The Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 is just $129 thanks to this early Black Friday deal — at that price, it’s better value than the new Endorphin Speed 6

The Saucony Endorphin Speed has been one of the best running shoes on the market ever since the original launched in 2020.

It’s always been one of the most versatile shoes available thanks to its fast, comfortable ride, and I loved the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 when I racked up over 60 miles in it for my four-star review.

The new Endorphin Speed 6 just launched, and that’s resulted in some great deals cropping up on the Endorphin Speed 5, which is $129 in the Amazon sale right now.

For me that discount makes it the better buy ahead of the new shoe, because although Saucony has made some changes to the Endorphin Speed 6, the overall ride feel is still similar based on my early testing.

What are the key changes to the Saucony Endorphin Speed 6?

The main change made to the Endorphin Speed 6 is that it uses a new midsole foam called PWRRUN PBX, which is meant to be a little lighter and softer than the PWRRUN PB foam on the Endorphin Speed 5.

Saucony also slightly increased the midsole stack height in the new shoe by 2mm, so it is a little more cushioned all round than the Endorphin Speed 5, while also making minor updates to the upper and outsole, and adjusting the shape of the nylon plate in the midsole.

Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 vs Endorphin Speed 6

On paper the updates sound significant with the new shoe, but when I did my first run in the Endorphin Speed 6 it certainly felt very familiar.

The midsole foam is a little softer, but still quite firm, and the Speedroll rocker on the shoe pushes you smoothly onto your forefoot at both easy and faster paces.

I very much enjoyed the run in the Speed 6, but I was surprised how similar to the Speed 5 it felt, so I actually ran in both shoes at the same time to compare them directly.

There are slight differences – the new shoe is marginally softer at the heel in particular — but overall I do think they have a similar ride feel.

While the Speed 6 might be a slight upgrade overall, I’d certainly be happy grabbing the older shoe in the sale for $50 less, since the Endorphin Speed 6 will set you back $180 right now.

Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.

Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.

Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.