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The Saucony Endorphin Azura is a lightweight all-rounder that shares a lot of features with the excellent Saucony Endorphin Speed 5, but lacks the nylon plate in the Speed 5’s midsole.

As a versatile, plate-free shoe at a reasonable price the Azura slips into a category that contains many of the best running shoes on the market, with rivals including the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, New Balance Rebel v5 and Puma Velocity Nitro 4. The Azura holds its own even in such auspicious company, and is good all-rounder option for runners who don’t like to train too much a in plated shoe.

Design & Key Stats

  • Price: £140/$150
  • Weight: 248g/8.7oz (men’s UK 9 / US 10)
  • Drop: 8mm
  • Stack height: 40mm heel, 32mm forefoot
  • Upper: Lightweight mesh
  • Midsole: PWRRUN PB foam with Speedroll rocker
  • Outsole: Thin rubber covering forefoot and heel

Saucony Endorphin Azura review

How’s The Fit

Nick, Tom, Mike and Kieran tested the Saucony Endorphin Azura for our review and had no problems with the fit of the shoe in their normal sizes. The upper is lightweight but still has enough padding to be comfortable for daily runs, and there’s a good amount of room in the toe-box without sizing up or down.

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The Run Test: Likes

The Saucony Endorphin Azura is an impressively versatile shoe, with enough cushioning under foot to be comfortable on easy runs of any length, and a responsive enough ride to work well for faster efforts

We’ve enjoyed the Speedroll rocker geometry on many Saucony shoes in the past, and it’s just as smooth and effective with the Endorphin Azura as it is on models like the Speed 5. It creates a natural ride that feels good at any pace.

The lack of a plate in the midsole makes the Azura a more attractive option for easy runs than models like the Speed 5, and it has a touch more cushioning as well for added comfort.

Despite having a high stack of foam the Azura is lightweight and also quite stable — stability is an area where it’s better than the Evo SL, which is the main rival in its category.

The Run Test: Dislikes

The PWRRUN PB foam in the midsole of the Endorphin Azura is good, but not quite as springy and responsive as some foams you’ll find on shoes in this price range, including the Adidas Evo SL and Puma Velocity Nitro 4.

As a result, the Endorphin Azura does lack a little liveliness compared to those shoes, especially at faster paces. On the plus side, PWRRUN PB is a very dense and long-lasting material.

Durability might still be a concern with the shoe overall though, because the rubber used sparingly on the outsole is quite thin. It looks likely to wear through long before the midsole loses its bounce.

It’s also a bit of shame that Saucony took so long to release this shoe, which would have been a standout pick on the market if it came out two years ago. At this point there are quite a few great lightweight shoes with top foams available, and given that Saucony not used its springiest material (the IncrediRun foam used on the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2), the Azura will have a tougher job of standing out from its rivals.

Verdict And Alternatives

As huge fans of shoes like the Evo SL and Rebel v5, it’s great to see other brands entering this area of the market and the Saucony Endorphin Azura is certainly a top all-rounder to consider at a good price.

The Endorphin Speed 5 is more expensive and a has a little more punch for fast runs thanks to its plate, but the Azura can handle most training runs very well, and is more comfortable than the Speed 5 for easy efforts.

The competition in its category is fierce though, and the Adidas Evo SL is a lighter, faster shoe than the Azura, while the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 has a bit more pop, better grip, and is cheaper. The Azura is more stable than the Adidas and has a wider, more accommodating fit than the Velocity Nitro 4 though.

It’s also a bit more energetic than the New Balance Rebel v5 when it comes to faster runs, with the PWRRUN PB foam having a faster feel to us than the version of FuelCell foam in the Rebel.

Overall, testing the Endorphin Azura was an enjoyable experience for all of us and it delivers a good balance of comfort, stability and speed in a lightweight package. It’s worth looking at, though we’d probably try the Adidas Evo SL out first.