HOKA Mach 6 vs Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 – Battle of the Top Daily Trainers

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

The Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 stack height sits at 36mm in the heel and 28mm in the forefoot, for an 8mm drop. The HOKA Mach 6 packs a bigger overall stack with 37mm in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot for a lower 5mm drop.

On the scales, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 weighs in at 8.6oz or 245g in a UK 8.5 test shoe size. That’s slightly heavier than the Mach 6 which lands at 8.1oz or 230g.

On price, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 is a chunk more expensive – $170 compared to $140 for the Mach 6.

Design

Both shoes have been upgraded for 2024. There are some significant changes to the HOKA Mach 6. The ProFly+ foam we saw in the HOKA Mach 5 has been swapped for a single layer of supercritical EVA to create a more responsive ride. There’s no plate here.

Meanwhile, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 midsole retains a decent stack of PWRRUN PB Pebax superfoam along with a re-engineered winged nylon plate to provide some stability, rigidity and forefoot flexibility. You also still get Sauconys Speedroll geometry with a decent rocker shaping to help smooth transitions and create that clip-along ride.

In terms of the running platforms, both shoes have a very similar width in the forefoot and heel platforms.

Up top the Mach 6 has new creel jacquard mesh uppers with marginally more structure than the Speed 4 and a little less flex across the top of the toes. The Endorphin Speed 4 uses a zonal mesh that’s light, airy with a perforated design.

Both shoes have medium padded heel collars and gusseted tongues. The Mach 6 collars are narrower while the tongues are more flat wrapping and the result is a closer fit. The Speed 4’s almost knitted tongues are also a bit more flimsy.

Flip them over, and there’s a pretty generous covering of outsole rubber on both. HOKA has removed the Mach’s flex grooves and swapped the exposed EVA foam ‘outsole’ for a heavier duty rubber covering across a substantial portion of the outsole.

On the Speed 4 you’ve got an updated outsole design with one large, lattice design section covering the whole forefoot and two rear sections in the heel. That covers more of the key impact points.

Fit

When it comes to fit I ran in my regular HOKA and Saucony running shoe sizes . Both shoes offer good secure hold across the whole foot with good general, unfussy, step-in comfort. The HOKA Mach 6 comes up much snugger, much tighter with notably less wiggle room in the toe box. The extra room in the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 caters a bit better to longer time on feet and longer runs while the HOKA Mach 6 feels more dialled in race-like.

In the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 I would definitely recommend going true to size. In the HOKA Mach 6, if you like a little more room it might be worth considering a half size up. 

Performance

In testing, I’ve covered more than 100 miles in the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4. That includes 90-minute efforts at the top end of my easy pace, half marathon pace training runs with some faster strides at the end and plenty of interval work. I’ve worked this shoe across a range of paces and on mixed terrain, road and light off road.

I’ve logged 60 miles plus in the Mach 6, too. That includes an all-out 10km race where I clocked a new PB, along with a good mix of marathon training sessions, from fast intervals and fartleks, to progression runs and slower, easier miles. I’ve done most of my miles on the road but some on light off-road river paths.

You’ve got two lively, snappy, excellent daily trainers. The major difference between them really comes down to the tuning of the foam and the way that the rocker works.

At the top paces, there’s a similar energy to both these shoes. You just engage them slightly differently to extract it.

The HOKA Mach 6 obviously doesn't have a plate but you get the stiffness from the outsole and that makes for a much more responsive, immediate, firmer and snappier ride. It relies much more on the rocker that engages earlier. You don't get the same compression-then-propulsion of the foam. The road comes back quicker.

The Speed 4 is still a punchy shoe, it’s just a bit more forgiving and you’re getting a bit more squish and spring from the foam. It’s all a bit more super shoe but with some added slower mile versatility. If you want a shoe for longer distances, longer marathon training runs, the Speed 4 might be better suited.

For tempo sessions where I was doing big chunks of marathon pace, or faster running, I’d choose the Endorphin Speed 4. For shorter, faster, punchier efforts, the Mach 6 maybe offers more. 

My Verdict

The Mach 6 and Endorphin Speed 4 are both highly capable daily trainers. I’d put them in my Top 5 best versatile daily trainers. They pack loads of energy, good comfort and they’re easy shoes to choose for almost any run but they both do well when you’re moving fast with intent.

The Endorphin Speed 4 offers a shade more cushion and protection along with its speed. While the Mach 6 is a little firmer and immediate, relying on the rocker a bit more than the foam. For that reason if you like more softness and spring go for the Endorphin Speed 4. If you’re after a more rockered, responsive ride go for the Mach 6.

For going longer distances or spending more time on feet, the Endorphin Speed 4’s extra softness, protection and roomier fit stand out. While for pure bang-for buck value, the HOKA Mach 6 leads the way. 

However, if I had to choose one shoe out of these two, for all our performance, versatility and comfort the Endorphin Speed 4 has the edge.