Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 - My Unicorn Marathon Racer!

After having the good luck to grab a pair of these Saucony Endorphin Elite 2s from the tiny drop in June and sitting on these for nearly six months, I finally got to use them in a marathon on Saturday. And they are sublime, my absolute favorite shoe for the marathon so far. By a wide margin. Yes, exceptionally soft. And also very fast and efficient at any pace I've tried.

The fit is very similar to the Saucony Endorphin Elite 1, which is mostly generous yet well held. The toe box is a bit less spacious than the 1, but only by the most marginal amount. Other than that, fit and hold are exceptional both through the midfoot and the heel. I came out of my marathon without a hint of a hot spot or blister or black toenail. My toes aren't even sore.

The ride is weirdly forgiving. Run with pace, and it offers pace back. Run easier, and it rolls along efficiently and protectively. Get up on your toes, and you fly. Tire a bit and fall back on the heels, you still fly. Explosive, yet easy going.

I would name two cons, one itsy bitsy and one small (but potential a bigger deal on certain courses.) The itsy bitsy one, the toe bumper is pretty stiff. For a few minutes during my race, I noticed what felt like my toes bumping against it. The noticing was there and gone so quickly I barely remembered it. The small con, this shoe is super soft. Corners are not its strength. My marathon course had two 180 degree turns and I had to be very deliberate about navigating them. But then the shoe becomes surprisingly stable while moving in a straight line, so it's really only a problem through tighter corners. And a third consideration, the foam is so soft that I can occasionally feel the plate on the forefoot. It's not uncomfortable or problematic, just a surprising sensation of firmness in all this pillow softness. I only noticed this occasionally in training, not at all during my race.

Fast, efficient, protective, wildly comfortable, and now my PR shoe. What's not to love! I'll be buying another pair for the Chicago Marathon next year once the shoe fully drops. This shoe is special! Like the first time putting the Nike OG Vaporfly 4% on back in 2017/2018.

Perhaps helpful notes about myself to make the review more meaningful: 6'1", 170lbs, 2:54 marathon PR, 70ish miles per week on average, alternate between mountain ultramarathons and road marathons every six months. Other supershoes I've used: OG Vaporfly, Vaporfly Next 1, Alphafly 1 & 2, adidas Adios Pro 2 & 3, Saucony Endorphin Pro 1 & 3, Saucony Endorphin Elite 1, Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 1, adidas Prime X 1 & 1 Strung & 2 Strung.

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