Shoe Review

Saucony Endorphin Pro 3

Saucony officially entered the super shoe market with the follow-up of the Endorphin Pro 2. The Pro 3 shouldn't actually be called a follow-up as the shoe received a complete overhaul from its older sibling. The 3 now matches the other super racing shoes pound for pound - or better yet, gram for gram.

The brand has taken the popular Pro 2 and made a bold change in the design, changing much of the features that it's predecessor has. There are significant changes to the upper part of the shoe, making it much, much more breathable. One of the most prominent features is the added foam underfoot to completely change the ride of the shoe. The trademark "speedroll technology" is still there but the thicker foam layer makes it a much bouncier shoe. It is the combination of a stiff carbon plate, the speed roll technology, and the added PWRRUN PB foam layer that makes the Pro 3 an extremely fast, yet comfortable shoe to run in.   

Upgrades

Take these shoes out of the box and you will notice some immediate differences with your trusted Speed 2' or Pro 2's. The color scheme might be somewhat similar (White/orange or the pink-colored "Prospect Quartz") to the other Endorphin series, the rest of the shoe is definitely not. For starters, the stack height of the Pro 3 has increased to 39.9mm, just under the 40mm legal requirements of the World Athletics Federation. This stack height is remarkably similar to the stack of the Nike ZoomX Alphafly Next% 2 for instance.

Another obvious difference is that the upper of the Pro 3 has a much more breathable mesh than the 2 and original Pro. Lighter than the 2 and (much) more breathable are two attributes that go a long way in a country like Thailand. This shoe is undoubtedly one of the most comfortable shoes that I ran in whilst living in this hot and humid climate. A big bonus for countries with similar climate. 

    

The midsole of the Endorphin Pro 3 is what makes this shoe stand out in comparison to older versions. Saucony has added a thick stack of its PWRRUN PB foam, giving the shoe a completely different underfoot experience to the Endorphin Pro 2. And to be honest, the Pro 2 simply did not have enough kick to compete with the most popular racing shoes on the market. The Pro 3, fixes that little issue for the brand. The shoe is much bouncier and faster than its predecessor. And where the Pro 2 could feel a bit stiff under foot, this version is much softer due to the higher stack height. Soft, but with the bounce you are looking for. It’s comfortable, efficient, and remarkably stable when cornering on the track. I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't any wobble on the bend when running an interval track session on the Pro 3's. 

Road running

The good news is that this is a fast, yet stable shoe. My road running test session in wet conditions went very well and even on the wet downhill sections, the outsole of the shoe gave me enough grip to keep traction. Saucony’s XT-900 rubber on the outsoles of this shoe gives it more grip than previous versions. It does not show any sign of wear-and-tear yet, but I haven't run more than 50k on it so far. Although this shoe handles well on the track, I think I will save these shoes for the tempo sessions and races on the road. Even though the shoe feels very comfortable, I don't think they are meant as a training shoe. A lot of my training runs are done on the trusted Speed 2's. A fantastic all-round shoe that easily handles more than 800km on its outsoles. 

The Pro 3 is an excellent carbon fiber running and racing shoe. If you are a devote of the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2, you might need to adjust to the feel of the 3 a little. It is a very different shoe altogether. However, you will soon find that it is very fast underfoot, has an excellent amount of cushioning, and is an enjoyable ride on days where you need to pick up the pace. 

If you are shopping for a new racing super shoe, you now have one more option to choose from. The Nike's Adidas' and Asics' are still out there for you, but with this shoe, Saucony definitely added a bit of competition to the market of the Super Racers!  

Happy training!

August 2022 - Erik Bohm, Effortless Running

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Disclaimer: Saucony nor any other brand pays me to review their products. I don't receive compensation for these articles and all of the opinions voiced in this article are my own.

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