Just wanted to thank you, Andy, for that great tip about the laces. I’ve got unusually narrow feet, always have to use a runners’ knot and was having trouble getting good lockdown with my new Endorphin Speed 4 (just £125.99 in Wiggle’s liquidation sale). The laces are really stretchy. The day-glo reflective laces from my old Endorphin Pro 2 have absolutely no stretch. They are slightly heavier and more substantial than the new ones. Just tried out stretchy laces on one foot and non-stretchy in the other. A noticeable difference in foot movement inside the shoe and I don’t have to cinch down anywhere near as much. Result!
Amazing, thanks for sharing that... I might just straight up swap the laces out instead of fannying around with trying to get a better lockdown, I had a feeling it would solve the issue!
Thanks Andy!! Great timing it arriving for your marathon pace long run, AND straight out of the box, awesome!! A tiny bit firmer no doubt suits you perfectly!! I don't understand crappy laces though, surely ALL manufacturers know how to make great laces by now!!🤞🏻🤞🏻that solves the blister problem, though it could be a combination of laces plus wearing the shoe in too!
Re: the Pro 4. I'm still hugely enjoying the 3 when i use them. I race two or three times a year so they'll see me right for 2024 and am grateful for your recommendation! I am fascinated by these being pitched as a training option, i make you right that it's to push to the more expensive option as a pairing of shoes.
Great review, however despite hearing all the complain about SEP4 stretchy laces, I have never found them to be an issue and rather like this laces, the lock-down is simply perfect for my slightly wide 9.5 US feet and I immensely enjoy this shoes.
Thanks Andy. I love my speed 3’s and picked up a pair of Pro 3’s as they were selling out. Keeping them for race day. Glad I didn’t wait for the more expensive Pro 4’s as they don’t sound a significant improvement for the money!
Just ran in my pair for the first time this morning, not as bouncy as EP3 but still felt amazing, VERY fast and more stable. Super comfy too, upper is a lot better imo, i like the laces, hugs the foot. Feels more balanced overall. Got them for around £162 on wiggle, happy days
@hamishmaclean1409 for me I'd say so. I felt the toe box has more room. I also had some issues with toe rubbing in EP3. Didn't seem to happen on first run which I noticed
its even more fun then the pro 3 its feels improved and refined as well as a more responsive ride, will use it for my barca full next week ......although i kinda agree with the laces .....they sorta unloose while im running
After my initial run in them, I wasn't too impressed with them. They do feel a little different in the forefoot. It doesn't feel as cushioned in the forefoot as the Pro 3. The upper on the Pro 3 wraps around the foot much better.
Nice one Andy. Have taken mine out for a few runs now, including a 13 mile, easy paced and a 9 mile interval session. Luckily, I haven’t had the lacing issue. Although, I did find the stretchiness of the laces odd. Tempted to put some old vaporfly laces in them. Racing a half marathon on Sunday in them, for a proper race test 💪🏼
When I ran in mine 3 weeks ago the first 5k was terrible . Had to heel lock / runners knot them and it works . I really don't agree with the "firmer" these feel way softer for me than the 3.
OMG Andy I took mine out this morning for the first run & loved them BUT there was the same issue with my foot (heel in particular) moving around - no blisters but not ideal. Will do the same as you ... will try a runner's knot next time and then maybe swap laces. But once I get that sorted these will be my race shoes for the London marathon
Interesting review. How would you say it stacks up against the Endorphin Elite? I imagine the Elite is a bit more aggressive, unfortunately I haven't found a store around here that sells them to try on. I did really enjoy the Pro 3s but am debating between the Pro 4s and Elite. Hoping to get close to cracking that 3 hour marathon barrier.
I have the speed 3 and same problem with elastic laces. Swapped them out for laces from an old pair of speeds and problem solved. Couldn't get shoes to be secured with elastic laces.
