VIDEO: Saucony Endorphin Edge - FIRST LOOK"
How I tested the shoe
Seeing as the shoe is still very new on the market, I haven't yet managed to run hundreds of kilometers wearing the shoe - all in all, I have run a total of about 80 kilometers in the shoes as of today. The shoes have been tested on everything from asphalt roads to gravel, sand and slightly muddy conditions. It doesn't really make sense to test the shoe in very muddy conditions, since it is not intended for the mud. However, so far I would say that the grip on the Saucony Endorphin Edge is the best I have tried in terms of super shoes with a built-in carbon plate!
The runs I have done included both flat and steep stretches, and I have also tried the shoe out on highly technical descents. The longest run I have taken in the shoe is approx. 19 km, which is enough to give a pretty good insight into how the shoe feels for longer distance running.
Go down a half-size
In terms of size, the shoe is relatively wide, and so at first glance you might be slightly worried about the shoe taking up too much space, making your running clumsy on more technical stretches. In my normal size (US 11), this was the exact same impression I actually got from the shoe - but I got around this by going down a half-size - so for me down to US 10.5.
Despite going a half-size down, there is still enough room in the toe box for your toes, and the shoe also sits well around the foot, even though I still find myself having to tighten the shoes as much as possible. Just for reference, I have a completely normal foot width - i.e. it's neither wide nor narrow.
Upper – thin but supportive
At the heel there is a small cushion, but in addition the upper is clearly made with a particular focus on high performance - just as it should be for this type of shoe. Around the heel, the mesh is reinforced to add stability, and over the midfoot and forefoot, the mesh is thin and breathable. Moreover, the front as been reinforced, which provides incredible protection for the toes.
The feeling I get from the upper is that it is firm but not particularly stretchy - if I tighten the shoe correctly, I get the feeling that the upper provides support and stability - important qualities, especially when the shape of the shoe is generally on the wider side.
Midsole - carbon plate and super foam
The Saucony Endorphin Edge is equipped with a 6 mm drop and lots of foam; up to 36 mm at the heel and 30 mm at the forefoot. So we are talking about a considerable amount of midsole for a trail running shoe! The foam material is the same as Saucony uses in their top road model (PWRRUNPB).
The midsole is bouncy and incredibly comfortable, but I would personally describe the midsole as being responsive rather than soft. It works incredibly well in a trail environment, where a too soft midsole would become too unstable on technical stretches.
In addition to the foam, the midsole also contains a Carbitex carbon plate. The plate stretches from the front right down under the arch, but not quite out into the heel area. In the forefoot, the plate is split in two pieces lengthwise, which provides better contact with the ground.
The bouncy midsole comes into its own especially on straight stretches and downhill, where you can really get some speed up - here you really feel as though the shoe is giving you energy back, which is a great feeling when you want to run fast.
Despite the high stack height, the shoe performs surprisingly well on technical trails. If you run a route that consists of both regular and technical surfaces, then you will have a sure advantage if you wear the Saucony Endorphin Edge.
Outsole - familiar and highly functional
The outsole is made using Saucony's usual "PWRTRAC", which you also find on the Peregrine 12 and Xodus Ultra, amongst other shoes. The lugs are 4 mm long on the Saucony Endorphin Edge, whereas they are 5 mm and 4.5 mm on the Peregrine and Xodus Ultra.
Saucony PWRTRAC
Despite slightly shorter lugs, I didn't personally notice any real difference in terms of grip on the ground compared to the Peregrine 12, which I have also run quite a bit in. The grip is generally very good, as long as you are not passing extremely muddy conditions.
Conclusion – strong all-rounder
The Saucony Endorphin Edge is a particularly exciting trail running shoe which is generally speaking a strong all-rounder!
In addition to boasting a bouncy type of foam and a built-in carbon plate, the shoe is still relatively lightweight and offers great grip. In practice, as of right now this shoe is definitely one of the sharpest offers available for a trail shoe, since is can do a bit of everything - it will prove to be a faithful companion on your trail runs, on both the short as well as long distances.
