7 Best Saucony Running Shoes – My Top Picks

1. Saucony Ride 19  – Best Stable Daily Trainer for Cushioned Easy/Recovery Runs

Also Available at
Zappos  ; REI ; Saucony

One of Saucony’s most unsung daily trainers, the Ride has always been a reliable workhorse that balances impact protection, a good roomy fit and a wide, stable platform. There’s nothing showy about the Ride, just a simple package of cushion, control and comfort in a more affordable, durable sneaker. 

But the Ride 19 does bring changes. It now packs an upgraded base of PWRRUN+ foam, a bigger stack for a more modern, on trend higher cushioned ride. You’re getting a higher, wider and now softer base that’s excellent at delivering road eating protection. But sacrifices some of the immediacy that instilled past Rides with a note of difference from the most cushioned shoes. Runners who prefer a softer sensation will now enjoy this shoe more, those who like firmness might need to look elsewhere. 

But overall the Ride 19 is still a great pick for the lower, slower runs where comfort trumps speed. It’s stable and reliable, the rockering is smooth, the response is moderate rather than punchy, snappy and it’s not as bouncy as some soft dailies. But it’ll protect your feet for miles and miles.

2. Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 – Best Daily Trainer All-Rounder With a Faster Edge

If easy runs build engine capacity, fast runs shift the top-speed potential. As a rule of thumb around 20 per cent of your weekly mileage should fit in the fast bracket. We’re talking intervals and harder sessions that ask you to move at 70-80% of your all-out effort. This can include 200m, 400m and 800m repeats or runs with segments pushing your fastest paces. Think 5km, 10km and half marathon pace.

Also Available at
Zappos ; Saucony

My go-to sneaker from Saucony’s line up for these faster sessions has always been the Saucony Endorphin Speed. Luckily Saucony hasn’t meddled too much with the Endorphin Speed 5. That’s a good thing in my book. You’ve got a softer-tuned midsole and an updated nylon plate but on the whole it’s business as usual.

While it’s starting to feel different to some of the bigger stack, softer, springier shoes. I like that Saucony has resisted the urge to stick its super squishy incrediRun foam from the Endorphin Elite 2 in here to chase a softer, more bouncy ride.

With its combination of punchy PWRUN PB foam, nylon plate and Speedroll rockering, it’s light, snappy, smooth and responsive. It offers more ground feel and agility than some of the bigger stack super trainers like the ASICS Superblast 3.

I think the Speed package works. It’s still a cracking all rounder, light and fast enough for your faster training miles but cushioned, protective and smooth enough to handle slower miles as well.

If you enjoy shoes with energy that don’t try to do all the work for you, you’ll enjoy the Speed 5. Though it’s built for speed, it’s got great versatility too. If I could only buy one shoe to cover all my runs, this would be high up the list.

3. Saucony Endorphin Pro 5 – Best Carbon Plate Shoe for Tempo Runs

Tempo runs train your body to sustain speed over distance. These comfortably hard efforts should have you feeling like you’re in control but you’d be happy if you could ease off the gas a little. The classic tempo run is two to four miles. But if you’re training for a 10km, you might want to push to four to six miles, eight for the half-marathon, and eight to 10 for marathon.

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Zappos  ; REI ; Saucony

There are a lot of sneakers in the Saucony line-up that can handle these tempo efforts. The Endorphin Speed 5 is definitely worth considering as there’s also not much to choose between the energy of Speed 5 and the Pro 5. But if you want a shoe that offers more cushioning and softer landings and a little more bounce in the midsole, the Pro 5 is it.

The dual-foam Endorphin Pro 5 is Saucony’s more approachable carbon race shoe, more controlled than the wild Elite 3. You get a layer of PWRRUN HG close to the foot, a carbon plate below that and then a wedge of PWRRUN PB at the bottom.

That stacks up to a good level of cushioning that caters well for tempo efforts. It’s quite happy at slower paces. Protective and cushioned right across the platform. But comes to life when you move up through the gears.

It isn’t as all-out fast and efficient as the top carbon racers like the ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo or the Puma Fast R3. It’s not as aggressive as the Saucony Endorphin Elite 3. But if you want a more subtle carbon shoe for faster-pace miles, the Endorphin Pro 5 is a good option. It’ll also look after you deep into a marathon if the wheels have come off.

One word of caution - Some runners (me included) found the heel collars rub on long runs.

4. Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 – Best Carbon Plate Shoe for Racing the Half Marathon

The Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 is Saucony’s top-tier carbon racer, designed for your fastest efforts in training and racing. The Elite 3 still features a big wedge of Saucony’s highest-responding, highly compressive Incredirun foam. 