So, with the Pro 3 - first batch - (the beautiful red and dark blue colour), they designed rounded camping cord lookalike laces, which literally "bite" into your upper foot and now, elasticated triathlon lookalike laces? Jeez, Saucony, I really like your shoes, but can you please pay more attention when you design the shoeslaces? We are talking about £230, here! (From a Saucony guy ;-) #pro2 #pro+ #pro3
Sometimes I think why ruin a good thing, I'll just buy 3 pairs of V3 and hang out...BUT improvements over the years have been interesting..I am still trying to decide.. But I Definitely LOVE ❤️ version 3.. and agreed I just picked up a pair of elites n laces a rubbish!!😂
I didn't like the laces in the pro 3. I actually swapped them for the Brooks Ghost 12. Problem solved! It was a much better ride. Similar to the metaspeed sky 1 where I swapped the laces for it with the Newton Distance 10's that provided a different, greater experience
I run in the Speed 3 and love it. Im deciding between the Pro 4 or Superblast for my fist marathon in Sydney in a few months time. Any tips? Im 88kgs and hope to finish around the 4hr mark.
Awesome! Both solid options, it just depends on if you want a plated shoe or not… as the pro 4 will give you a bit more energy return than the superblast if you don’t mind a plate… but the superblast is no doubt the best non plated option out there!
What laces would you recommend as replacements? Would be good to know any general running laces to buy as its a fairly common problem i find (good shoes / poor laces)
Screams heel lift, like most Saucony shoes. Laces are an easy fix, but the fact you had to nearly touch the eyelet chains together is not a good sign. The heel cup doesn't look terrible, but if there is significant stretch in that upper, with a carbon plate, it really can lead to heel lift. Depending on how hard that inner heel cup is could make it doable, but at that price point, not something I'd want to roll the dice on. I know they put a heel padding nub into the Pro Elite which probably helps with the heel lockdown. But both the Pro and Speed just don't provide enough material/profile in the heel collar/cup to keep the heel from lifting. But I bet they are great for people who experience achilles rubbing issues. Different shoes for different folks.
I suffered with heel movement in the pro 1 and speed 1... didn't in the speed 2 or 3 but the speed 3 gave me heel rubbing issues. This one seems to indeed have a heel lift issue but it was more my forefoot moving around too much that bothered me... hoping with the lace lock I can resolve it
Grabbed myself a 2nd pair of the Elites in the white colourway for £171.58 in January. Staying in the box for most of this year as the original 💚💚 ones will be on my feet again for Paris Marathon in a few weeks time and I will then wear the green ones for shorter distance races for the rest of the year. I know that the Elites are likely going to be good for at least 3 Marathons and that I am unlikely to find much of a better shoe over the coming 12 months without paying premium prices. Think that I am good for race shoes until the back end of 2025. I also got a new pair of the Pro 3 (my 3rd pair) at the back end of last year which I use solely as a training shoe (my 3rd pair). I rather foolishly didn't check my sizing on ordering the latest pair though so they don't feel as good a training shoe as the two pairs half a size down, but yet again I will still likely put close to 500 miles on them (as I have done the first two pairs). Will maybe try the Pro 4 as a trainer a year or so down the line at the right price if it continues to receive good reviews. Definitely good that it's a little firmer than the Pro 3 for me 🙂 Thanks for the detailed review. Saucony put some terrible laces in last years hi-viz winter Pro 3's which kept coming undone and required swapping out - I put a pair of laces from a pair of Speed 1 in them. Laces are definitely something that all shoe manufacturers should have dialled in by now. Such a simple thing to get right.
Yeah its the little things isnt it, you'd think with laces they could produce something a bit better than what they do considering how good the rest of the shoe actually is! Smart move on grabbing a second pair, for me the best racing shoe right now!
How tight is the toe box? I have high arches and splaying toes, and worry about scrunching my toes over a longer run. (What laces would you use to replace the ones they provided.)
