Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 Review
By Matthew Klein
Saucony Endorphin Elite 3Price: $289.99 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 7.2 oz, 207 g (men's size 9), 6.5 oz, 184 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 39.5 mm heel / 31.5 mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Super Racing Shoe
Pros: Incredibly soft and responsive, secure/comfortable upper, more stable than prior version, greater speed versatility than prior version
Cons: Soft/unstable at slower speeds, on the heavier side for a super racing shoe in today's world
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 is an incredibly soft and responsive super shoe for distance racing and workouts. Two layers of IncrediRun foam sit around a fluted plate, provided the softest and bounciest ride on the market. At slower speeds, it is a soft, mushy and bouncy ride, while at faster speeds it becomes an aggressive, bouncy and fast ride. A flexible upper provides comfort and a little stretch for those who want a racing fit with a little stretch (and no heel counter for those that are sensitive). An incredible and unique ride that may work for slower and faster runners alike, the Endorphin Elite 3 combines some of the best properties of the prior two versions into something new.
SIMILAR SHOES: Puma Fast-R 3, Asics Metaspeed Ray
PAST MODEL: Saucony Endorphin Elite 2
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 fits me true to size in my normal men's US size 10. The upper is a lightweight, mildly see-through, one-piece single-layer engineered mesh with mild structure in the forefoot and flexibility in the rearfoot. The fit is slightly snug but has stretch that comfortable accomodates normal to narrow-width feet. Those with wide feet may struggle with this upper unless your feet are only mildly wide. The forefoot is slightly rounded with some stretch but also snug. I did not have the same harsh compression from the last model and found the mild structure to great good security up front without abrasion. The midfoot fits normal in width with a thin, attached tongue. While the tongue is thin, I had no issue tightening the laces, which are thicker and did not irritate the top of my feet. I did have to tighten down the laces for security due to the flexibility of the upper. Once I did that it was fine as long as I didn't turn too quickly.
The heel fits normal in width with padding only in the rear. There is no heel counter, so this shoe is a dream for those with sensitive heels. It is one of the only racing shoes that will accommodate Haglund deformities or sensitive Achilles insertions. This has been incredibly comfortable for me and I have had far less issues than I normally do. The flexible upper is comfortable, although it needs a little bit of extra lockdown from the laces. It still is a tall shoe, so turning does cause some mild sliding with the flexibility. Thus, this is a great upper if you are going in a mostly straight line.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Hoka Gaviota 6, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Saucony Azura, Salomon Aero Glide 3
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 3, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: No
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: No
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Not Flexible
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not Flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: No (insole does not come up)
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Moderate
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 is an incredibly soft and responsive super racing shoe. The midsole is full-length IncrediRun, which is one of the softest and bounciest materials on the market. The IncrediRun midsole is soft no matter where you land, although it is most soft in the heel. The weight is on the heavier side for a super racer in today's market, although the bounciness of the foam makes this shoe feel far lighter than its listed 7.2 oz weight in a men's size 9 (my men's size 10 is 7.8 oz or 223 g).
There is a large heel bevel that combined with the extremely soft foam makes heel transitions smooth. The heel is incredibly soft and has different personalities depending on what speed you are going. At slower speeds, the foam compresses and you sit into the shoe before being bounced out. During faster running, hitting the heel causes an immediate push forward. This is contrast to the forefoot, which seems to bounce and roll more similar regardless of pace. The forefoot is soft and features a slightly late forefoot rocker. The upward curve of the plate is noticeable, making for a quick rolling transition off the front.
There is no flexibility in this shoe at all, although those with toe mobility problems should approach with a little caution as the softness and compliance of the midsole may still allow some motion. There is an 8mm drop. and this is exactly what it feels like. Despite how much the foam compresses, this has been one of the few super shoes that does not bother my (again) irritated Achilles. I think the amount of bounce and rocker offload it quite well, although long term will not solve my problem (yes rehab is more important than shoes).
