Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 Berlin Mens Size 9

I'm going to compare these to the Saucony Endorphine Pro; which are my favorite shoes.These have lots of foam which creates a spring like experience which is like a 7-8 in stiffness so there is no left/right wobble whatsoever making it a neutral shoe. They look slick at first glance and overall when you need a daily trainer where you run to work or maybe are going to continue to stand in them at the gym... you can tell these will hold up for 500 miles w/o having to worry about it.With that said, these shoes are no Saucony Pros (but those cost $50 more). If you are a runner who is consistently in the A-C corral at races, this is not the shoe for the big event. In comparison, the Saucony Endorphin Pro is lighter, seems to get you up hills with less effort, and ... MoreI'm going to compare these to the Saucony Endorphine Pro; which are my favorite shoes.These have lots of foam which creates a spring like experience which is like a 7-8 in stiffness so there is no left/right wobble whatsoever making it a neutral shoe. They look slick at first glance and overall when you need a daily trainer where you run to work or maybe are going to continue to stand in them at the gym... you can tell these will hold up for 500 miles w/o having to worry about it.With that said, these shoes are no Saucony Pros (but those cost $50 more). If you are a runner who is consistently in the A-C corral at races, this is not the shoe for the big event. In comparison, the Saucony Endorphin Pro is lighter, seems to get you up hills with less effort, and they fit like your favorite slippers... but also not a shoe I want to be standing in at the gym for hours either... cause the foam will get compressed. These shoes once again are great as a daily trainer, not fragile, have bounce. ...but definitely heavier and not as bouncy as the Saucony Pros with the carbon plate. Of course more affordable too.

I am really struggling with the ride of these shoes - no issues with fit, uppers, or outsole grip. Background: I am a 54 year old male. I have been running for ~40 years. With my kids growing up, I am spending more time running - ~30 miles / week with half marathon races this year. My pace varies from 7:15 min/mile for mile repeats to 9:15 for long slow distance training. These are the my first plated shoes with PEBA midsole foam. I have done two 3 mile runs in the shoes. I am a heel striker. The initial landing is fine albeit firm. The transition onto the forefoot is troublesome in that the shoes feel like they are forcing this to happen more quickly than my body would like (and is used to?). When my forefoot lands, the shoes slap audibly, and the feel is very ... MoreI am really struggling with the ride of these shoes - no issues with fit, uppers, or outsole grip. Background: I am a 54 year old male. I have been running for ~40 years. With my kids growing up, I am spending more time running - ~30 miles / week with half marathon races this year. My pace varies from 7:15 min/mile for mile repeats to 9:15 for long slow distance training. These are the my first plated shoes with PEBA midsole foam. I have done two 3 mile runs in the shoes. I am a heel striker. The initial landing is fine albeit firm. The transition onto the forefoot is troublesome in that the shoes feel like they are forcing this to happen more quickly than my body would like (and is used to?). When my forefoot lands, the shoes slap audibly, and the feel is very harsh. The impact transmits through my feet into my legs and hips. This is very uncomfortable and induces IBT syndrome symptoms. I am having trouble determining if: (1) the shoes will break in, (2) I need to adapt my running biomechanics to the dynamics of the shoes, (3) I should give up on them. I had intended that they be my race shoes for an upcoming half, but instead I have shelved them. I plan to spend a little more time with them during my next training cycle. For now, I am really disappointed.

In 2022 and early 2023 I put 1600 miles in 4 pairs of Endorphin Speed 2. I absolutely loved this shoe, so much that I ran my first-ever marathon in them and many 15-20 mile long runs. This was the best shoe ever.I excitedly ordered the version 3 and the footbed felt like it was dimpled under the forefront and I sent them back and got some Triumph 20s instead. I’ve run in two pairs of Triumph 20s since. I love the comfort but I missed the snappy Endorphin Speed.This week I thought I’d give the Endorphin Speed 4 a shot. I ran a 3 mile and 4 mile run in them. My feet hurt bad after 2 miles both runs, the forefoot felt like there were chunks of the midsole missing and simply not comfortable. Also the upper was way too stretchy and I couldn’t get the shoe snug at ... MoreIn 2022 and early 2023 I put 1600 miles in 4 pairs of Endorphin Speed 2. I absolutely loved this shoe, so much that I ran my first-ever marathon in them and many 15-20 mile long runs. This was the best shoe ever.I excitedly ordered the version 3 and the footbed felt like it was dimpled under the forefront and I sent them back and got some Triumph 20s instead. I’ve run in two pairs of Triumph 20s since. I love the comfort but I missed the snappy Endorphin Speed.This week I thought I’d give the Endorphin Speed 4 a shot. I ran a 3 mile and 4 mile run in them. My feet hurt bad after 2 miles both runs, the forefoot felt like there were chunks of the midsole missing and simply not comfortable. Also the upper was way too stretchy and I couldn’t get the shoe snug at all. I sent these back because I couldn’t imagine a full training block in this shoe.Why wreck such a good thing? The V2 was amazing, can you please go back to that design? Seriously, take the same approach like you did with the Triumph and tweak but avoid the wholesale changes. These aren’t even close to being the same shoe or feel.Unfortunately, I’ve now moved on to my first pair of New Balance 1080s after being a Saucony endorser for 2 years, it’s saddens me to each for a new brand.