I found the initial lockdown with the Pro 3 a bit of a similar problem in that the tongue was so thin it meant I had to pull in the tongues so much they were virtually touching before I even set off. Sounds like the Pro 4 is maybe even effectively "wider" as a result ? I generally find all shoes will stretch a bit after even a fairly short initial run however good or bad the laces are. Adios Pro 3 was a particular case in point. Are the laces different to the Speed 4 then? Otherwise generally I am a little puzzled, as you sort of inferred, as to is the real point now of the Pro 4. Blisters aside I am not getting a vibe that this shoe is markedly "better" than the Pro 3 and certainly not the Elite. Otherwise it seems an awful lot of money to spend on an effective super trainer for long runs if you only consider it worth a try in a "B" race assuming of course can avoid any more blisters. Note to self - if I end picking this up don't run more than an hour first time out...
It sounds like shoe manufacturers really don't scale up shoes properly, be interesting to see someone with a "thin" foot in a size 8 Vs someone with a "thin" foot in a size 13. I have a thin foot in a size 8.5 and in the adios pro 3, there's barely enough tongue for it to cover the opening, it's probably, perfect.
@@fergusdenoon1255 I do think my feet are exceptionally narrow for my length. I think I have the width of about a standard UK 8 but need UK 13 for length. The are about 10cm in actual width. Andy's feet are clearer wider than mine but it does seem odd when he says he has a wide foot but shows the tongues more or less touching. In the Endorphin Pro 3 my tongues were pretty much overlapping! The Adios Pro 3 I had to pull in a fair bit but not quite as much as the Endorphin Pro 3. It did take about 5 runs the Adios one to actually stay put as was always working loose.
@@TimGrose went away down a rabbit hole there... narrow, medium, wide, xwide 8 8.8 cm 9.7 cm 10.6 cm 11.6 cm 13 10.2 cm 11.2 cm 12.4 cm 13.5 cm it would seem that my thin foot size 8.5, and your thin foot size 13, should be the same upper fit if they're scaled properly, but they clearly aren't. next up, a discussion about toe length... ;)
@@fergusdenoon1255 yeah those show I have got well over 1cm width to “hide” in a standard width shoe. That generally makes my shoes heavier than they really need to be. Still it is what it is. I can’t wear a UK 8 with my toes hanging out :)
@@TimGrose yeah, it shows that the 8.5 is using a "narrow" fit, whilst it seems the 13 is a "medium" fit, just be thankful you're not a size 15, there's probs enough material left over to make a jacket. a toes hanging out video could be wildly entertaining...
Price Hikes, Materials Prosumer grade & design. Sounds Like Another Bad Year For Saucony, they lost their Kinvara fan base, the only shoes I see in Running Shops are the higher profit Guide & Ride models, some shops simply cannot shift stock " shift" pun intended. Maybe I am wrong 🧐
Their Speed and Pro have been extremely popular. Yes the Kinvara has fallen by the wayside but I think implying they have been striking out is a mistake. Heck even in this review, he said aside from the laces the shoe is brilliant.
I would honestly say Saucony are riding high on a very successful wave right now... the endorphin lineup kickstarted a very successful few years, the ride and guide 17 have had great revamp... totally get the kinvara (I actually love the new one) and the elite is up there as one of the best racing shoes right now... the best "all round" brand right now by a country mile
I don't have any doubt this shoe is a decent shoe, but when I tried it, it really didn't do anything any different to any other shoe like a heavily discounted adidas pro 3 say that I use currently. So really no reason to spend £225. Its OK when you get them for free then the cost isn't relevant but for the rest of us it is. Is it even much different to the last version bar looks? Not really. Quite a safe / lazy update imo.
If the adios pro 4 has a bit of evo foam and was a quite safe / lazy update, I'd be happy with that. I guess if you really like a shoe, you don't want the new version to change too much.
Its definitely a "safe" update for sure... if it aint broke etc... which, on the outset looks lazy, but dont we all hate it when manufacturers make wholesale changes to a shoe that mess it up? I agree you could grab a pro 3 right now and be just as happy... but I wouldnt knock a safe update... nothing worse that when a shoe gets screwed up cough cough vaporfly / alphafly (v1s on both always the best)
@TheFODRunner yeah I get you wouldn't want a complete overhaul and risk being a flop. I just get the sense they can do more but really want to add a super super shoe category where they can charge more like adidas have done.