Pace-wise, the Endorphin Elite 3 has done excellent at almost every pace I have thrown at it. Despite it's super nature, it does decent at easier paces. The duel personality nature of this shoe provide a softer, less aggressive bounce at slower paces that I do not fully enjoy but can appreciate that others might. When picking up the pace, the foam responds much faster and feels far more responsive and bouncy than soft. This has been especially apparent during progression runs, where at the slower paces it feels friendly but at faster paces continues to respond as my mechanics change. I have used this shoe for most types of fast workout, including tempo runs, intervals and progression runs. It has done extremely well in all of them, particularly on the tempo runs. During intervals, it has done great but I begin to fight the foam a little at extremely fast, sprint-type paces. This is a shoe I would still consider for a 5k given the responsiveness (and the fact I want to see what it does) but it will likely do better for 10k to full marathon efforts. The foam does not bottom out even over longer distances and I was surprised even over a 10 mile progression run that it held up (and surprisingly so did I). Below that pace and distance, I would not consider this shoe as it is too large and soft.
From a durability perspective, the Endorphin Elite 3 is doing great so far. I have 40 miles on my pair and only have a little wear on the exposed midsole in the heel. The outsole pieces have stayed on and there is only a tiny bit of wear. The midsole has remained incredibly bouncy and has not lost this yet (will keep testing). This shoe should only be used for smooth road and track. The exposed midsole will easily get torn up by rocks and while the traction is decent on road, it is not meant for softer surfaces. So as long as you on are well groomed and man made surfaces, this shoe is fine. I have not gotten a chance to run on wet ground yet as it has not rained (surprisingly) here in the Pacific Northwest, so I will update this review as soon as I get the chance.
COMPARISON VIDEO: Endorphin Elite 3 vs. 2
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 is a neutral racing shoe. It has elements that made at light guidance, but the incredibly soft sole equalizes most of these. It is more stable than version 2, which was incredibly wobbly. Version 3 has significant sidewalls on both the medial and lateral aspects of the midfoot. These do provide extremely mild guidance, mostly because the soft foam provides only slight resistance. The sole is also wider, with a decent amount of medial sole flare in the forefoot and heel. The upper does not provide much in the way of stability due to its flexible but comfortable nature. While there is a high amount of longitudinal stiffness, the torsional stiffness is lower.
While this shoe is not a stable shoe, I have found it easier to control than the prior version. Landing on and staying on the outside my foot has felt easier on my pronating right side. I assume this is occurring due to the softer foam compressing more on the outside and the responsiveness allowing my to bounce out of this before I begin pronating too aggressively. It may also be due to a redesign of the plate, which is now slotted with additional ridges for stiffness. The forefoot is one of the more stable areas of the shoe, likely thanks to this stiffness and the medial forefoot flare. This is in contrast to the heel, which is extremely soft and less stable. Weirdly, I have done fine on longer runs in this shoe, but that may also be due to a ton of recent foot and hip stability work. So this is a neutral shoe but is not as unstable as expected.
Thoughts as a DPT: Different Rides at Different Speeds
By Matthew Klein
One of the first things I noticed about the Endorphin Elite 3 was the different personalities it had at different speeds. While running slower, the foam was much softer and while bouncy, it did not respond as quick. As soon as the pace picked up, the softness transitions to responsiveness as the foam rebounded quicker the faster I went. Saucony claims IncrediRun is a non-Newtonian material, meaning it behaves differently under different loads. This is not a new concept as Brooks as advertised many prior midsole materials in a similar manner, although none have come close to the range Saucony's new TPEE material does. The Endorphin Elite 2 did not behave the same way the Elite 3 does with this range and as usual, the personality shift is likely from a combination of the foam, geometry and plate, rather than just one component.
