Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 vs Saucony Endorphin Pro 5:
Which to Choose
Verdict
This is a refinement, not a revolution — same foams, same drop, near-identical weight and stack, so a happy Endorphin Pro 4 owner with life left in their pair has little reason to rush an upgrade. If your Pro 4s are worn out, you race shorter distances too, or you specifically want a firmer, sharper, more aggressive late-stride rocker with better grip and durability, the Pro 5 is the clear next step; otherwise, ride the Pro 4 until it's done.
Pace
6 of 6
Cushioning
5 of 6
Responsiveness
6 of 6
Stability
2 of 6
Drop
8 mm
Support
Neutral
Plate
Carbon
Distances
10KHalfMarathon
Pace
6 of 6
Cushioning
5 of 6
Responsiveness
6 of 6
Stability
2 of 6
Drop
9 mm
Support
Neutral
Plate
Carbon
Distances
5K10KHalfMarathon
At a Glance
Saucony Endorphin Pro 4Saucony Endorphin Pro 5
Who Should Choose Each Shoe
Choose
Saucony Endorphin Pro 4
Choose the Endorphin Pro 4 if you already own it, love its smooth and forgiving heel-to-toe transition, and don't feel the last-third rocker urgency is worth chasing — the fundamentals are so close that there's no need to replace a pair that still has miles in it. It's also the pick for the runner who slightly prefers a marginally softer, more rolling ride over an aggressive, firmer snap, and whose racing lives in the 10K-to-marathon band where its half-marathon sweet spot shines.
Choose
Saucony Endorphin Pro 5
Choose the Endorphin Pro 5 if you're buying fresh, or if you're a Pro 4 owner whose pairs are worn down and you want the meaningful refinements: a slightly lighter build, a more aggressive slotted-and-forked plate with a sharper, more urgent toe-off, and a grippier, more durable PWRTRAC outsole. It's the stronger one-shoe quiver for a competitive neutral runner who races across the full range from 5K to marathon and wants that firmer, more committed rocker that comes alive when you push the pace.
Head-to-Head
Start with the specs, because they explain why this is an evolution rather than a reinvention: the Pro 4 comes in at about 220g with a 38.1mm heel and 28.6mm forefoot, while the Pro 5 trims to roughly 215g with a 36.5mm heel and 27.8mm forefoot. That's a marginally lighter, marginally lower-slung shoe — a handful of grams and a couple of millimeters, not a category change. Both list an 8mm drop from Saucony and both actually measure closer to 9mm underfoot, so neither has a meaningfully different heel-to-toe slope. Cushioning philosophy is shared, too: a lively PWRRUN PB top layer over a firmer supercritical PWRRUN HG base, high protection without going max-stack, and the same low, tall-and-narrow racing stability that feels planted at pace but tippy and unsettled when you slow to a jog. Where the Pro 5 genuinely moves the needle is the propulsion system. Its carbon plate is more aggressively slotted and forked, and the Speedroll rocker is paired with a less-beveled, firmer heel — so instead of the Pro 4's smooth, gentle heel-to-toe roll, the Pro 5 delivers a more dramatic, urgent snap that accelerates through the last portion of the stride. Energy return is modestly higher as well. Saucony also added a PWRTRAC rubber outsole to the Pro 5, improving wet grip and slowing the abrasion that made the race-focused Pro 4 feel disposable. The result is a broadened remit: the Pro 4 is dialed for 10K through the marathon with the half as its sweet spot, whereas the sharper, slightly lighter Pro 5 stretches down to a credible 5K while keeping the half and full as its home.
© 2026 longrunshoes.ai | All rights reserved.
Use of materials from this site is permitted only with proper attribution and a link to longrunshoes.ai.