Heavier ,crap laces that gave you a blister ,all the shoes that I bought last year are more expensive and heavier than last year ,novablast, speed ,velocity ,I'm gonna rebuy last years shoes buying each yearly update is a fopls game
It feels wider than the v3, my toes had a lot of room, which I appreciated.. as you can imagine with my wider slabs of meat. In all honesty, I did wonder with the marketing blurb if they are really pushing the elite, there is a restock on those coming soon but I think we have the "alphafly" and "vaporfly" going on here... elite = alpha pro 4 = vapor... 2 very strong racing options... one stronger for me than the other (elites) but the pro would still do a job... hands down though everything about the elite for me is perfect... the pro 4 just needs a little refinement, otherwise its a top top shoe
Saucony for ever!!!. Thanks Andy for this description about the E. Pro 4. Here is my Like. Cheers.
Just wanted to thank you, Andy, for that great tip about the laces. I’ve got unusually narrow feet, always have to use a runners’ knot and was having trouble getting good lockdown with my new Endorphin Speed 4 (just £125.99 in Wiggle’s liquidation sale). The laces are really stretchy. The day-glo reflective laces from my old Endorphin Pro 2 have absolutely no stretch. They are slightly heavier and more substantial than the new ones. Just tried out stretchy laces on one foot and non-stretchy in the other. A noticeable difference in foot movement inside the shoe and I don’t have to cinch down anywhere near as much. Result!
Amazing, thanks for sharing that... I might just straight up swap the laces out instead of fannying around with trying to get a better lockdown, I had a feeling it would solve the issue!
Thanks Andy!! Great timing it arriving for your marathon pace long run, AND straight out of the box, awesome!! A tiny bit firmer no doubt suits you perfectly!! I don't understand crappy laces though, surely ALL manufacturers know how to make great laces by now!!🤞🏻🤞🏻that solves the blister problem, though it could be a combination of laces plus wearing the shoe in too!
Yes hopefully Bev... if it happens again I will be gutted! Fingers crossed I will get it sorted
Pro 3 was my premier race shoe last year. There are still some kms in it :). Love it.
Re: the Pro 4. I'm still hugely enjoying the 3 when i use them. I race two or three times a year so they'll see me right for 2024 and am grateful for your recommendation! I am fascinated by these being pitched as a training option, i make you right that it's to push to the more expensive option as a pairing of shoes.
Great review, however despite hearing all the complain about SEP4 stretchy laces, I have never found them to be an issue and rather like this laces, the lock-down is simply perfect for my slightly wide 9.5 US feet and I immensely enjoy this shoes.
Thanks Andy. I love my speed 3’s and picked up a pair of Pro 3’s as they were selling out. Keeping them for race day. Glad I didn’t wait for the more expensive Pro 4’s as they don’t sound a significant improvement for the money!
Small updates on these for sure... if it aint broke and all that!
Just ran in my pair for the first time this morning, not as bouncy as EP3 but still felt amazing, VERY fast and more stable. Super comfy too, upper is a lot better imo, i like the laces, hugs the foot. Feels more balanced overall. Got them for around £162 on wiggle, happy days
I found the EP3 too tight on little toe area, especially with unforgiving upper. Would you say EP4 is any wider/more forgiving?
@hamishmaclean1409 for me I'd say so. I felt the toe box has more room. I also had some issues with toe rubbing in EP3. Didn't seem to happen on first run which I noticed
Lots of wiggle room in the toebox for me
Glad to hear its worked so well for you, thats a bargain price for a new shoe!
its even more fun then the pro 3 its feels improved and refined as well as a more responsive ride, will use it for my barca full next week ......although i kinda agree with the laces .....they sorta unloose while im running
Best of luck are Barcelona!
After my initial run in them, I wasn't too impressed with them. They do feel a little different in the forefoot. It doesn't feel as cushioned in the forefoot as the Pro 3. The upper on the Pro 3 wraps around the foot much better.
