#What is endorphin free#

In fact, the endorphin is a remarkably neutral shoe, with a fairly flat shape under the heel, and very little in the way of rise under the arch of the foot. While the endorphin 2 uses two different types of foam, these are not intended to manipulate your running form in the way that a medial post would. The Endorphin 2 is zero drop (in fact, I measure it with 1mm of negative drop), which is nice to see. It's hard to see the dividing line between the two types of foam, but if you look closely at the photos of your see a diagonal line, and the TPU foam in the forefoot as a mostly smooth finish, where the EVA foam has a crosshatch pattern embossed on it. The traditional EVA foam used in the rear of the midsole is rather firm a than is typical, probably to match the cushioning characteristics of the TPU foam in the forefoot more closely.

I found the endorphin 2 to be rather under cushioned, and therefore slower than a slightly better cushioned shoe, so I'm classifying it as a minimalist shoe, though it's probably got a little too much midsole for most runners looking for a minimalist shoe. I've generally found Saucony's implementation of TPU to be inferior to other companies, especially when comparing to the awesome Altra Escalante. TPU foam tends to be much longer lasting than traditional EVA foam, and it can be rather more spring the, but unfortunately quite a bit heavier as well. The Endorphin 2 uses Saucony's EVERUN under the forefoot, which is their form of TPU foam. Getting the right fit is generally a matter of ensuring the widest part of the forefoot lines up with the widest part of your foot. While a misshapen toe box is endemic to running shoes, and I typically can't the toe box open, the Endorphin 2 is far worse, being too narrow and too short. With the Endorphin 2, I found that when I had a ideal fit from the ball of my foot back, the toe box was radically too small. If you look at the photo below, the point marked by the blue arrows and red arrows should line up, so that the bulge to the inside of the ball of the foot matches the on the shoe, and likewise on the outside. I've found the key to getting a shoe that fits well is to ensure that the curve on each side of the forefoot matches the curves of the shoe. However, I found that the Endorphin 2 has a rather unusual shape. I don't normally comment on the fit of running shoes, as everybody's foot is a slightly different shape.

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It also ensures I don't get 'reviewer specials' that are better than the retail versions.

#What is endorphin free#

I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.) You can read my review of the original at Saucony Endorphin 1.

I've rated the endorphin to as 'worth considering', as I think there are far better light weight running shoes on the market, including its predecessor. My initial impressions of this being more of a minimalist rather than optimal running shoe were confirmed by some later calculations of the shoes measured cushioning. My initial runs in the endorphin 2 were a little slower than I'd have expected, and the shoe didn't feel cushioned enough to give me improved Running Economy you can get with modest cushioning. Sadly, while the reports of the weight gain were true, the cushioning is actually quite a lot worse than of the original shoe. The forefoot was also changed to use TPU foam, which can be far more resilient and long-lasting, as well as provide rather more bounce than traditional EVA foam which is still used in the rear of the shoe. I had incredibly high hopes for this second generation, with reports of improved cushioning and only slight weight gain. The original Endorphin is an outstanding running shoe, providing a surprising level of cushioning at an ultralight weight.