Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 3

Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 3, side by side on equal terms. Differences are emphasised; matching specs are dimmed.

Specification	Saucony Endorphin Elite 2	Saucony Endorphin Elite 3
MSRP	$290	$290
Weight	199 g	204 g
Drop	8 mm	8 mm
Stack (heel/forefoot)	39.5/31.5 mm	39.5/31.5 mm
Lug depth	—	—
Surface	Road	Road
Primary use	Racing	Racing
Cushion	Max	Max
Firmness	—	—
Stability	Neutral	Neutral
Plate	Carbon	Carbon
Waterproof	No	No
Midsole	IncrediRUN	incrediRUN
Outsole	—	PWRTRAC
Width availability	Standard	Standard
Best for	Competitive runners chasing personal bests over 5K to the marathon who want the propulsive edge of a plated supershoe.	Marathon and shorter road races where you want maximum energy return and a fast rockered ride.
Avoid if	You want a versatile daily trainer, run mostly easy paces, or prefer a stable, forgiving platform, as the tall plated stack is tuned for speed.	You want a do-everything trainer or a stable, grounded platform, or you're on a budget at $290.
Lowest offer	—	—

Which should you pick?

head-to-head · opinion

The Endorphin Elite 2 and Elite 3 are near-identical carbon-plated racers, sharing the same 39.5/31.5 mm stack, 8 mm drop, and $290 price, so the only real trade-off is weight: the Elite 2 is 5 g lighter at 199 g versus the Elite 3's 204 g. Either way you get a max-cushion supershoe tuned for 5K-to-marathon race pace, not daily training, so pick based on whichever you can find—the difference between them is marginal.