What I'm Wearing for Spring Training
This spring I invested in two new pairs of running shoes: the Saucony Tempus and the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 Four Fruit Soup.
Note: I’ve worn Saucony since 2010 when I signed a shoe deal with Saucony and started my professional running career. I’m no longer sponsored by Saucony and I purchased both these shoes at full price.
Saucony Tempus
The Tempus is my new everyday easy run shoe. I think this is a new model for Saucony because there is no model number like Tempus 2 or 3. It’s just Tempus.
Saucony VIZIPRO Tempus
WHY I CHOSE THE TEMPUS: I specifically wanted a shoe with super foam and without a carbon plate (or any kind of plate). Saucony’s super foam is called PWRRUN PB. Super foams are so far superior to the old EVA foam and I have no interest in ever running in a non-super foam shoe again.
Related Reading: What are Super Shoes?
Saucony only has a few models of running shoes with PWRRUN PB and without a plate. I believe those models are the Freedom (4mm) and the Tempus (8mm). The Tempus was an easy choice for me because I don’t run in 4mm offset, it’s too low.
In super shoes, the super foam is what offers the incredible energy return and cushioning. The plate is what offers some stability and guidance for the foot when it lands on a thick slab of foam. Without a plate, there is obviously less structure for the foot. In the Tempus, the super foam is actually encased in a layer of PWRRUN foam (aka EVA aka trash foam) which helps to provide some structure for the PWRRUN PB foam underfoot.
Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 Four Fruit Soup
This is my new workout shoe. It is a “kind of” super shoe, with super foam and a nylon plate instead of a carbon plate. My previous workout shoe was the original Endorphin Pro and I’ve loved them for years.
WHY I CHOSE THE ENDORPHIN SPEED 3: I want to get the new Endorphin Elite (as a true replacement for my original Endorphin Pros) when it becomes available in a colour other than the awful “slime” green. The Elite has a new and assumably even better super foam called the PWRRUN HG.
Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 Four Fruit Soup
In the meantime, I decided Speeds from friends and clients of mine alike.
So far, I like the Speeds a lot and don’t notice a huge difference in performance as compared to the original Pros. They don’t have as much pop or forward propulsion as the original Endorphin Pro, in my opinion. But they are far superior than the Tempus in this regard, and I really like them. They’re kind of a middle option.
I also really like the uppers of the Speed 3 compared to the original Endorphin Pro. It’s more substantial (like regular running shoe uppers) than than the paper thin uppers of the Endorphin Pro. I’m sure this contributes to an overall heavier shoe but it’s really not noticeable and the shoe is super lightweight anyway.
Nicole Sifuentes is a full-time Running Coach for adults of all ages and abilities. She is a former professional runner and 2-time Olympian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Read more about her services, and schedule your free coaching consultation.