Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 Performance Review

The original Saucony Endorphin Speed was a 2020 shoe of the year candidate and championed by some reviewers as Saucony’s best shoe ever. While I wouldn’t go that far, I did think the original Endorphin Speed was a very good shoe. The second iteration was basically the same shoe so I didn’t even take the time to write a full review. However, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 tweaks the winning formula to create the best Endorphin Speed yet. It’s so good it made these lists: Best Running Shoes, Best for Men, Best for Flat Feet, Best Road Running Shoes, Best for Marathons, Best Neutral Running Shoes, and Best for Long Distances.

Pros

Bounce

The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3’s PWRRUN PB feels slightly softer than the previous Endorphin Speeds. It’s still not as cushy as ZoomX, but it’s got a great plush feel that bounces back quickly.

Part of the pop you experience can be credited to the new winged S-curve nylon plate. It’s just a bit more springy than previous iterations and an absolute rocket during track workouts or during uptempo runs. The Endorphin Speed line continues to boast the best nylon plate in the running industry.

With the PWRRUN PB midsole and the nylon plate working together you won’t waste any energy. All the force gets transferred through your footstrike and pushes your foot back up into the air quickly. That tech, along with Saucony’s Speedroll midsole geometry, makes keeping up your cadence (how quickly your feet hit the ground in succession) much easier. It feels like you get a nice push with each step. If you like to feel bouncy, the Endorphin Speed 3 is a great choice.

Versatility

Though the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is the daily training or workout version of the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3, the Speed 3 is the more versatile shoe. Long slow daily miles, track work, tempo runs, and even races are all doable in the Endorphin Speed 3.

Could you run a marathon in it? Yes. In fact, I’d recommend it as a marathon shoe for those that don’t like the stiffness of a carbon fiber plate in their shoe. You still get a plate with great bounce but your feet don’t have to do near the work to flex the plate.

The Endorphin Speed 3 can do anything you need it to…but be careful on easy days as it’s a quick shoe so you may speed up unintentionally.

Stability

The nylon plate in the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 introduces an extra stability feature that feels great underfoot and continues the Endorphin Speed’s ability to provide great stability at high speeds. The nylon plate includes wings at the midfoot on both the medial and lateral sides. They extend all the way to the edge of the midsole so can see them peeking out.

This extra support at the midfoot really helps the Endorphin Speed 3 take fast corners with no wobble. It also provides stealthy arch support for those that need it. If heavy overpronators are looking for a faster shoe, they should try the Endorphin Speed 3. It’s incredibly supportive for being so fast which is a rare find.

Fit

The fit of the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is great all around. The heel features excellent lockdown while the midfoot and forefoot open up to be more accommodating. Wide footers should get enough room by going up a half size while most people can buy their typical size (check here to see if Saucony introduces wider versions at some point).

The upper is super breathable and hugs the foot while expanding as your foot expands on long runs. The tongue is slightly too short but honestly that’s a nitpick, because it’s gusseted and protects the top of the foot from any lace pressure.

It’s a great fitting shoe that you can slip on, and leave on, for hours.

Cons

Wet traction

It’s tough to find anything negative to say about the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3. Other than the short tongue, the only thing that bothered me was the wet traction. I had some slippage on wet boardwalks and some muddy sections of a greenway after a huge rainstorm. There aren’t many shoes that can handle those particular tests without some slippage…and the slippage from the Endorphin Speed 3 is minimal.

The slippage is likely due to the ample exposed foam on the outsole. That’s a trade I’m willing to make because the exposed foam is helping the overall ride and bounce. The exposed foam on my pair has taken some damage but is proving to be more durable than most exposed Pebax-based foams that typically take damage easily.

Saucony Endorphin 3 Summary

The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is a near-perfect everyday running shoe. Its versatility means you can use it for any type of running and it’ll be well-fitting, comfortable, stable, and bouncy along the way. Even with minor wet traction issues, the Endorphin Speed 3 will easily make our Best Running Shoes list.