Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 Shoes Review

Specs

Weight: 204grams / 7.2oz (Men’s US 9)

Price: $359 SGD

Stack Height: 39.5/31.5mm (8mm drop)

Pros & Cons

Background

I remember testing the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 a year back. It had a firm and snappy ride, but felt harsh at slower up-tempo paces. It wasn’t a shoe that I would take for more than a 10km race, nor did it land in my long-term shoe rotation. It just didn’t perform as well as other market options out there. 

Enter the Endorphin Pro 3. Saucony promised a softer formulation of PWRRUN PB foam while also increasing the midsole stack by 4mm. Somehow, the overall weight of the shoe dropped despite the increase in midsole cushioning. After some testing, I have VERY positive impressions of this shoe, read on to find out more!

Upper & Fit

The Endorphin Pro 3 uses a lightweight breathable mesh upper. This new upper is extremely well-ventilated, perhaps the most breathable of any shoe I’ve worn. It performed perfectly in Singapore’s hot and humid weather, and didn’t hold that much water compared to other shoes when running in the rain. 

Like the Pro 2, the toe box is on the narrow side. On my first run, I tightened the front a little too tight and my whole foot went numb. I realised that with this pair, I could loosen the front end of the shoe by a good amount and still have excellent lockdown. This is the first carbon plated shoe where I did not have to use the lace lock technique or even the last lace hole. Lacing up was one of the easiest of any carbon plated shoe thanks to the decently thick laces (looking at you Adios Pro 3). 

The heel collar and tongue is also padded well, which is something you don’t see very often in carbon plated shoes. 

All in all, the upper is a fantastic update to the Endorphin Pro, though the width could be adjusted to accommodate those with wider feet. Despite its narrow toe box, lockdown is better at true to size compared to half size up.

Midsole & Ride

The midsole comprises a reformulated PWRRUN PB that is softer and lighter than the past two versions. Up till now, I wasn’t a fan of this foam. It was firmer than I liked, and lacked the bounce that other plated shoes from competing brands offered.

The new foam lands somewhere in between the Nike Vaporfly Next% 2 and New Balance FuelCell RC Elite 2. It's soft, bouncy and extremely fun to run in. I took the Pro 3 through a variety of paces and let me just say, it performs really well, minus recovery and all out efforts. I’d put it in a similar category as the New Balance FuelCell RC Elite 2, in the sense that it performs at higher paces and yet does not feel awkward at slower ones. 

Coupled with the SpeedRoll Technology, the ride is smooth and very rockered. The plate’s curve in the Pro 3 is more prominent than the last two models, and the softer foam harnesses the plate much better. This is hands down one of my favourite rides in a carbon plated shoe. I see it potentially making my top 3 carbon plated shoes of the year so far. I might even go as far as to say this is my favourite carbon plated shoe of the year! 

Outsole & Durability

The outsole is made of the same XT-900 rubber in an updated pattern that’s reminiscent of racing flats. These ‘nubs’ do an excellent job of providing grip in both dry and wet conditions. The Pro 3 has one of the better outsoles in a carbon plated shoe, not just in grip but also its coverage. I foresee the Pro 3 lasting longer than the average carbon plated shoe.

I have just one minor dislike about the outsole: the gap in the forefoot. While it has not happened to me yet, the gap attracts small stones that may get wedged in the foam and damage both the foam and plate. Hopefully it doesn’t happen to me anytime soon!

Areas of Improvement

• Price can be a little lower (Huge Jump from v2 to v3)

• Toe Box can be wider

Conclusion

The Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 is a carbon-plated racing shoe that excels for not only marathon racing, but anything 5k and up! Saucony nailed all the updates in this shoe, leading to an excellent ride in a breathable and bouncy package!

Reviewed by Xtride Running

Check out the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 Here