PERFECT FIT

Saucony's new neutral carbon super shoe, the Endorphin Elite 2, can seemingly handle anything - except perhaps easy runs

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I'm a big fan of Saucony's daily trainers and have covered a lot of miles in its Guide and Ride series. But I've not tried any of its race-focused shoes, or any carbon super shoes - period. Until now. I was eager to see how the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 would shape my first experience running and racing in carbon shoes. Would it be a revelation and make it into our list of the best best running shoes? I laced them up for the entire training programme for my first half-marathon to find out.

The opportunity to test Saucony's top-of-the-line Endorphin Elite 2 came at an ideal time for me. I had just entered the Great Wall half marathon with Marathon Tours & Travel so had a 12-week training programme ahead of me in which to get race ready. What better shoe to use, then, than one that offers 'race-day speed' and 'ridiculous rebound', as Saucony says of its £280 super shoe. I put the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 through three months of 8km to 18km tempo, interval and recovery runs in preparation for the big day.

Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 design

The Endorphin Elite 2 is a sub-200g race shoe designed for neutral runners. I pronate slightly but often find that I benefit from the more stable platform that neutral shoes offer. Its midsole features Saucony's IncrediRUN foam, renowned for its excellent levels of energy return, while its uppers are made from a gossamer-thin mesh through which I could easily see my feet.