Saucony Endorphin Trainer

The Saucony Endorphin Trainer is a max cushioned training shoe designed to make long runs feel easier. It uses a firmer foam on the bottom for stability, a race foam on the top for bounce and comfort and a 3/4 length carbon-fiber plate in the midfoot and forefoot to encourage a rolling ride. There's a lot of elements involved, but they come together to create a cohesive package. The ride is smooth and comfortable, perfect for the 20 mile long run we tested this on out of the box. It's not a fast shoe—the training foam on the bottom encourages a more relaxed heel to midfoot strike—but it can comfortably handle marathon pace and give you more assistance than a standard training shoe. It's also a great option for runners who find most max cushioned shoes too soft. We recommend this for 4 hour marathoners, bigger runners and heel strikers seeking a long run shoe. This is also a more restrained way to experience Saucony's impressively soft and bouncy new Incredirun foam. If you're looking for a faster marathon training shoe, we suggest the Hoka Mach X2. For a true speed day option with race day foam, check out the Adidas Evo SL. And for the full funky chunky monkey bounce of Incredirun, the Endorphin Elite 2 is your ticket.