Is there a lot of cushion in this shoe? Yes!! Is it soft? Nope!! That's not to say that it is so hard that it feels harsh, but if you are expecting pillows under your feet, you will be disappointed. I wish I could spread my toes just a bit more but other than that the shoe feels great with no rubbing and no major blister risks. The shoe fits well in the heel, with no sliding up and down in my experience. It's not thick, but it does feel super plush and comfortable. The ankle collar and tongue are covered in a soft, smooth material. The heel cup is wrapped with substantial plastic support that holds the back of the foot in place and gives the shoe a really balanced feel. This helped my foot feel supported from the ground up. The midfoot locks down nicely, wrapping the foot with no pressure points or gaps to speak of. It runs slightly long so still provided enough room for me, but if you have a truly wide foot, this might be an issue for you.

It is pretty narrow with very little stretch. Keith: The one negative aspect to the Saucony Endorphin Shift 2 is the toebox. HEEL TO TOE OFFSET: 4mm (38mm heel/34mm forefoot) Similar to other shoes in the Endorphin collection, the Shift 2 combines Saucony's PWRRUN midsole with the SPEEDROLL rocking motion with each step.

This shoe may have the stack height of a max cushion shoe, but it remains firm and peppy, like any shoe with the Endorphin name should. This year's model kept the original shoe's 4mm drop and significant cushioning, allowing runners to turn over quickly for fast miles with cushioning designed to take the impact. That being said, our reviewers had mixed feelings on the width of the shoe, with Keith commenting the forefoot felt 'pretty narrow with very little stretch,' and Toni saying the shoe felt snug to begin with but ultimately molded to her foot.

Saucony stepped up their game with the Shift 2, improving last year's model by dialing in the fit of the upper fit and heel cup. Are your daily runs going flat? Are you running on the hamster wheel and not getting anything out of it? The Saucony Endorphin Shift 2 might just be the entertaining shoe that gets you feeling the warm and fuzzies for running again.

Endorphin game demo