I'm happy to announce my association with Saucony India as Key Opinion Leader. Many of us may be associated with Saucony already as well. My role involves test running their products, sharing feedback and ofcourse promoting the brand & products if I feel it has the punch. My first maiden run in a Saucony was today (https://www.strava.com/activities/5454227761) - early morning in the Greater Noida countryside - 12 kms over road, bad roads, gravel and mud. I ran in a pair of Endorphin Shifts.
I could not help but compare them to the other running shoes I have - An Asics Kayano Gel 26 and a Nike Pegasus 37. Though the 3 shoes aren't like to like comparison since the Asics was for overpronation when I bought it in Aug/Sep 2019, the Nike is a neutral training shoe and the Saucony is an intended marathon shoe. But well nevertheless my thoughts below, if they help you make a conscious choice of your first/next running shoe that'll be great. If of course any thoughts please feel free to put them in the comments. This is my first detailed sort of review of running shoes, so do pardon some inconsistency and if any fact not stated right or incorrectly inferred. In true sportsmanship spirit - help me gain more knowledge or correct existing one by noting in the comments. Happy reading!
Mileage
Asics Kayano Gel 26 - 902.8 kms
Nike Pegasus 37 - 481.6 kms
Saucony Endorphin Shift - 12.2 kms
Current & Future Use
Asics Kayano Gel 26 - No more running, caual wear plus to the gym
Nike Pegasus 37 - Was my training road shoe, now will use it for my indoor treadmill running as it has less sole cushion than the Saucony
Saucony Endorphin Shift - My new outdoor training shoe - main reason being the better cushion and sole rigidity
Tongue - This is where the Nike Pegasus 37 lacks and the Saucony Endorphin Shift wins - the former has just no cushion what so ever and the Saucony has ample. If you're a runner who keeps his laces tight, this means probably a lot to you. The Asics Kayano Gel 26 had similar padding as the Saucony.
Toebox - Soon one appreciates the tongue, the next surprise is the roominess of the toe box - It's just very very roomy. Talking later to Saucony team experts I learnt that the Endorphin Shift are good for broad feet. Not that I have broad feet but well I don't mind the extra room to wiggle my toes and fingers when on a run. Something that wasn't a complain on the other 2 brands I have, but now I know what's it like to have more room.
Quarter Panel - Seems the Endrophin Shift has these reinforced, on a closer look it seems an extra rigid translucent material. My test run today did have some offroad and broken road running of approx 1 km, but probably the benefit of this reinforcement would be seen on total uneven surfaces where the ankle may want to twist without warning. Here the Saucony scores above both the NIke and the Asics pair I have. Drop - Now this is where I love the Saucony! I felt I wasn't tending to strike with my heel as much as I had the tendency in the other 2 brands. Well that was what I felt today, but while writing this review I checked the specs - The Saucony has 4mm drop whereas the other 2 had 10mm - and hey presto my landing is better and I'm still quick on my feet without feeling like I need leap to speed
Responsiveness - The Asics were never as responsive as the Nike pair and well I'll admit - today I felt the Saucony are better. Yes possibly they are brand new (12 kms) vs the Nike (481 kms), but I'll be keeping this in check later too - and see how the Saucony behave let's say at 100 kms or 200 kms of their journey.
Sole rigidity over bad surface - Saucony wins hands down. I remember running bad patches on the Nike Pegasus 37 and well it was fine with it's hard rubber outer sole, but running today in the Saucony over worse patches than before - made me pleasantly surprised - just smooth and in control with no twists, nothing jutting into the sole making the mind be cautious. The confidence hence to run faster or firmer on bad patch was there without feeling the risk of injury. In short - These Endorphins seemed to be the SUV and the other 2 maybe mid segment sedans with respect to ride quality...sorry I mean run quality :-)
Sole thickness - Saucony has the thickest, add to the confidence factor for me.
The looks - Well I'm sure the designs of the Saucony range would get better. They are good but yeah the Nike and Asics to me look better. But then no complaints due to the other wins I see in them! Price - The prices noted are as of today as listed on the brands' websites. These may or may not be same in future. Further - you may scout for discounts and offers across various e-com sites, retail shops etc.
Asics Kayano Gel 26 - Not listed now as Kayano Gel 27 is out (INR 11,199)
Nike Pegasus 37 - INR 9,995
Saucony Endorphin Shift - INR 12,990
Verdict - Saucony Endorphin Shift wins for me, Nike Pegasus 37 is the runner up and Asics Kayano Gel 26 - well buck up!!
If you chose to buy a Saucony - avail discounts using my code on any Saucony product - you may visit https://www.sauconyindia.com and use my phone number (Please write to me for the same) as discount code during checkout. You may also pick a pair up from a Cyclofit store. Any more details? Feel free to reach out Cheers,
Anupam
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