Saucony - Endorphin Rift

Easy gravel and non-technical terrain they are fine but the Rift seems to run shorter than the same size in all my other Saucony shoes. My toes are constantly hitting the front of the shoes.

I have well over 200 miles in my pair, including many 20-30 mile runs. They were a bit narrower than the Peregrines, which was already snug for me. I thought it needed at least another eyelet for the laces and the one piece tongue and collar had a bit of a sloppy fit. Cranking the laces a bit and heel lock lacing helped. Cushioning-wise, felt somewhere between the Peregrine and Xodus Ultra 2. Underfoot protection from rocks was adequate. Traction was good and I liked that there was a lot of outsole material since I had a tendency to lose some outsole chunks in the Rifts, Xodus, and Endorphin Edge. Overall, I thought they were solid and I wish there was an update to address some of the common weak areas people pointed out. Currently running in the Nnormal Tomir 2.

I found some of the complains pretty valid. The midfoot is a little loosey goosey and the lacing makes a comfortable lock down tricky to achieve. With that said, I quite liked them. Great foam, weight, subtle rocker. Not too tippy in technical terrain. I did the first 65 or so miles of a 100 in them and my feet were in great shape. Oh, and definitely a nice gravel road shoe. I'm actually still using them (\~400 miles) and the upper has held up much better than both pairs of the Peregrines I've had.

I have both these shoes. The Tomir 2.0 provides a firmer platform and better grip. The Rift has a much more forgiving midsole and toe box. I also enjoy the rocker on the Rift, but that's very much a personal preference. Honestly I like both. For very rocky/technical terrain I'd lean Nnormal for the protection it affords, but beyond that I'd suggest to someone to go with what's more comfortable.

I have tried GoreTex and Seal Skinz and found that shoes or socks that have a membrane end up just as wet by the end of the run because my feet get all sweaty and maybe even heavier because they don't drain for shit. As far as brands go, here is a quick review NNormal (Tomir) started falling apart after 30km. Not impressed with fit, look or durability. Hoka: SG4 fantastic shoe, had 3 pair SG 5, never felt stable in my foot ran maybe 20km before I retired them to leisure shoe. Tecton/x V1 and V2 Super comfortable shoes, dog shit in the mud but I love them on the dry days. V3 blew apart in the forefoot after only two runs. I fixed them but they are not super stable either... we see how much I end up using them in the future. Altra: Lone Peak and Olympus...meh OnClouds went straight to goodwill, Saucony: Peregeine / Endorphin Rift again not impressed with durability and no good for mud and wet roots. Speedland: GL-PDX I looove them, just yesterday I was heading up the mtn and caught my foot on some hidden rebar, this would have destroyed the toe on any other pair of shoes that I own and I was sure I would look down and see a hole... nope, not even a mark. I am greatly impressed. They drain well and have nice traction as good or better than Vibram. GS:RAR Initial impression is that they fit well and after some minor adjustments to lugs are comfortable to run in on the treadmill, nothing outside yet as I will use them in the snow with crampons and in the summer. when it is dry. No experience with Norda, I don't like how they look imo Keep in mind that wool insulates even when wet and if you are going in a long run maybe bring a dry pair along for a pit stop ✅ I recommend this over membranes any day. For reference I run in Southwest Norway where we get around 300 days of rain yearly. Happy Trails 🤙🏼

if you are in asics n like asics fit, maybe Fuji n Trabuco also something you should look into. for my light gravel, i have Novablast3 TR, n sometimes also got away with Adizero SL2. but my long distance trail shoes are Torrent2, Speedgoat5, XodusUltra2 n just newly acquired EndorphinRift. among my lineup, SG5 probably overkill for something under 30km. for Salomon, most reviewer would highlight about its narrowness. take note

Take a look at Saucony Endorphin Rift

I have done the same thing and have tried out very many shoes. One of my favorites have been Inov8 TrailFly 300, but in wet conditions it lack grip on hard surfaces. I also like Saucony Endorphin Rift for its midsole but I get blisters on the side of my heels. At the moment the Tecton x3 is my favorite for long runs but the upper lacks support so it is not that good on technical terrain. Brooks Cascadia is such a joy to run but I would not take it past 30k. On Monday the mailman will deliver a couple of new candidates namely The North Face Enduris 4 and the Vectiv Pro 3. Maybe one of them is the holy grail or maybe such a shoe doesn’t exist.