The human body also behaves in a similar manner, acting differently at different speeds. During slower movements, muscles tend to change length to a greater degree than tendons. As speeds increase, the muscles tend to perform more of an isometric contraction, meaning they don't change length when they contract. Instead, the tendons begin to change length far more than the muscles, acting as rubber bands to store and release energy. It is for this reason that there is some evidence that higher intensity/weighted isometric training of the lower extremity can improve running economy (efficiency) as much if not more than plyometric training (Lum et al., 2023). Plyometrics may load the tendons more similarly to functional movements, but isometric exercises load the muscle more similarly while increasing the stiffness of the tendon. However, like running training, multiple different speeds/stimuli are needed for optimal musculotendinous health. Isometrics are great exercises to perform to train muscles functionally while adding tendon stiffness. Plyometrics are great exercises to expose tendons and muscles to higher-speed loads. Strength training, particularly slower, heavier loads, may make more tissue changes that build resiliency. All three are important, but are important for different reasons. Just like running at different paces may have different biomechanical presentations and benefits.
Lum, D., Barbosa, T. M., Aziz, A. R., & Balasekaran, G. (2023). Effects of isometric strength and plyometric training on running performance: a randomized controlled study. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 94(1), 263-271.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: I am impressed so far with the Endorphin Elite 3. The incredibly bouncy ride is as controlled as it can be compared to the wobbly ride of version two. The upper is a massive improvement and is quite comfortable. It doesn't pretend to be a super light racer but has the most bouncy midsole on the market. The Elite 3 could be an option for runners who aren't seeking the fastest paces and are seeking a very cushion and bouncy shoe for long distance efforts.
My only suggestion is around the plate. Without increasing too much weight, I wonder if the plate could feature some additional winglets or pieces that come up along the side that may provide a little extra stability. As we have seen with the recent Evo Pro 3 that plates that surround the foot can also add stiffness and stability. In the case of a foam this soft, there are a great deal of things that can be done (and may have already been tried), but I would like to see if the responsiveness and quality of the foam can be maintained while create a bit more structure especially in the heel/midfoot.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 is for those who want an incredibly soft and responsive that has different personalities over different paces. The midsole will work best for those who either want an incredibly soft ride at slower speeds or an incredibly bouncy/responsive ride at faster speeds who don't need extensive stability methods. The upper will work best for those with normal to narrow feet wanting a stretchy, comfortable upper. Those with heel sensitivities will love this shoe as there is no heel counter, while those who like a stiff heel counter will be disappointed. It has a unique place as the softest and bounciest super shoe out there, while being a little heavier than many others.
The cost is quite high, although the $300 range is (unfortunately) becoming more normal. The performance does justify this as this ride is wild. It will likely take the place of the longer distance racer/longer workout shoe given its protective and comfortable nature, but it still has incredible speed versatility. This has moved to the top of my list of things I want to race in, so as soon as I survive this semester of teaching, I'll jump into some races and report back. In the meantime, Saucony is crushing it in 2026 by delivering some of the softest and bounciest foams on the market. Before everyone gets too excited, we need to get far more miles on them to see what the durability is. So far, Saucony is off to a great start this year and this shoe is just one example.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: A- (Slightly stretchy, breathable thin mesh with no heel counter and a high comfort. Normal to slightly snug fit with a little sliding while turning but laces mostly fix that)
Performance: A (Incredibly soft and bouncy ride that becomes more responsive the faster you go. Best for 10k to marathon type paces but has some versatility into slower efforts and 5k type paces)
Stability: B+ (High sidewalls and medial sole flare help balance out the soft midsole, create a neutral but not unstable ride when going faster. Less stable going slower)
Value: A- (Expensive, but the softest and bounciest ride on the market makes this shoe unique. Durability has been great so far but we'll take it farther and confirm this)
Personal: A- (I am really enjoying this shoe. The lack of a heel counter and a comfortable upper fits my feet great. The midsole is insanely responsive. Although I wish it was a bit lighter and more stable, it has been a great update and one I keep reaching for)
Overall Design: A-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORSaucony Endorphin Elite 3Price: $289.95 at Running Warehouse
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