Nice one Andy. Have taken mine out for a few runs now, including a 13 mile, easy paced and a 9 mile interval session. Luckily, I haven’t had the lacing issue. Although, I did find the stretchiness of the laces odd. Tempted to put some old vaporfly laces in them. Racing a half marathon on Sunday in them, for a proper race test 💪🏼
When I ran in mine 3 weeks ago the first 5k was terrible . Had to heel lock / runners knot them and it works . I really don't agree with the "firmer" these feel way softer for me than the 3.
OMG Andy I took mine out this morning for the first run & loved them BUT there was the same issue with my foot (heel in particular) moving around - no blisters but not ideal. Will do the same as you ... will try a runner's knot next time and then maybe swap laces. But once I get that sorted these will be my race shoes for the London marathon
Glad it wasnt just me!! Amazing though arent they! lets hope a lace swap will sort them out
@@TheFODRunner update: runner's knot worked for me!
Interesting review. How would you say it stacks up against the Endorphin Elite? I imagine the Elite is a bit more aggressive, unfortunately I haven't found a store around here that sells them to try on. I did really enjoy the Pro 3s but am debating between the Pro 4s and Elite. Hoping to get close to cracking that 3 hour marathon barrier.
I have the speed 3 and same problem with elastic laces. Swapped them out for laces from an old pair of speeds and problem solved. Couldn't get shoes to be secured with elastic laces.
So, with the Pro 3 - first batch - (the beautiful red and dark blue colour), they designed rounded camping cord lookalike laces, which literally "bite" into your upper foot and now, elasticated triathlon lookalike laces?
Jeez, Saucony, I really like your shoes, but can you please pay more attention when you design the shoeslaces? We are talking about £230, here!
(From a Saucony guy ;-)
#pro2 #pro+ #pro3
Sometimes I think why ruin a good thing, I'll just buy 3 pairs of V3 and hang out...BUT improvements over the years have been interesting..I am still trying to decide.. But I Definitely LOVE ❤️ version 3.. and agreed I just picked up a pair of elites n laces a rubbish!!😂
I didn't like the laces in the pro 3. I actually swapped them for the Brooks Ghost 12. Problem solved! It was a much better ride. Similar to the metaspeed sky 1 where I swapped the laces for it with the Newton Distance 10's that provided a different, greater experience
I run in the Speed 3 and love it. Im deciding between the Pro 4 or Superblast for my fist marathon in Sydney in a few months time. Any tips? Im 88kgs and hope to finish around the 4hr mark.
Awesome! Both solid options, it just depends on if you want a plated shoe or not… as the pro 4 will give you a bit more energy return than the superblast if you don’t mind a plate… but the superblast is no doubt the best non plated option out there!
Just bought em ,very snappy n bouncy ,whats not to like
What laces would you recommend as replacements? Would be good to know any general running laces to buy as its a fairly common problem i find (good shoes / poor laces)
Is the Elite still your London shoe choice?
Screams heel lift, like most Saucony shoes. Laces are an easy fix, but the fact you had to nearly touch the eyelet chains together is not a good sign. The heel cup doesn't look terrible, but if there is significant stretch in that upper, with a carbon plate, it really can lead to heel lift. Depending on how hard that inner heel cup is could make it doable, but at that price point, not something I'd want to roll the dice on. I know they put a heel padding nub into the Pro Elite which probably helps with the heel lockdown. But both the Pro and Speed just don't provide enough material/profile in the heel collar/cup to keep the heel from lifting. But I bet they are great for people who experience achilles rubbing issues. Different shoes for different folks.
I suffered with heel movement in the pro 1 and speed 1... didn't in the speed 2 or 3 but the speed 3 gave me heel rubbing issues. This one seems to indeed have a heel lift issue but it was more my forefoot moving around too much that bothered me... hoping with the lace lock I can resolve it
Grabbed myself a 2nd pair of the Elites in the white colourway for £171.58 in January. Staying in the box for most of this year as the original 💚💚 ones will be on my feet again for Paris Marathon in a few weeks time and I will then wear the green ones for shorter distance races for the rest of the year. I know that the Elites are likely going to be good for at least 3 Marathons and that I am unlikely to find much of a better shoe over the coming 12 months without paying premium prices. Think that I am good for race shoes until the back end of 2025. I also got a new pair of the Pro 3 (my 3rd pair) at the back end of last year which I use solely as a training shoe (my 3rd pair). I rather foolishly didn't check my sizing on ordering the latest pair though so they don't feel as good a training shoe as the two pairs half a size down, but yet again I will still likely put close to 500 miles on them (as I have done the first two pairs).
