathon Sports got a first-hand look at how these super shoes ride.
Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 Specs and Features
- Men’s 7.2oz, Women’s 6.2oz.
- Upper Features:
- Single-layer engineered mesh with FORMFIT design
- Tongue inspired by track spikes, made with a thinner material.
- Minimal heel counter
- Midsole Features:
- All PowerRunPB, Pebax material.
- 39½mm heel, 31½mm toe for an 8mm offset.
- S-Curve Carbon-Fiber plate running three-quarters of the way through the shoe.
- Speedroll Technology incorporates an aggressive toe spring.
- Outsole Features:
- XT-900 Carbon Rubber outsole for premium grip
So What’s Changed?
Saucony wanted to add more cushioning without adding weight, so they pulled a Hannah Montana and gave us the best of both worlds. The stack height has increased by 4mm giving the midsole even more PowerRun PB goodness but also incorporating strategic cutouts to bring down excess weight. Even with 4mm of added cushion, the Pro 3 at 7.2 oz is slightly lighter than its predecessor at 7.5 oz.
The upper is built with a single-layer engineered mesh with strategic perforations throughout, even the gusseted tongue has a punch-out. These added perforations help to increase breathability and reduce weight.
The outsole rubber has been updated and the depth has been reduced by 1mm to trim even more weight off. Also, the coverage layout of the outsole rubber is slightly different from the Pro 2 in an effort to increase forefoot traction.
Initial Thoughts
Wow, this is so much softer than the Pro 2. Increasing the stack height and adding more PB foam is a noticeable change from one generation to the next. The toe spring is as aggressive as they say, even just standing in these shoes made me feel like a slingshot pulled back and ready to fire. Also, this pink and gold color scheme? I’m 100% about it. All too often men’s shoes are released in generic black/blue/reds, I love it when a shoe comes out and shakes things up.
Post-Run
After a couple of runs in these bad boys, it’s safe to say I’m a fan of this update. The extra foam doesn’t leave the legs feeling too beat up after logging those longer miles and they feel even lighter than before. I would start each run fairly conservative and would find myself slowly getting faster than I anticipated without expending any extra effort. Giving credit to the carbon-fiber plate and SPEEDROLL combo working together as flawlessly as peanut butter and jelly. I felt like a lit bottle rocket careening off to wherever the world would take me.
The upper was an interesting feel, it reminded me of a classic track spike upper with its incredibly thin mesh material. The strategic holes seemed to help with breathability and the fit felt snug, I experienced no slippage or rubbing. It was also eye-catching but not an eye-sore, the pink and gold work beautifully together.
The updated outsole layout felt very grippy underfoot and is an incredibly welcome update. Even with the added strategic cutouts that were implemented, they weren’t noticeable underfoot with my gait.
Final Thoughts
Saucony has done an amazing job all around with this update. The cushioning is an obvious check in the win category, I couldn’t have asked for more. The upper is the lightest and most breathable it’s ever been, we’ll have to see how the material stands up to prolonged use. The outsole provides plenty of traction but, similar to the upper, I’d like to see how it handles wear and tear over time.
Overall, I believe most runners will welcome this update with open arms. The Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 is scheduled to release on August 2nd.
