Saucony Endorphin Rift

If there is a brand in the market that stands out for its constant innovation and launch of new shoes on the market, this is the American brand Saucony and, with the new Saucony Endorphin Rift we have a clear example.

The Saucony Endorphin Rift is a trail running shoe that joins the trail range of the brand and stands out for its versatility and quality of materials and technologies that will make you enjoy any mountain terrain.

First impressions and features of the Saucony Endorphin Rift

During the last few weeks we have been training with Saucony's latest release on different mountain terrains, from easy forest trails to more technical and steep trails. Unfortunately, we have not been able to run with the shoes on wet or muddy terrain because there has been no significant rainfall during all this time, and so we have no conclusion about how the shoes perform in the wet, but we believe that they defend themselves in a more than acceptable way.

"The Saucony Endorphin Rift is a step forward for the brand that increases its catalog of versatile trail shoes. They incorporate the best technologies developed by the brand."

The upper of the shoe is very light and breathable, it has reinforcements in the front area and a little more structure in the heel, that gives us the protection we need to run in the mountains.

The shoe is very comfortable, has a bootie design: the tongue is integrated into the upper and without large padding, so it is essential to correctly choose the size of the shoe to ensure a good fit.

It is a shoe that has the best technologies of the brand and proof of this we see in the midsole with the PWRRUN PB, with which we have ensured a great comfort and cushioning to run without limits.

We have a great cushioning that we notice especially in those tracks without great technical difficulties in which we can run with great comfort and where the compound offers its maximum guarantees. On more technical terrain the truth is that, despite not being able to run as fast, it performs perfectly the mission for which it has been developed.

Another highlight of the shoe is the PWRTRAC outsole with a more aggressive lug design than the Saucony Endorphin Edge and that goes perfectly in those terrains with greater unevenness or more technical, in which we have been able to run with all the confidence and security.

If the outsole doesn't give you enough confidence, you also have an anti-rock plate (in the front) so you can run on more uneven or rocky terrain without any problems. I am one of those runners who still have a lot to learn when going downhill and the truth is that I find them difficult (we do not risk more than necessary) but the truth is that with this shoe we have felt very comfortable on the most technical and steep descents.

What kind of runners are the Saucony Endorphin Rift for?

The Saucony Endorphin Rift is a shoe designed for fast runners, mainly medium weight runners, up to 85 kilos or even a little less as it is an agile and light shoe that we can use to the maximum during our training sessions or even competitions on technical surfaces.

We believe that light runners who are not fast can also take advantage of the shoe thanks to its great versatility.

The Saucony Endorphin Rift has a significantly lower profile than the Saucony Endorphin Edge (2mm less) but has the same 6mm drop, an ideal drop for the profile of runners to which it is intended.

Main features of the Saucony Endorphin Rift

For what distances do we recommend the Saucony Endorphin Rift?

They are shoes that we can use without any problems in all types of distances, obviously, the greater the distance and if you are not a fast runner there may be other shoes with more padding and protections that may work better, but if you use the profile that we have discussed above, you can do miles and miles without worrying about the distance.

What we liked most about the Saucony Endorphin Rift

We really liked the comfort and the "feeling" that we had with the shoe from the first moment, it is a lightweight shoe but with quality materials and that is noticeable when running.

The cushioning works excellently, both in easy terrain and in the most technical, and if we also have the tranquility of having a sole that guarantees a good grip, we have everything we need to enjoy during our outings to the mountain.

Opportunities for improvement of the Saucony Endorphin Rift

As we have mentioned, the Saucony Endorphin Rift has a "bootie type" design, there are people who like it and others who do not, I personally do not love it and when putting on and taking off the shoe it costs much more. In addition, if you do not choose the exact size, it can cause some discomfort and / or chafing below the ankle that are always unpleasant and prevent you from running comfortably.

Perhaps another aspect of improvement is the official price of the shoe, the 200 euros can be a significant barrier to entry for those interested in buying the shoe and even more, when there are shoes with carbon plate with similar prices. Anyway, it must also be said that there is always a lot of research and development to make the highest quality and performance shoes a reality and that always costs money.

Which models do we compare the Saucony Endorphin Rift to?

NNormal Kjerag

Brooks Catamount 2

Merrell MTL Long Sky 2

ASICS Fuji Speed 2

Salomon S-Lab Ultra 3 v2

Saucony Endorphin Rift Final Conclusions

A step forward from Saucony in its trail running range with the launch of this new Saucony Endorphin Rift, a faster and more versatile shoe than the Saucony Xodus Ultra 2 but without reaching the demands of the carbon plate of the Saucony Endorphin Edge.

We think they are ideal for fast runners but they can also be used by other profiles as they are assured of great comfort, cushioning and durability and grip provided by the sole of the shoe. Despite finishing the test, we will continue to use them, as a good sign for this shoe.

RUNNEA tester's evaluation of the Saucony Endorphin Rift

• Lightweight: 9.
• Responsiveness: 8.
• Cushioning: 8.
• Stability: 8.
• Flexibility: 8.
• Grip: 9