Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 · problems & reliability report

Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 problems: what real owners report

25% of 60 verified Saucony Endorphin Speed 5owners don't recommend it — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

For balance: 62% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score

Most common complaints

13×Firmer, more muted ride that lost some of the bounce and punch of earlier Speeds
7×Outsole and midsole wear early, going flat by roughly 230-350 km
6×Happiest at shorter, faster efforts; feet ache past the half marathon
5×Thinner upper and outsole raise durability concerns
5×At $175 the value feels steep given creeping weight and few changes

In owners' own words

“I wanted so badly to love the ES4 but the toe box taper made it unbearable just crushing my pinky toe.”
— @nate_collins on YouTube

“I discovered that the medial side wing of the plate intruded into my arch in an unbearable fashion”
— @MLHunt on YouTube

“it was too narrow in the first place”
— @hooareya6261 on YouTube

“I prefer that design to the speed 4 & 5”
— @jaisonwilliams3285 on YouTube

“way too overpriced for a daily trainer..”
— @kloun1980 on YouTube

“TACO price increase. Thumbs down.”
— @badgertrigrl on YouTube

“the last pair that I had had a hint of stability and man, they suck for my knees”
— @joereviewsitall on YouTube

“la 3 me defraudado bastante”
— @joseluisjimenez9062 on YouTube

“My only complaint about Speed 4 was the upper fit.”
— @snowwalker9999 on YouTube

“Prefer the version 3, ver 4 is too firm and cause me to heel drag.”
— @chinitopogi7511 on YouTube

“Saucony, dícese de la marca más sobrevalorada de la historia del running”
— @FranCCCP_Stalin on YouTube

“Tuve la v2y me resultaban inestables provocándome cierto flaneo a nivel del talón.”
— @ngel_RS on YouTube

Setup quirks & things to watch for

Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.

“Looks like an incremental update”
— Electronic-Minute37 on Reddit

“they felt much lower stack, more "grounded" and I could feel the plate working both medially and laterally. I wanted something for long runs and I thought those might not be the best choice for me”
— hellofolks5 on Reddit

“It is narrower in the forefoot and toe box than the standard-width ES3 (which fit me comfortably), but wider than ES4 (which I couldn’t wear at all, way too narrow). ES5 is a little tight around my 5th metatarsal.”
— PleasantBreakfast535 on Reddit

“The thinner upper, slightly softer ride and slightly early wear make me suspect the Endorphin Speed 5 will have average durability.”
— Matt Klein on Doctors of Running

“It's still firm but doesn't feel like it's bottoming out so I assume that would mean it would be less firm.”
— WorkInProgressed on Reddit

“Those still seem to have quite a bit of life left to my eyes. Little warn in the heel but fine”
— OkInside2258 on Reddit

“They are still stretch laces. Compared to the ES4 they seem wider and a bit less stretchy.”
— ComfortGlum4061 on Reddit

“I have the zoomfly and es5. If you forefoot strike, i would deffo say zoomfly.”
— Alarming-Ice-2092 on Reddit

Weighing it up? The full report has the other side — what 62% of owners like about it, who it's for, and every sourced quote. Full Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 owner report →