There are so many great carbon plate running shoes available now that testing than can start to feel a little repetitive. World Athletics regulations limit these shoes to one plate and a maximum stack height of 40mm, with the result that many shoes have converged on a similar design and feel.
This is not the case with the Saucony Endorphin Elite 3, however, which uses an incredibly soft and springy foam in its midsole to create a ride feel unlike almost any other shoe on the market.
It’s very fun to run fast in the shoe as a result, but the soft midsole won’t suit everyone — I prefer a firmer, snappier ride in my racer — and it makes the Endorphin Elite 3 unstable, though it's an improvement on its predecessor with regards to stability.
In my Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 review I’ll compare it to the best carbon plate running shoes available, and explain the pros and cons of its super-soft design.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 review: Price and availability
The Endorphin Elite 3 launched in June 2026 and costs $290, making it one of the most expensive carbon plate running shoes on the market.
Saucony also has the cheaper Endorphin Pro 5 in its lineup, which is a more stable carbon plate racing shoe that costs $240 but lacks the springy IncrediRun foam used in the Elite 3.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 review: Design and fit
The Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 launched in four colors, including the white design I tested. I found that it fit me well in my normal running shoe size, with a dialed-in racing fit that’s fairly close around the toes without being too tight.
As with most carbon racing shoes, it has stack height in line with World Athletics limits, standing 39.5mm tall at the heel and 31.5mm at the forefoot for an 8mm drop.
It weighs 7.9oz in my US men’s size 10, which is light but not especially so for a carbon plate racing shoe these days. Most super-shoes I test are under 7oz in my size, and there are some astoundingly light options like the Adidas Adizero Pro Evo 3, which is under 3.5oz.
Upper
The lightweight mesh upper has a bootie-style fit that I found hugged the foot securely and comfortably.
It’s a flexible material that breathes well in hot conditions, and while it does allow for some lateral movement on the run, the upper held my foot securely enough for fast efforts.
Midsole
The Endorphin Elite 3 uses the same IncrediRun midsole foam introduced on the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2, but removes the medial side cutout and adds foam around the heel and lateral side of the shoe to make it a little more stable than its predecessor.
This IncrediRun foam lives up to its name by delivering an incredibly soft, springy ride, even when compared to the foams in other super-shoes.
Running through the midsole is a slotted carbon plate, which is stiffer than on the Endorphin Elite 2 to create a faster transition from heel to toe.
Outsole
The Endorphin Elite 3 uses a thin layer of Saucony’s PWRTRAC to cover most of the forefoot and heel.
Grip was a concern with the Endorphin Elite 2, and although it has been improved on the Endorphin Elite 3, it’s still a bit slippery in wet conditions, I found, and I had to be careful when taking sharp corners in the rain.
Saucony Endorphin Elite 3 review: Running performance
I did a lot of training and raced in the Endorphin Elite 2, so the extremely soft ride feel of the IncrediRun midsole in the Endorphin Elite 3 didn’t come as a surprise, but it’s still a dramatically different shoe to most I tested.
Your foot sinks deep into the midsole foam, especially at slower paces, then springs back up quickly, with the foam, plate and rocker design all combining to push you forward.
It’s a strange but enjoyable sensation that feels especially good when you’re running fast with control, such as at the start of a race or early in a tempo or threshold workout.
I found that when I pushed to my fastest paces, the foam firmed up a little, which was welcome as it helped to speed up the transition from heel to toe.
The Endorphin Elite 3 can still feel slightly sluggish on this front compared to some racers with firmer midsole foams, though, and at times I felt like I was struggling to maintain my cadence late in hard runs because of the soft underfoot feel.
I ran a 5K parkrun in 16:18 using the Endorphin Elite 3, aiming to keep the pace under control for the first half of the race and push on in the second. It felt great when cruising at the start, but in the second half I’d have preferred a firmer ride, and I’m not sure it’s a standout racing option for shorter events.
The comfort of the soft midsole lends itself well to marathons and long, hard training runs though, because my legs always felt fresh the day after a hard run in the Endorphin Elite 3.
Although Saucony has worked to increase the stability of the shoe compared with the Endorphin Elite 2, I’d still say the Endorphin Elite 3 is one of the wobblier racing options because of its soft midsole, and you have to be careful when taking turns at speed.
Should you buy the Saucony Endorphin Elite 3?
For some runners, the super-soft and springy ride of the Endorphin Elite 3 will be irresistible. It’s very fun and undoubtedly quick too, and if you love squishy shoes, the only one I’ve tried that matches it is the Asics Metaspeed Ray, which is lighter but even more unstable.
I find the shoe a little too soft for my own taste, and it’s a shame that it comes in heavier than most rivals in the super-shoe market. It’s still very light, but shoes like the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 are a couple of ounces lighter in my size.
Those two shoes remain my preferred picks overall, offering lighter and more aggressive designs that I find help me maintain my pace, and I also rate the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure highly as a short-distance racer thanks to its extremely lightweight design.
I do think the Endorphin Elite 3 is a little more forgiving to slower paces than those shoes, as long as you don’t find it unstable, and its distinct ride is great, but it doesn’t quite hit the performance heights of my favorite racers.
