Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 vs Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2:
Which to Choose

Start with the numbers, because this is where the two genuinely separate. In a men's US 9 the Adios Pro Evo 2 comes in around 139g, while the Endorphin Elite 2 sits near 199g — a 60g gap that is enormous in racing terms and makes the Adidas one of the lightest marathon shoes you can buy. Stack and geometry are much closer: both ride tall, with heels right around 39mm and a low forefoot, and the drop is nearly matched at 8mm for the Saucony versus roughly 7mm for the Adidas (Adidas officially lists 3mm, but measured it reads higher). Both share a neutral, narrow, tall platform with low stability (2/6), and both feel tippy and precarious if you slow to a jog or your form breaks down late in a race — neither is a shoe to ease into. The clearer split is in ride feel and propulsion. The Elite 2 pairs a full-length carbon plate with a firm, snappy superfoam and an aggressive rocker; it feels stiff and poppy, rewards a committed forefoot strike, and tips you forward hard when you're already moving. The Adios Pro Evo 2 swaps the continuous plate for carbon-infused Energy Rods 2.0 under a notably softer, bouncier Lightstrike Pro Evo foam, so it feels more cushioned and springy underfoot and allows a slightly more natural, eager toe-off, where the Saucony is more rigid and direct. Fit and longevity are the last deciders: the Adidas toebox runs very snug and its minimal outsole gives it short, race-day-only durability, whereas the Elite 2 is built a touch more conventionally and holds up better to repeated hard efforts and the occasional fast workout.