 This Product
Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 - Women's | |||||
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| Awards |  Best Overall Running Shoe for Women |  Best Value for a Women's Road Running Shoe |  Best Balance of Comfort and Responsiveness | Most Versatile Road Running Shoe | |
| Price | $169.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $140 List $139.95 at Amazon | $119.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $180 List $179.95 at Amazon | $139.95 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | 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 | Affordable and minimally-minded, the updated Kinvara is a great everyday shoe that is suitable for a myriad of running situations | Though it lacks the lightweight tech of super shoes, the balance between its responsive midsole and lateral stability makes this a powerful everyday trainer | For epic versatility in a single shoe, we recommend this lightweight superstar |
| Rating Categories | Saucony Endorphin S... | Asics Novablast 4 -... | Saucony Kinvara 15... | Brooks Hyperion Max... | Hoka Mach 6 - Women's |
| Landing Comfort (30%) | |||||
| Responsiveness (20%) | |||||
| Stability (15%) | |||||
| Upper Comfort (15%) | |||||
| Weight (15%) | |||||
| Traction (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Saucony Endorphin S... | Asics Novablast 4 -... | Saucony Kinvara 15... | Brooks Hyperion Max... | Hoka Mach 6 - Women's |
| Measured Weight | 6.86 oz | 7.36 oz | 5.44 oz | 7.17 oz | 6.27 oz |
| Measured Heel Stack Height | 35 mm | 38 mm | 27 mm | 35 mm | 33 mm |
| Measured Heel-to-Toe Drop | 7 mm | 8 mm | 3 mm | 8 mm | 7 mm |
| Plate Type | Nylon winged | None | None | Full length plastic | None |
| Rocker Angle | 25.0 deg | 22.0 deg | 25.0 deg | 24.5 deg | 24.5 deg |
| Rocker Apex Location | 67.6% | 69.5% | 64.7% | 65.0% | 65.4% |
| Style | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer | Daily Trainer |
| Upper | Engineered mesh / knit | Engineered knit mesh | Mesh | Mesh | Creel jaqquard |
| Midsole | PWRRUN PB | FF Blast Plus Eco | PWRRUN | DNA Flash v2 | Supercritical EVA |
| Outsole | Rubber | AHAR outsole | Rubber | Rubber | Rubber |
| Heel Tab Type | None | Finger loop | None | Extended heel pull | Extended heel pull |
| Sizes Available | 5 - 12 US, regular | 5 - 12 US, regular | 5 - 12 US, regular |
5 - 12 US, regular |
5 - 11 US, regular & wide |
We've tested several versions of the Saucony Endorphin Speed over the years. Each iteration has proved slightly more cushioned and slightly more stable than the previous — though that comes with a small weight cost. The Speed 4 weighs 6.86 ounces per women's size 6.5 shoe.
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 Endorphin Speed has a total heel stack of 35 mm, which is plenty to protect your joints from the repetitive impacts of regular pavement pounding. The differential is 7 mm, 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 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 7 mm 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.
For a speed-focused shoe, the Endorphin Speed stands out with a stability component that surpasses most of 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.
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 Endorphin Speed 4 weighs 6.86 ounces per women's size 6.5 shoe, and while this is slightly more than many speed-focused 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 grippy and texturized forefoot pattern helps to create inherent stability while running at top speeds. In terms of shoes built for speed, the Endorphin Speed offers more traction than some of the true super shoes in our lineup. We certainly do not recommend taking this shoe off the road, but its traction is adequate for road running efforts that may bring you across dewy roads or roadside gravel. Saucony redesigned the outsole of the Endorphin Speed, and while it is a bit more reliable than previous models, we recommend checking out some of our favorite trail running shoes for true traction.
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.
