Buy If
- You perfer a more smooth and controlled ride.
- You want the best looking xc spike.
- You want something extremely soft and decently forgiving.
The Saucony Endorphin XC isn’t your typical cross-country spike. With a massive slab of IncrediRUN foam, a carbon-fiber plate, and more of a super-shoe feel underfoot, Saucony took a very different approach here.
But at $190, and with a stack height that makes it not World Athletics legal, this is also one of the more interesting—and controversial—XC spikes out there.
So, is the Endorphin XC actually worth that premium price? And who should be considering it for race day?
Let’s get into The Good, The Bad, and The Verdict.
Price$190
Weight5.5 oz
CategoryRace Day Spike
Miles Tested
Calum10 miles
The Good
Calum
When i saw these release last year I was super excited to try them out in the future, and now that future is here and they are everything I expected them to be. The Endorphin xc is without a doubt the most enjoyable spike ive ever ran in. This shoe does have sauconys incredirun foam and a 3/4 length carbon fiber plate that does an amazing job at keeping you stable with how squirrely incredirun is know to be. Saucony really nailed the upper on this with a sock like fit and being very breathable and drainable alongside a very comfortable lockdown. Going back to the midsole it has a huge slab of foam that is definitely over the world athletics limit. Aside from being over the limit the foam and geometry dont force you to run any certain way unlike most spikes and the large midsole offers a huge amount of protection when on downhills which can really help save the legs. I also dont want to ignore the looks as it is absolutely beautiful with the colors and design.
The Bad
Calum
190$ is absolutely absurd for a cross county spike especially because the next most expensive option is 20$ cheaper. The shoe also isn't quite as fast as I hoped it would be as it doesn't really force you foward like some other spikes do.
Probably the worst thing on it is the fact that its not world athletics legal so you cant use it in NCAA/WA races which can suck for elite athletes that want a less aggressive ride.
I do wish that saucony did use a full-length plate for a bit more support in the heel since it does flex a bit. I also believe that it could benefit from a bit more structure in the heel collar because its extremely flimsy.
The Verdict
Calum
The Saucony Endorphin XC is pretty much a low stack super shoe with some spikes tossed in the bottom and given a very premium price tag for the category. I do still find myself reaching for them pretty often for races and some strides because of the comfort and protection it has.
Worth the Price?
Calum
I do think it is worth its high price because I perfer a more smooth and comfortable ride than anything snappy and aggressive. For the runners that do buy this thinking it is gonna be a monster on the course will be disappointed when they realized they dropped 190$ for a glorified super shoe.
Skip If
- You want something super snappy and aggressive.
- You have budget constraints.
- You perfer something that is super nimble.
Disclosure
This review reflects Calum's honest opinions after 10 miles of testing. No brand had any input into this review or its conclusions.
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