Saucony's Endorphin Elite 3 is a race-day buy for runners who choose by what's in the foam on a time-chasing full marathon day. What decides it is the 2 layers of incrediRUN and the 6% of added foam at the arch and heel, a build that steadies your footing late in a race. Released Jul 24, 2026, JPY 46,200, 204g in a 27cm, 8mm drop.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
The Elite 3 is a shoe where you pay JPY 46,200 for foam, not for lightness. The sole thickness is the same as its sibling, the Pro 5, and the weight differs by just 2g. What differs is what's inside: only the Elite stacks incrediRUN in 2 layers and makes the insole from the same foam. It keeps the bounce the last version was known for and adds foam at the arch and heel to settle it. It's for people who've worn many plated shoes and are particular about the final pair.
Key points
- The Japan official weight is 204g at 27cm and 184g at 24.5cm. A 2.5cm size gap is a 20g gap
- The previous Elite 2's Japan price was JPY 42,900. It's up JPY 3,300 (about 7.7%)
- The home-market explanation says the foam is 6% more than the last version. The places added are the arch and the heel
Endorphin Elite 3 official figures | 204g, 39.5 / 31.5mm, 8mm drop, JPY 46,200
The Endorphin Elite 3 is a buy for runners who choose by foam on a time-chasing marathon day. What decides it is the 2 layers of incrediRUN and the 6% of added foam at the arch and heel.
Lined up beside its sibling the Pro 5 (JPY 37,400), the sole thickness differs by less than 0.1mm, and the weight gap is 2g. So what is the JPY 8,800 paying for? Let's read that.
Marubeni Consumer Link, which handles Saucony in Japan, put out a release on Jul 23, 2026. We line up that release with the figures on the official Japan product page.
| Item | Endorphin Elite 3 |
|---|---|
| Release date | Jul 24, 2026 (Fri) |
| Price (tax included) | JPY 46,200 |
| Weight | 204g (27cm) / 184g (24.5cm) |
| Stack height | Heel 39.5mm / front 31.5mm |
| Drop | 8mm |
| Sizes | Unisex 22.5 to 31.0cm and 32.0cm |
| Plate | Yes (grooved carbon fiber plate) |
| Foam | 2 layers of incrediRUN. The insole is also incrediRUN |
| Outsole rubber | PWRTRAC |
| Colors | 3 colors |
The tagline is "MAKE FAST FASTER." The release names runners chasing speed and runners chasing a personal best as its target. The use entry on the product page is just 1, "Race Day."
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Saucony Endorphin Elite 3
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 46,200 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 92,640 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanHow it differs from the Elite 2 | a bouncy shoe, settled down
In the home-market release, Saucony's product lead explains it this way: the Elite 2's performance is kept, and stability in the midfoot (around the arch) is added. It's a generation where the sole shape was reworked based on runner feedback.
The home-market official explainer page writes it in a bit more detail.
- Foam: 6% more incrediRUN than before. The places added are the arch and the heel
- Insole: a new incrediRUN insole is added
- Plate: the grooved carbon plate keeps the same concept, with stiffness added in a new design
- Upper: it carries over the light, sock-like wrap
The explainer page describes the Elite 2's plate as "snappy rebound" and the Elite 3's as "smooth, repeatable propulsion." It chose being able to repeat the same motion for 42 km over the flash of a single stride. That's how I read it.
| Elite 2 (2025) | Elite 3 (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Japan release | Feb 27, 2025 (early sale) | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Price (tax included) | JPY 42,900 | JPY 46,200 |
| Foam | incrediRUN | 2 layers of incrediRUN (6% more) |
| Plate | Grooved carbon | Grooved carbon (new design) |
| Sizes | 22.5–30cm | 22.5 to 31.0cm and 32.0cm |
| Colors | 1 color | 3 colors |
The price went up JPY 3,300. With the foam up 6%, that works out to a price up about 7.7%. It didn't get cheaper.
For buyers, the quietly big thing is size. The Elite 2 stopped at 30cm; the Elite 3 continues to 31.0cm in 0.5cm steps, and there's 32.0cm too. It's finally a shoe that people with big feet can choose.
How it differs from its siblings | Pro 5 and Speed 5
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Weight | Sole (heel / front) | Official price | Per gram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elite 3 | 204g (27cm) | 39.5 / 31.5mm | JPY 46,200 | About JPY 226 |
| Pro 5 | 206g | 39.5 / 31.5mm | JPY 37,400 | About JPY 182 |
| Speed 5 | 237g | 36 / 28mm | JPY 29,700 | About JPY 125 |
The Elite 3 and Pro 5 have the same thickness and drop. The weight gap is 2g (206 − 204). The price gap is JPY 8,800 (46,200 − 37,400).
What differs is what's in the sole.
