Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 3:
Which to Choose

On paper these two are close cousins. Both sit at the racing-legal ceiling of stack — the Elite 2 measures roughly 39.5mm heel / 31.5mm forefoot, while the Elite 3 builds to about 40mm heel / 34mm forefoot — and both weigh about the same, near 199g for the Elite 2 and roughly 204g in a men's US 9 for the Elite 3, so you won't feel one as meaningfully heavier than the other. Both carry a full-length carbon plate and both rate identically on the core numbers: maximum pace, high (5/6) cushioning, top responsiveness, and low (2/6) stability. The meaningful differences are in geometry, plate design, and fit. The biggest spec change is drop: the Elite 2 runs a balanced 8mm offset, while the Elite 3 drops to 6mm (Saucony's own listing still says 8mm), a slightly lower, more level feel. The plate itself is reworked — the Elite 3 uses a slotted, forked carbon plate that keeps the longitudinal stiffness driving you forward but adds a measure of torsional control, which helps settle the Elite 2's occasionally darty, unpredictable feel at speed. The Elite 3's midsole is also softer and bouncier underfoot, transitioning from soft-and-forgiving at easy jog paces to crisp and rebounding once you commit, and its one-piece engineered-mesh upper opens up a noticeably roomier toe box and a more secure heel than the cramped Elite 2. Both still get tippy at slow speeds and both are pure racers — poor daily trainers with limited-durability outsoles — so the character is the same; the Elite 3 is the more planted, better-fitting, marginally softer refinement of it.