To me they are something in between. I bought them a Tuesday, ran 8 k in them on Wednesday and then on Saturday I started out in them on a 100k. I ended up doing 70k in them before swapping to another pair of shoes. I have 340k on them now and still like them. The midsole is wonderful and they are fast. And they are plenty wide for my feet and that is not that common. But I am not that impressed with the grip on wet rocks. And the worst part for me is that I get blisters on the side of my heels. The minimalistic padding somehow seems to start rubbing after a (long) while. I would like to see the upper a bit more supporting, the padding redesigned and vibram soles.

I like Tecton x3 and Saucony Endorphin Rift though both could use more support in the upper. La Sportive Prodigio Pro are in the mail so I hope they will be perfect

My favorite shoes in 2024 for the trails have been Saucony Endorphin Rift and Hoka Tecton x3. Both accommodate rather wide feet.

It depends on the trail itself. If there is any wet surfaces I go with a Vibram MegaGrip option. For me, Merrell Long Sky 2 Matryx. If no wet surfaces I go for comfort which is the Saucony Endorphin Rift. Either way, it has a rock plate for any technical trails with jagged rocks.

Out here in AZ and I find the Saucony Endorphin Rift to be an amazing shoe! I have been searching long and wide and hope they continue the line

I love them! I have been looking for a solid trail shoe for years and everything came up short until the rift. I wear the same 9.5 I do for all my Saucony shoes and don’t have any of the problem with lockdown, rubbing or blisters. What I like best is I don’t think about them when I’m running - put em on and focus on my run and not my shoe…awesome. I run in southern AZ so deal with a lot of rock and scree -pretty technical at times and need something with enough cushion but not some unstable moon boot where I can’t feel the trail at all. The Rift is great in this regard. I can’t talk much about grip on wet rocks or the peaty trails of the northwest but for a desert shoe, I think it’s fantastic. I hope they come out with an updated version.

The Rift is too much shoe for my taste, very unstable with the rocker, thick foam and meshy upper. Ended up changing it for a pair of Thundercross'. My 2cts.

I've only put \~50mi on my pair and I'm kind of mixed on them. I agree with others that the mid-sole and weight are nice. Grip is, I believe, the same as all other Saucony trail runners. Generally good enough for most trails, but really not great on wet, slimy rocks. Sizing seems weird. My impression is that they run larger than my other Saucony shoes, but I have lockdown issues and feel like my toes and moving around and hitting the front more than my Xodus Ultra 1's in the same size (as an example). I picked up two pairs for cheap and was planning on using them as my racing shoe, but I'm a little nervous about it now. In my mind I categorized them as analogous to a trail version of the Endorphin Speed and that's fairly accurate although they're obviously a bit heavier and have a less aggressive rocker. My big issue with them is that they rub against the back of my ankle and I've gotten blisters each time I wear them, even when my sock is covering the spot.

I really like the rift. Also I just scored a pair of saucony peregrine 13 st very cheap (<50€) which I hope to use for muddy runs with their 6.5mm lugs

That's normal for Saucony. The edge model is especially prone to tear and wear, moreso than the Peregrine. Sand and rocks tend to inflict more wear on them, especially if you're running on gradient. That being said, the Rift (the one without the plate) is super bouncy and responsive, feels like using a super shoe on trails. I would have no regrets if i bought and used them. Grip wise, prior to partial wear of, they work really well like vibram soles except on sandy ground and worst of all on wet rocks and moss (seriously my confidence level drops to 0 every time i encounter wet rocks wearing any Saucony models) They're worth it if discounted imo, but not at retail price.

Suggestion: buy 2 shoes, get older models on sale to mitigate the cost. I put 600 miles on Novablast 4s (1st pair short, on 3rd pair) and have 138 on Trabuco Max 4s. Lugs on pavement are harsh and slow, and the shoes really are meant to do different things. Taking the Trabuco Max's on a road run is something I would not voluntarily do. They are not so great off-road either, the softness of the stack and shape makes descending hard on the ankles. I take the Novablasts on dirt sometimes (gravel, sand in golden gate park or candlestick) and they work (fine in wet, that seems to be an internet myth) you just have to slow down. But on real trails you will mess up your ankles and/or crash, same with the TR thick-soled versions of other Asics shoes (tried TR novablast 3s and nimbuses). Besides being slow and harsh, the downside of lugs on pavement is premature wear - the roads grind the lugs down and the cost-savings of using one shoe disappear. I have a local loop that I do weekly that takes 3-4 miles of roads to get to a mix of gravel, dirt, roots and rocks (10-17 miles total), and there doesn't seem to be a good shoe compromise. The Saucony Endorphin Rift model (400+ miles on 2 pairs) was pretty good on the roads after 100-150 miles with worn lugs, but the lockdown for technical trails wasn't great.

