Saucony Endorphin Edge Review

Updated: September 20th, 2022

A Lightweight Trail Shoe With a Road-Race Feel

Likes

Soft and responsive feel
Supportive but not restrictive
Keeps trail debris out
Lightweight cushioning

Dislikes

Lots of heel movement
Unstable on technical terrain
Lace webbing can cause irritation

What's New

The Endorphin Edge is a versatile and fast shoe ready to tackle all your trail adventures. Featuring the same PWRRUN PB foam that is found in Saucony's popular Endorphin Pro and Endorphin Speed models, the midsole of the Endorphin Edge smooths out the trail surface while providing a high level of energy return with every step. In combination with this responsive midsole, a three-quarter Carbitex carbon fiber plate provides speed and efficiency without muting ground feel. And to ensure all the energy is getting transferred to the ground, the shoe features a full-length PWRTRAC outsole with grippy 4-mm lugs. The race-ready upper is made from a lightweight mesh that helps pull moisture away from your foot to keep you dry and comfortable even in wet conditions. These technologies all add up to make the Endorphin Edge a fast and fun trail explorer, delivering an extremely capable and versatile running experience.

The Bottom Line

The Saucony Endorphin Edge is a performance trail running shoe with a highly responsive midsole, efficient carbon fibre plate, and grippy rubber outsole. Our testers saw the magic of the Endorphin Edge on specific terrain and found this shoe to be a perfect option for the ultra race distance thanks so its soft instep feel and highly responsive carbon-plated midsole.

While both testers found the upper breathable and great for protection against rocks and debris, narrow-footed runners may find the heel cup a bit too roomy for a secure fit on rough terrain.

The traction from the Endorphin Edge's outsole makes this shoe a highly versatile option, ready to perform on any surface. With its lightweight design, responsive yet plush midsole, and versatile outsole, the Saucony Endorphin Edge is a perfect option for any trail runner wanting an edge over the competition at any distance from 5K to 100-milers.

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Saucony Endorphin Edge right angled view

Our In-Depth Look

Upper

Erik: "The upper has excellent lockdown and support. Once I laced up, I did not notice any issues there. On my first outing with the shoe, I could feel the lace webbing where it connects to the midsole, but that feeling quickly disappeared. I am curious if the laces would cause any kind of issues if used for a significant amount of time or distance."

Grace: "The forefoot and heel cup are wider than average, which provided a lot of unwanted movement within the shoe. I tried cinching the laces and used the runner's loop but still had more movement than I would have liked. Because of the roomy heel cup, this shoe was best used on hard-packed flat trails and roads. Anytime I tested the Endorphin Edge on any somewhat technical trails, that's when the ankle rolling started. Other than the loose fit in the heel, the upper was comfortable, breathable, and highly durable."

Midsole

Erik: "This is where the Endorphin Edge really shines. When I saw the Endorphin name, I was expecting something very responsive and race ready. This shoe didn't disappoint. It is built for speed and performance. The combination of the PWRN PB midsole with the Carbitex carbon fiber plate provides a platform that doesn't want to go slow."

Grace: "This shoe is fast. Thanks to the use of both a super foam (PWRRUN PB) and carbon fiber plate (Carbitex AFX), the Endorphin Edge midsole feels highly cushioned and responsive on the trails and roads. The stiffness from the one-directional carbon plate gave this shoe a noticeable spring for an efficient, enjoyable ride. This shoe also has Speedroll technology that helps with that forward motion, which is especially beneficial when getting into longer distances."

Outsole

Erik: "I took this shoe on mostly well-groomed trails, and it handled the terrain very well. It felt fast and responsive even when I ventured onto paved roads. I experienced no issues with grip or protection. I would have liked to have taken the shoe out on some wet trails but current weather conditions in Central California did not allow for this to happen. I also didn't get a chance to run on sustained rocky or rough terrain to see how the grip performed. But in the small sections I traveled, I felt no issues."

Grace: "The multi-directional lugs with PWRTRAC provide exceptional traction on the trails. The outsole is durable and gripped any surfaces I took it on, from wet and rocky technical terrain to flat and easy single track. Overall, I didn't have any issues; the bottom of my foot felt protected with very little ground feel."

Comparable Shoes

Erik: "The Endorphin Edge is the latest entry in the new category of carbon-plated trail shoes. Other entries I've tried are The North Face Flight Vectiv and the HOKA Tecton X. While those are good shoes for the first generation of this category, I feel the Endorphin Edge has the upper hand over both models. The difference with the Tecton X is slight, but I give the nod to the Endorphin Edge due to an overall more race-ready feel. I would say the Endorphin Edge is a similar shoe to the Tecton X in the realm of performance. I do feel that it has a leg up on the fit and comfort of the upper. I wore the Tecton X for a 50K and it performed beautifully, but I'm more impressed with the fit of the Endorphin Edge."

Grace: "The only other trail shoe I have run in with a carbon plate is the HOKA Tecton X. Both shoes were great in terms of energy return, but the Endorphin Edge has a softer feel that takes away more impact. For fit comparison, the HOKA Tecton X was much better. Due to the Endorphin Edge's wide heel cup, I wasn't able to run my regular trail preferences without a decent amount of ankle rolls. Because of this, I would choose the Tecton X over the Endorphin Edge for my speedy day trail runs."

Saucony Men's Endorphin Edge

The Saucony Endorphin Edge is a performance trail shoe with a highly responsive midsole, efficient carbon-fiber plate, and grippy rubber outsole.

Saucony Women's Endorphin Edge

The Saucony Endorphin Edge is a performance trail shoe with a highly responsive midsole, efficient carbon-fiber plate, and grippy rubber outsole.

Individual Thoughts

ErikOverall Score: 8.5/10

I really love this entry into the trail market. I am on a never-ending quest to find the perfect shoe for the 50- to 100-mile distance. I won't know till I try this one out over longer runs, but I can imagine it will be close to my ideal. The upper fit is solid. The midsole is soft but bouncy. The introduction of the carbon plate provides the extra spring I want out of a performance shoe. And the outsole seems to handle the terrain I want to travel. I'm excited to take this shoe out for some longer runs and see how it handles the miles and the hours on my feet.

Shoe Softness

FirmSoft

Ride/Energy Return

Less SpringyMore Springy

Underfoot Protection

LowHigh

Flexibility

RigidElastic

Upper Support

StructuredAdaptable

Reviewer Picture

Grace Overall Score: 7/10

The Saucony Endorphin Edge is a lightweight trail shoe that, for me, was best used on hard-packed trails and fire roads. My first few runs with this shoe were not great. The typical trails I run on are rocky, technical, loose singletrack, and with the combination of this shoe's loose heel fit and 36-mm stack height, it was too easy for me to roll an ankle. After adjusting my terrain choices, I found the magic of the Endorphin Edge. This performance trail shoe has a highly responsive midsole and efficient carbon fiber plate, making it easy to pick up the pace. The grippy rubber outsole is very durable; I feel like these shoes will last for hundreds of miles. Overall, I think the Saucony Endorphin Edge is a super fun shoe with a bouncy ride ideal for any runner looking for a lightweight trail shoe with a road-race feel.