The Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 normally runs $290, and for Prime Big Deal Days the unisex running shoe is $129.95, a savings of more than $160. Yes, it’s last year's model. It’s still one of our testers’ favorites (and one of my personal favorites), and at this price it’s one of the best racing shoe deals you’ll see all year.
Carbon-plated racers rarely drop below half price. At $129.95, the Elite 2 costs less than a daily trainer typically does, and you get a shoe built for speed. A newer version doesn’t make a great shoe slower, and nothing about how the Elite 2 runs has changed since it earned a spot on our favorites list.
If it’s been on your wish list, this is the price you were waiting for. Seven ounces is light for a shoe with this much foam underfoot. The 8 mm drop is moderate, so it should feel familiar if you're coming from most trainers or racers.
I've tested a lot of racing shoes, and the Elite 2 is one I that I loved right out of the box. The ride is a great mix of cushion and the jet-pack speed you get from a racing shoe, and somehow, these puppies are still surprisingly stable. It’s most impressive on tempo efforts, where it carries along, responsive and cushy without turning hard or feeling like you’re going to break something.
There’s a good amount room in the toe box and forefoot, but it never feels like my foot or my weirdly narrow heels are drowning. The stable base gives me an even foot strike no matter where you’re running, and I’ve run it on hill repeats and longer tempos and track workouts without any more complaints than usual when running in a circle or uphill. Wear tester Eileen Cody (who runs a 7 minute mile) said of the shoes “I liked the first Endorphin Elite, but I kept going back to my Pros when I wanted a bit more stability.
The Elite 2 combines the best of the Pro 2 and the Elite 1, which makes it the ideal Saucony shoe. I put fewer miles on it than I wanted, because I was saving it for special occasions.” Running Reviews Editor Amanda Furrer had a different first reaction: the shoe felt squishy. Her concern is that overly soft foam can backfire, with feet sinking in instead of getting a firm platform, and energy return damped instead of helping you speed up.
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