Will maybe try the Pro 4 as a trainer a year or so down the line at the right price if it continues to receive good reviews. Definitely good that it's a little firmer than the Pro 3 for me 🙂 Thanks for the detailed review. Saucony put some terrible laces in last years hi-viz winter Pro 3's which kept coming undone and required swapping out - I put a pair of laces from a pair of Speed 1 in them. Laces are definitely something that all shoe manufacturers should have dialled in by now. Such a simple thing to get right.
Yeah its the little things isnt it, you'd think with laces they could produce something a bit better than what they do considering how good the rest of the shoe actually is! Smart move on grabbing a second pair, for me the best racing shoe right now!
Are you getting the Asics Edge/Sky Paris for testing? Heard that's a very light shoe.
Sadly not, ASICS only ever go up to UK 12, I’m a UK13 😔 daily trainers are fine, performance shoes are a no go
The click bait is he said his foot moved around in the shoe and he might need to get different laces.
How tight is the toe box? I have high arches and splaying toes, and worry about scrunching my toes over a longer run. (What laces would you use to replace the ones they provided.)
Also would love to know of any general good running laces to use as replacements. I have the pro 4's and have the same problem with lockdown
I found the initial lockdown with the Pro 3 a bit of a similar problem in that the tongue was so thin it meant I had to pull in the tongues so much they were virtually touching before I even set off. Sounds like the Pro 4 is maybe even effectively "wider" as a result ? I generally find all shoes will stretch a bit after even a fairly short initial run however good or bad the laces are. Adios Pro 3 was a particular case in point. Are the laces different to the Speed 4 then? Otherwise generally I am a little puzzled, as you sort of inferred, as to is the real point now of the Pro 4. Blisters aside I am not getting a vibe that this shoe is markedly "better" than the Pro 3 and certainly not the Elite. Otherwise it seems an awful lot of money to spend on an effective super trainer for long runs if you only consider it worth a try in a "B" race assuming of course can avoid any more blisters. Note to self - if I end picking this up don't run more than an hour first time out...
It sounds like shoe manufacturers really don't scale up shoes properly, be interesting to see someone with a "thin" foot in a size 8 Vs someone with a "thin" foot in a size 13.
I have a thin foot in a size 8.5 and in the adios pro 3, there's barely enough tongue for it to cover the opening, it's probably, perfect.
@@fergusdenoon1255 I do think my feet are exceptionally narrow for my length. I think I have the width of about a standard UK 8 but need UK 13 for length. The are about 10cm in actual width. Andy's feet are clearer wider than mine but it does seem odd when he says he has a wide foot but shows the tongues more or less touching. In the Endorphin Pro 3 my tongues were pretty much overlapping! The Adios Pro 3 I had to pull in a fair bit but not quite as much as the Endorphin Pro 3. It did take about 5 runs the Adios one to actually stay put as was always working loose.
@@TimGrose went away down a rabbit hole there...
narrow, medium, wide, xwide
8 8.8 cm 9.7 cm 10.6 cm 11.6 cm
13 10.2 cm 11.2 cm 12.4 cm 13.5 cm
it would seem that my thin foot size 8.5, and your thin foot size 13, should be the same upper fit if they're scaled properly, but they clearly aren't.
next up, a discussion about toe length... ;)
@@fergusdenoon1255 yeah those show I have got well over 1cm width to “hide” in a standard width shoe. That generally makes my shoes heavier than they really need to be. Still it is what it is. I can’t wear a UK 8 with my toes hanging out :)
@@TimGrose yeah, it shows that the 8.5 is using a "narrow" fit, whilst it seems the 13 is a "medium" fit, just be thankful you're not a size 15, there's probs enough material left over to make a jacket.
a toes hanging out video could be wildly entertaining...
