Saucony  Endorphin Pro 5 Road-Running Shoes - Men's

The shoes feel good until you actually run in them. Only after 6 miles of my first run in them, they had destroyed the back of my heels leaving torn skin and then painful blisters. I own the Pro 4s and have many miles on them and with no comfort problems. I contacted Saucony regarding the heel collar issue and they essentially said that it's just how this generation is designed. Unless your form involves no foot movement, I do not recommend these shoes.

most traditional/stable feel for the "carbon shoes" I've tried. (and I've tried just about all of them) having a full sole and not a cut away heel like many of them do feels good. The stretchy one piece upper fits a wide foot well. I primarily use for triathlon and running sockless so the stretchy one piece upper is great for that too. But presents a few more issues to deal with.... The tab on top of the heel sink was too high and stiff for me causing rubbing on my achilleas so I cut it down about 1" and folded the felt over the back then super glued it. problem solved. I also have large knuckles over both my big toes and the lacing seam hits right on top of it so I re-laced it to skip the lower holes. There also is a notable seam between the upper and the lacing area that rubbed on top of my knuckle and caused a blister. So I placed a patch of moleskin over that area on the inside and I think that will solve it but more testing to be done still yet. I also have been testing dry intentionally to observe any hotspots but I usually add baby powder periodically and before each race so I think that will help with that rubbing also but more testing to be done yet...

These shoes are great in the forefoot, and I like the cushioning and spring. The heel however is brutal. Maybe Saucony should start making razor blades. I've done 10 miles in them in total, split up into two sessions, and the last one I just had to stop running and walk carefully home. I tried using Compeeds, but the heel still protrudes. Do the even test these shoes on human feet?

Ran in these shoes for my first half marathon and these felt amazing. Felt no PTT flare ups, these shoes carried me to the finish line!! Made my first race (first of many) feel amazing.

In all honesty, with nearly 2 years to come up with some updates and improvements, a big swing and a miss for me. The upper and midsole are very similar to the 4, except I got a little bunching on the tongue over the top of my foot which I never had with the 4. If you like firm, and only run in Saucony, you might like these, but there are so many other racing shoes that trump this in nearly every category. The ONLY improvement for me is the outsole is a bit more grippy, but I would save your money on this one and get something else, or just buy the Pro 4 at a discount and you'll get the same performance/tech that's in this model.

I really like this shoe. I picked it because I supinate and the unique carbon plate helps correct form. Also, that black and neon yellow was nice looking. I was Surprised by it right out of the box of it's fit. This is my first ever carbon plated shoe and I have only used it once for a threshold pace on a track, so take this review as a small snapshot. For reference, I have wide-ish feet; shoes needed to be wide over 10 years ago, but now most shoes are pretty roomy. Most super racing shoes get incredibly narrow, but these guys fit pretty comfortably out of the box. I think it's because this upper is really nice, one of the first things I noticed. It's sock-like but secure. Additionally, the tongue is amazing; it's built right into the upper for a super secure fit. The foam absorbs but also feels springy. I did a zone 1,2 and 3 effort for about an hour: During my threshold test, I PR'ed my 5k. Near the end of the run, I did notice some minor chafing in the rear of the right shoe. I can suspect this might be an issue for longer runs as I hope to do a marathon in this. Overall, I think this shoe has a lot of potential and I am excited to see how it continues to perform.

I absolutely love the Pro 5 version. After putting in countless miles from the Pro 3 forward, I believe these are the best to date. I do all of my long runs, fast paced tempo runs and racing in my Pro 5s as part of my shoe rotation. Superb balance, cushion and poppy feeling make these one of my all time favorite shoes. These shoes definitely get into the sweet spot as you pick up the speed for long distance running. I can go out in a 22 mile long training run with tempo sections with these shoes and I feel so refreshed when finished with my legs feeling great and not trashed the remainder of the day.

The "I hate to be That Guy" review: I've run in the EP 4 and really like it. This after enjoying the ES (Endorphin Speed) for a few iterations. So I ordered this new EP5 only to find its MUCH stiffer with the slotted carbon plate - just prohibitive for me unfortunately. I assume its to better compete with other racers out there but for slower, older runners just looking for a light cushioned shoe, its not a good fit. Going to try the "Azura" which is heavier but "plate free". PS Good to see Saucony offerings at least a few neutral colorways (many mixes are pretty wild aka bowling shoes)