Endorphin Speed 5

I love the SB2s and have the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 in my rotation. They feel less bouncy than SB2 and definitely quicker turnover IME.

I’ve had the the Saucony ES4 and ES5 in my rotation and love my Adidas Adios Pro 4s.

They haven’t updated the foam in 4 years, tweaked but same foam compound since version 1. Saucony is doing a whole refresh of foams in 2026 for half the line.

This one for me as well.

I love the ES4, but for me the ES5 has become a better all arounder. It's just a bit more comfortable for the really long runs.

Saucony ES5. It can do it all for me and doesn't suffer from the cramped toe box of the ES4 (which I also love). I find that it's also a hair softer than the ES4.

Saucony for sure. The Endorphin Speed line is something I’m unwilling to give up. Use them for about 80% of my miles.

Love the Saucony Speed 4. Upgraded to Speed 5 a few months ago and hated them. I don’t know what they changed but they aren’t as good. Got another pair of Speed 4s - don’t know what I’ll do when they wear down🥹😭

Do you need a racing shoe or just something in the rotation? If it's something in the roatation I think a long run/tempo shoe is what you'd love. I have owned all the pairs you have and I also love my novablast 5 a lot. I currently have a superblast 2 for my long run and endorphin speed 5 for some up tempo stuff. I think a superblast 2 would be good I also agree with a lot of the other recommendations like the zoom fly 6 or Sonic blast. Haven't tried the sonicblast yet but it seems like a superblast/endorphin speed hybrid which is perfect for what you'd need

One pair of trail shoes Saucony Peregrines.  Workout/race day Endorphin Speed 4 and a new pair of Endorphin Speed 5 waiting in the wings when the Speed 4 kicks the bucket.  Daily trainer Ride 18 and Ghost 17.  Had the Ghost first, not exactly what I wanted, then fell in love with Ride.  I use the Rides a lot, the Ghosts more if bad weather (very secure traction in wet weather).  Hurricane 25 for recovery or easy days.  

Saucony all the way.  I cannot imagine under any circumstances giving up my Endorphin Speeds!  Rides are my go to daily trainer, Hurricane easy/recovery shoe.  There’s something about the fit that feels made for me.

Saucony Endorphin Speed.  Light, fast, cushioned, nylon plate but not crazy aggressive.

I’ve been going through my own search for a race day shoe.  I ended up with Endorphin Pro, as recommended below by several people.  Took it for a test spin and it is just fine in 8-9 minute pace (120lb woman).  That said I am running my own HM race today and have opted into wearing my trusty Endorphin Speeds which I know will be fine for me even if I tire and slow down a bit the last mile or two from my planned pace.  Going to see how the pros work in a 5k/10k before potentially using them in a HM race later in the season.   Also considered for today’s race the NB SC Trainer, which I genuinely like a lot, but the Endorphin Speeds are just faster in my opinion.  The Trainer is a pretty forgiving shoe - not uncomfortable even at warm up / cool down paces.  They are a bit redundant with the Speeds in my rotation but I got a great deal on them! I for one am fully invested in this ridiculous bet and hope you post the outcome in a few weeks!  

I’ve been doing my speed work and all my 5K/10K/HM races in the Speed 5. I bought the Azura for the marathon, but after 100 km, I’m still not sure whether I’ll race the marathon in the Speed or the Azura. The Speed still feels nicer for paces around 4:45/km.

I’m a huge fan of the Endorphin Speed series. I actually liked the Speed 4 even more than the Speed 5. So far, I’ve raced all my races in the Speed 4/5. Since I’m currently preparing for my first marathon, I’ve been doing some long runs with marathon-pace segments in the Speeds. However, after around 25 km they start to feel quite stiff. I thought that the nylon plate might be the reason. That’s why I decided to try the Azura, but it wasn’t really the game changer I was hoping for. In my opinion, the Azura is a solid daily trainer and works well for easier runs. But for races and interval or tempo workouts, I’ll definitely stick with the Speeds.

I tried the Speed and the Azura several times in different interval sessions. For interval sessions I really prefer the Speed, but for tempo runs the Azura also works fine.

I don’t see much difference between the Speed 5 and the Azura when it comes to stability.

I set my half marathon PB (1:31) a few days ago in the Endorphin Speed 5 - really nice ride and perfect for this pace I think. I won’t switch to the Pro until my pace is consistently under 4:00/km (like in a 5K race).

I am also Saucony's best customer! I have Hurricane 25 for slow runs, Speed 5 for intervals and now Azura for daily and long runs. They will be replacing the Tempus 2, which I use for faster long runs and also HM. Also wondering if I should use Azura or Speed 5 for HM.

i'd go pro 4 for speed/tempo. the ES5 feel like a super trainer (currently own a pair), and as i don't have a shoe rotation it works well for all my runs. i use my vaporfly a for race day and vo2max days.

i'd go with something in the middle like a shoe with a nylon plate. sauconys endorphins speed are solid for racing as a beginner. good cushion and decent energy return with the nylon plate. i used em for my first and have become my daily trainers. i'm on the camp that if you're not pushing sub 3:40fm, you don't need carbon shoes. to each their own tho!