It’s been tweaked with a slightly wider platform to offer more control than the Elite 2, which some found a bit wild. But this remains super soft, super squishy and very malleable underfoot. It sinks deep and bounces back for a high-bounding energy that’s brilliant fun but definitely works best when you’re on a good surface, running in straight lines.

For a carbon race shoe, the comfort on the foot is standout. Perhaps not as hugging as some race-fit shoes but it feels really natural and like it belongs on the foot. There's lots of road protection for comfort deep into marathons but if you need the higher levels of support, it’s probably not the shoe for you. 

A notable improvement on the last-gen, you still get all the bounce, spring and energy but everything's a bit more reliable underfoot and that makes them a bit more versatile across the pace range.

5. Saucony Guide 19 – Best Stability Shoe for Daily Miles

Also Available at
Zappos  ; REI ; Saucony

The Saucony Guide 19 steps into Saucony’s running shoe line-up as a solid, no-nonsense and milder stability option for overpronators who want more cushion in a daily mileage sneaker. It’s not as stacked as the Hurricane 25, so if you want even more cush with stability, check that out. But there’s a lot to like about the Guide 19.

For a maximal, highly cushioned, stability shoe, it manages to feel light and offers smooth transitions and great clip-along for the slower easier miles. The ride can be a bit blocky fresh out of the box but once you’ve broken it in, it’s the kind of shoe that helps you tick over the easy miles in solid, reliable comfort.

The new PWRRUN+ midsole works well and the supportive elements create a subtle stability. The shoes really feel like they’re working with you in a natural way for a supportive – but not interruptive – feel.

I’d pick the Guide 19 ahead of the likes of the ASICS Gel Kayano 33. Though fans of softer support might prefer the Kayano’s more cushioned ride. Fans of much lighter stability might want to check out the HOKA Arahi 8 as well.

If you need extra support, the Guide is one to check out. A good, stable, dependable daily trainer right here.

6. Saucony Triumph 23– Best Responsive Daily

Also Available at
 Zappos ; REI

Now in its 23rd generation, the Saucony Triumph is the brand’s longest-serving running shoe. It’s been through a lot of changes over the years but it remains Saucony’s range-topping model in terms of cushioning.

The latest incarnation stays true to the Triumph remit - to deliver cushioned daily miles for those who want softness but response. On the surface it doesn’t look like much has changed from the Triumph 22 but there are some important updates. Crucially the PWRRUN PB midsole has been fine tuned to add some extra pop while the uppers and outsole have been tweaked to cut the weight.

The weight savings and the reworked midsole has transformed the shoe once again. It’s back to being a more versatile shoe, suitable for a range of paces. If you want a soft, wide platform that’ll cushion and cocoon the Triumph 23 offers that, just with a bit more response.

7. Saucony Endorphin Azura – Best Non-Plated Daily Trainer

A brand new shoe in the Saucony Endorphin line-up, the Endorphin Azura drops in alongside the Endorphin Speed 5 and the Endorphin Pro 5 as a fast-edge daily trainer. Only, like the hugely popular Adidas EVO SL and the ASICS Megablast, this forgoes the plate. And if you’ve been looking for a faster daily trainer without a stiffening carbon or nylon plate, the Azura is excellent.

Also Available at
 Zappos ; REI

This new non-plated daily trainer uses the same PWRUN PB foam you find in the Endorphin Speed 5 with Saucony’s familiar Speedroll rockering, engineered mesh uppers and grippy XT-900 rubber outsole. That all adds up to a hugely versatile, light, lively, fun and well-fitting package that has the do-it-all swagger of the best versatile shoes.

It offers ample cushion and support with a slightly softer edge than the stiffer Speed 5 but still bounces you out of each footstep with an energy that’s not far off the Endorphin Speed.

The Azura fulfils its brief as a lively, fun and free-flowing running shoe, that’ll eat most of the runs in a marathon training block. All at a price that also represents really good value.

My Saucony Shoe Rotation

If I was picking my current Saucony shoe rotation, it’d be the Saucony Ride 19 for my easy, recovery miles, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 or the Endorphin Azura for the majority of my daily training miles, tempo sessions and speedwork and then for all-out racing for the half or marathon distance, I’d lace up the Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 over the Endorphin Pro 5.

Except for a couple of circumstances: if I knew the course was twisty, the going underfoot was cut up and uneven or I knew there was a good chance I wouldn't be able to hold good form for the full race. In which case the Endorphin Pro 5 for its more reliable platform.