Why a B race Andy? are the Vaporfly or Alphafly still No 1
Saucony endorphin elite is number 1 for me 👊
@@TheFODRunner super, the Vaporfly 3's are not agreeing with my feet. Would love to try those instead.
Very refreshing to see a review without the words 'gussetted' and 'lockdown'. If you got rid of the Dislosure it would be even better.
a nice looking shoe!
love the nike swosh along the side! anyone else see it? great review Andy
I found the EP3 bouncy and comfortable but just doesn't propel me forward like a Vaporfly does so will give these a miss.
I love me some stretchy laces.
You're on your own there haha
@@TheFODRunner that's me, the lone wolf, out there in the wilderness, with my stretchy laces.
@fergusdenoon1255 😂
What do you think of lock laces Andy?
Following this as I usually change to lock laces immediately.
I will use that method on my next run for sure
@@TheFODRunner I meant the brand of lock laces, they are an elastic type of lace, rather than the runners knot
@@al_conroy oh sorry! Yes will keep you updated
Price Hikes, Materials Prosumer grade & design. Sounds Like Another Bad Year For Saucony, they lost their Kinvara fan base, the only shoes I see in Running Shops are the higher profit Guide & Ride models, some shops simply cannot shift stock " shift" pun intended. Maybe I am wrong 🧐
"Another"?? They have been great the past few years.
Their Speed and Pro have been extremely popular. Yes the Kinvara has fallen by the wayside but I think implying they have been striking out is a mistake. Heck even in this review, he said aside from the laces the shoe is brilliant.
I would honestly say Saucony are riding high on a very successful wave right now... the endorphin lineup kickstarted a very successful few years, the ride and guide 17 have had great revamp... totally get the kinvara (I actually love the new one) and the elite is up there as one of the best racing shoes right now... the best "all round" brand right now by a country mile
I don't have any doubt this shoe is a decent shoe, but when I tried it, it really didn't do anything any different to any other shoe like a heavily discounted adidas pro 3 say that I use currently. So really no reason to spend £225. Its OK when you get them for free then the cost isn't relevant but for the rest of us it is.
Is it even much different to the last version bar looks? Not really. Quite a safe / lazy update imo.
If the adios pro 4 has a bit of evo foam and was a quite safe / lazy update, I'd be happy with that.
I guess if you really like a shoe, you don't want the new version to change too much.
@fergusdenoon1255 I've read it's just an upper update on adidas pro 3 for 2024.
Its definitely a "safe" update for sure... if it aint broke etc... which, on the outset looks lazy, but dont we all hate it when manufacturers make wholesale changes to a shoe that mess it up? I agree you could grab a pro 3 right now and be just as happy... but I wouldnt knock a safe update... nothing worse that when a shoe gets screwed up cough cough vaporfly / alphafly (v1s on both always the best)
@TheFODRunner yeah I get you wouldn't want a complete overhaul and risk being a flop. I just get the sense they can do more but really want to add a super super shoe category where they can charge more like adidas have done.
La moda de espumas blandas está cansando
Definitivamente creo que Boston 12 es mejor opción
Heavier ,crap laces that gave you a blister ,all the shoes that I bought last year are more expensive and heavier than last year ,novablast, speed ,velocity ,I'm gonna rebuy last years shoes buying each yearly update is a fopls game
It feels wider than the v3, my toes had a lot of room, which I appreciated.. as you can imagine with my wider slabs of meat. In all honesty, I did wonder with the marketing blurb if they are really pushing the elite, there is a restock on those coming soon but I think we have the "alphafly" and "vaporfly" going on here... elite = alpha pro 4 = vapor... 2 very strong racing options... one stronger for me than the other (elites) but the pro would still do a job... hands down though everything about the elite for me is perfect... the pro 4 just needs a little refinement, otherwise its a top top shoe
never been a fan of saucony
What would you choose - them or adidas adios pro 3?