Saucony Endorphin Speed 6

The Saucony Endorphin Speed 6 is a nylon-plated speed trainer designed for workouts and uptempo daily miles. The Endorphin Speed franchise is an iconic line that is credited with bringing the plastic or nylon-plated trainer to the market. The first three versions featured a soft and bouncy PEBA foam that was fun and responsive, but versions four and five were firmer and less energetic. In this sixth version, Saucony introduces a new foam they are calling PWRRUN PBX, but it is still a PEBA foam and upon step-in, we could tell that it was not soft, in fact it might be the firmest of all the Endorphin Speed versions. They raised the stack height in this version by 2mm, gave it a chunkier and wider heel, and reduced the weight slightly from v5. The step-in feel was not great, which is not what we would expect in a speed trainer, which is supposed to combine speedier foams and geometries with the comfort of a daily trainer. Out on the run we found the geometry to be clunky, the foam to be firm and lackluster, and the overall ride to be somewhat unpleasant due to the lack of protection and cushioning in the forefoot. If you are looking for an uptempo daily trainer or workout shoe, we’d recommend looking at the New Balance SC Rebel v1, ASICS Sonicblast, or the Dynafish Xiaonian.