If you like Saucony then the endorphin rift has a very good 5mm lug. I haven’t put a lot of miles on them yet (50/60km) but they’re great. I also just bought Tomir 2.0 primarily for the MegaGrip outsole. Only 20km on these so far and they’re great

One of my favorite shoes ever. Unfortunately my size (14) is not usually available in the crazy sales or I would stock up. Love the midsole and the weight. First run out with them and set a new PR on one of my regular runs. Legs still feel great after 20mi. Their midfoot fit is loose. I use insoles and they're now perfect. Have not had any issues with wet or technical terrain. Only quibble is that I wish they had a plate. Have felt a few rocks underfoot.

They work really well for me for my preferred terrain (hardwood foresty/rocky, technical, shocking mud at times) but aren’t the most comfortable on harder packed trails. The grip is not great on bare wet rock, but no worse than any other shoe I run in. They’re good in the winter. (Need screws if there’s ice). The fit works for me, though I did have to go up a 1/2 size. I’m a pretty solidly mid-pack middle aged runner though and really deliberate about where I step. I could see them being less effective if a person likes to push the pace.

I also have much of the Saucony trail lineup (Peregrine 12, Endorphin Trail, Switchback 2, Endorphin Rift). They work well in the midwest where the trails are mostly grass and mud or just to use in the snow. When I have taken them to the east coast I thought I was going to die sliding on all the rocks.

I second this. Unless you're an elite chasing podiums, I feel like the carbon plate is more of a hindrance on the trails. However, the endorphin rift is similar to the edge, minus the carbon plate and has a sock like upper and is a really good shoes for speedy trail runs. It just has a weird lockdown

I loved the midsole on them. Grip was fine. What I don’t understand is that the upper is very streamlined, but the lack of lace eyelets makes lockdown impossible. Then because the lock down sucks my toes would bang into the harder toe cap. Lots of pain. 

I really like the Endorphin Rift. I have used mine for a 25k race this past Saturday and for another race back in November. Grip was fine for me and they are light enough to pick up the pace on Jeep/Gravel roads after exiting single track.

My Saucony Endorphin Rifts are pretty darn good at that. The lugs are widely spaced, and the compound is also decent at rejecting sticky stuff. Most things don't stick to the shoe. I suppose Saucony also uses this Pwrtrac outsole (not sure if I spelt that correctly...) on their slightly cheaper shoes (the Rifts cost a decent wedge/are not currently available most places as I believe they're being replaced?) so maybe have a look at some of Saucony's other shoes. If you can find some Rifts, they're lovely to run in. PEBA in trail shoes is beautiful for long runs/races.........imo these are better overall than the Edge

Terrible lockdown, due to not enough laces holes and bootie design. Also wet grip is terrible. And the lugs are too tall to suit the type of shoe. I did like the rocker and midsole, it comes alive at fast paces. Hope they rework it as it had potential, but I can't recommend them. For your use look rather at the Salomon Genesis or New La Sportiva Prodigio Pro.

The midsole is so, so good. Lugs are incredibly durable but that also means they dont grip super well because theyre not soft enough. The only real problem I had with them was that I could not get a lockdown in that shoe to save my life because the lacing system is under-built and wonky. And that meant they were unusable.

I have the Rift. While I like the cushion and the bounce the foothold is not so good. I only use it for easy trails.

I saw that RTR video with the Xodus 4: I have an Endorphin Rift and really love the powerrunpb midsole but the upper and the outsole are not great. I'm very interested in that Xodus 4 as it also has powerrunbp, a "hopefully" much better upper and a vibram outsole. I will try it when its available.

I also have the Rift ... I love the midsole and hate the upper ... descending in them is tricky.

The Saucony Xodus has a pretty high stack, and the PWRRUN PB is definitely a super foam. Version 4 is set to release in a couple of months with significant upgrades over the previous model—most notably, a Vibram outsole ([Saucony Xodus Ultra 4 First Look](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klJoS7fwkJk)) Personally, I’m planning to grab a pair as soon as they drop and use them for all my summer 25 races. My Merrell Agility Peak 5s from last summer have flattened out, so it’s time for an upgrade!