- Elite 3: 2 layers of incrediRUN. The product page calls it "industry-leading energy return," Saucony's top foam
- Pro 5: a sole combining 2 kinds, PWRRUN PB and PWRRUN HG. The plate is a grooved carbon one too
- Speed 5: PWRRUN PB with a nylon plate. Saucony describes that plate as for training
In other words, the JPY 8,800 is the price of foam. Running the marathon in under 2:30, I look less at a 2g difference (the weight of 2 1-yen coins) than at how the sole is designed to behave when my legs stop moving after 30 km. Adding foam at the arch and heel on the Elite 3 is about exactly that moment.
Here's my call.
- Used only on time-chasing marathon day, price no object → Elite 3
- You want a racing shoe but JPY 40,000-range is out of reach → Pro 5. The thickness is the same
- Used in training too. Your first plated shoe → Not the Elite. The Speed 5
- You want a plate-free shoe for fast days → Endorphin Azura
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Saucony Endorphin Pro 5
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 26,180 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 43,600 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanWhat I like
First, I like the care of making even the insole from the same foam. The insole of its sibling, the Pro 5, is a different material from the sole (foamed resin). Only the Elite 3 has matched the layers between your sole and the ground, using incrediRUN.
Next, the repair makes sense. It didn't erase the bounce the last version was known for. The only thing added was foam at the arch and heel, and it gives that amount as a number, 6%. Few makers write this specifically about a racing-shoe generation change.
I also want to praise that it gives weight at 2 sizes: 204g at 27cm and 184g at 24.5cm, a 20g gap over 2.5cm. That's about 4g per 0.5cm (20 ÷ 5). You can roughly estimate the weight at your own size.
Unisex, from 22.5cm to 32.0cm. For the top racing model, a size chart this wide is a good thing.
Things to watch
The price. The 3 racing shoes lined up in our 10 shoes by use article had official prices of JPY 28,600 to 29,700. The Elite 3 is JPY 16,500 above the priciest of those (46,200 − 29,700). That's more than 1.5 times (46,200 ÷ 29,700 = 1.56).
On lightness, it isn't the best. The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 that I read in the same article is about 170g in a 27cm. The Elite 3 is 34g heavier in the same 27cm (204 − 170). It isn't a shoe you buy for lightness, and that holds against both its sibling and other brands.
The sizing is 1 unisex model.
Who is it for?
- A good fit for: aiming at a personal best in the full marathon. Has worn several plated racing shoes
- A good fit for: liked the Elite 2's bounce but wanted more settledness late in a race
- A good fit for: big feet, and found no size in the top racing model (31.0cm, 32.0cm)
If it's your first plated shoe, a daily training shoe, or you choose by weight figures, there are other ways to choose. If you're happy with the Pro 5, wearing it out first is early enough (the gap is 2g).
Price and where to buy
| Model | Official price | Rakuten price range |
|---|---|---|
| Endorphin Elite 3 | JPY 46,200 | JPY 46,200–92,640 |
| Endorphin Pro 5 | JPY 37,400 | JPY 26,180–43,600 |
| Endorphin Speed 5 | JPY 29,700 | JPY 17,820–47,430 |
The release says it's sold at the brand store in Harajuku, the official online store, and some retailers. It isn't a shoe every shop carries. If you can't find it in a store, the official store is the sure route.
When you buy, look at the number in the product name. Under the "Elite" name, the previous generation 2 may remain. Colors with "SPACE COWBOY" in the name are limited colors at the same price.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Saucony Endorphin Elite 3
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 46,200 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 92,640 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping Japan
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Saucony Endorphin Speed 5
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 17,820 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 47,430 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanFAQ
How does the Endorphin Elite 3 fit? Is there a women's version?
It's 1 unisex model. Sizes run from 22.5cm to 31.0cm in 0.5cm steps, plus 32.0cm. Weight is 204g at 27cm and 184g at 24.5cm. For your own size, you can estimate at about 4g per 0.5cm.
What's the difference between the Endorphin Elite 3 and the Pro 5?
The difference is the foam. Sole thickness (39.5 / 31.5mm) and drop (8mm) are the same, and the weight gap is 2g. The Elite 3 has 2 layers of incrediRUN; the Pro 5 has PWRRUN PB and PWRRUN HG. If you can pay the price gap for the foam gap, the Elite 3; if not, the Pro 5 is enough.
Is it worth upgrading from the Endorphin Elite 2 to the Elite 3?
For runners whose feet felt unsettled late in the last version, it's an upgrade with a reason. 3 things changed: the foam at the arch and heel (6% more overall), a new insole, and a plate with added stiffness. If you have no complaint there, finish the pair you have first.
Gear in this article
Ads and images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- Marubeni Consumer Link release (Jul 23, 2026): ENDORPHIN ELITE 3
- Saucony official Japan site: Endorphin Elite 3
- Saucony announcement (Jun 1, 2026): Endorphin Elite 3
- Saucony official explainer: What's New in the Endorphin Elite
- Marubeni Consumer Brands release (Feb 21, 2025): ENDORPHIN ELITE 2
- Saucony official Japan site: Endorphin Pro 5
- Saucony official Japan site: Endorphin Speed 5
