Saucony Endorphin XC Review: Mission Incredible

Introduction to the Saucony Endorphin XC

KALEB: The following statement probably won’t be the most controversial take I write for Believe in the Run. I mean, some of you on this site have never stepped foot on a cross country course and won’t know whether I’m right or wrong, so trust me when I say it’s a vaguely hot take: no one has managed to make a true cross country superspike. And before I introduce the Saucony Endorphin XC (which might very well be an exception), let me explain:

The Nike Dragonfly XC? I mean, it’s just a heavier, worse-fitting, slightly waterproof Dragonfly with rubber slapped on the bottom. For smooth, grassy courses, you’d be better suited to just wear your normal Drags, and for technical rooty courses, the full-length plate is more likely to twist your ankle than propel you forward, and the fit is bad enough that you might just lose the dang spike altogether. It’s “super” but not very “XC.”

The New Balance SuperComp XC-X? From what I’ve seen, it’s more or less a traditional spike with a glorified rock plate made of carbon. There’s such a thin layer of foam under the foot, the plate isn’t doing much to propel you, and other than being light, low to the ground, and nimble enough for technical courses, it’s not all that speedy. It’s “XC,” it’s just not very “super.”

I won’t go all the way through the list of every cross country spike in existence, but my point is that almost every “cross country superspike” is either “hey we took a track spike and added flextape so it won’t fall apart on sharp turns” or “try our new innovative slipper with 2 mm of superfoam! Also we wrote ‘XC’ on the side,” which just leads most runners to run another pair of almost-dead Dragonfly 1’s into the dirt (literally) before picking up another pair for the indoor track season. I’ve done it, you’ve done it, and if you haven’t done it, it’s honestly not a bad way to go.

Enter Saucony. Someone on a design team in Massachusetts probably realized that the “cross country spikes are basically track spikes but worse” problem is similar to the older “trail shoes are basically road shoes but worse” problem that the industry faced for years. The dirt, grass, and muck of the trails will always tragically garner less attention than the flashier, faster track and roads. But that doesn’t mean specialized tools aren’t needed for the job.

So Saucony set to work, taking trail-smart tech and adapting it to the specific demands of a high-speed, direction-changing, pack-hunting, tried-and-true cross country race. This ain’t no ultramarathon trail cruiser, nor is it a track spike with a gimmick, this is the Saucony Endorphin XC, and it may very well be the first superspike made for the cross country course.

At least, in theory. That’s what I’m here for.

What we like about the Saucony Endorphin XC

KALEB: The design elements I raved about so much up above largely boil down to an attention to detail and an application of shoe tech done in such a way that every part adds up to make the whole. There isn’t any discord between the “super” elements and the “XC” elements of the Saucony Endorphin XC, and the seamlessness of the tech is what allows for a locked-in cross country race. It’s a unique sport, with enough time in a race that you can afford to think through your tactics, but enough high-octane race dynamics that you can’t afford to think about more than the race at hand, responding to moves and picking your moment to try to break into or out of a pack: any distractions, especially those revolving around gear, must be eliminated. It’s clear that Saucony understood this need for focus when they designed the Endorphin XC.

Underfoot is a true superfoam. Not recycled trash, not rubberized second-rate, not an EVA-encased lump, but IncrediRun: Saucony’s straight up best and bounciest, protected underneath by a layer of rubber and otherwise left to its own devices. Saucony didn’t skimp, either: cross spikes don’t usually come with a listed midsole stack, but there is a scientifically certified HUNK of IncrediRun underfoot to fuel your race — at least 25 mm by my estimate, not including outsole rubber. I haven’t felt anything like this foam, really. At a slow jog, it’s all cushion, no bounce. But as soon as I started to even think about speeding up, I was suddenly being launched forward by a slab of… magic, I don’t know. Thomas compared IncrediRun to that Oobleck stuff you made in middle school: soft liquid when you run slow, bouncy solid when you run fast, and that’s really an apt comparison. Paired with some slight rocker and a carbon plate for propulsion, the “super” category is certainly checked.

So much soft, bouncy foam underfoot would normally cause great concern for stability on a cross country course, but when running over uneven ground in these shoes, they just felt airy, light, and springy underfoot, not violently bouncy or unstable. There’s pep in your step, but it won’t throw a wrench in your stride. Three factors are in place to keep the energy of IncrediRun moving forward rather than sideways. The first is bound up in the foam, and where the foot sits in it. Rather than just “on top of”, you are ever so slightly seated in the shoe’s foam, which goes a long way for stability. This isn’t a new concept for shoes, but for many spikes, it isn’t really a focus. Again, a lot of the magic of this spike is in the attention to detail: it’s innovative because it takes things that already exist and puts them together into something that hasn’t existed before.

The plate is the second stability feature, where we start getting into trail-specific territory. Trail shoes like the Endorphin Edge taught Saucony that a full-length, spoon-shaped Speedroll plate is a fantastic way to obliterate your ankles on technical terrain: when you step on an obstruction, the stiff leverage of the plate wrenches the momentum of the whole shoe in that direction. For the Endorphin XC, Saucony went with a three-quarters plate that decouples near the heel and has some stability wings a-la the Endorphin Speed 3. On the course, the full-carbon forefoot still allows for the propulsive, snappy, efficient toe-off that you expect from a superspike, but the horseshoe prongs near the midfoot and heel of the Endorphin XC allow the plate to flex around the roots and rocks if you step on something uneven — especially when you’re running downhill and inevitably striking near your heel at high speeds. It’s more flexible than a track spike, but not in a way that detracts from its responsiveness.

The third thing keeping this shoe stable is the upper: this is a no-nonsense, no distractions, sock-like fit. Strong, rip-proof mesh material? Check. Midfoot gusset and bootie-style tongue to keep the foot from wobbling around? You got it. Heel security without heel stiffness? Yup. Unobtrusive reinforcement in all the right places? Quality lacing system? Comfortable footbed for the sockless freaks among us? The Endorphin XC has it all, and I was wildly impressed by the comfort and security it was able to offer. Saucony even made the toebox rather anatomical, allowing the forefoot and toes to spread without sacrificing on lockdown, making the most of some good ol’ biology-powered stability through the big toe.

A few final touches: the rubber underfoot in a cross spike is just as much about durability as it is grip. The layer of rubber that protects the IncrediRun and shields the carbon plate from scratches seems to be holding up great. Obviously, I’m not able to get 20 miles of distance on a spike like we do for our road shoe reviews, but after a few workouts over varied terrain from the track to the grass to rooty, rocky trails, there’s no visible wear on the outsole rubber, and I had no issues with grip in conjunction with the six-pin design. Even with almost full rubber coverage, the spike still comes in at 5.5 oz, a truly impressive weight for a carbon-plated spike with this much stack.

And yes, most importantly, this shoe has a sexy factor — an “aura,” as the kids say. I mean, look at this thing. Holy mackerel. Enough said.

What we don’t like about the Saucony Endorphin XC

KALEB: Unfortunately for college athletes, the Endorphin XC isn’t on the 2025 World Athletics list of legal shoes, courtesy of its stack height. Since the NCAA is conforming to WA stack requirements, this means you can’t race in the Endorphin XC for NCAA Regionals or Nationals. Other races should be fair game (at least at the discretion of whoever holds the meet). I personally will be wearing these spikes as far into the season as I legally can, before bailing to wear my Dragonflies in the post-season.

Performance-wise, it’s difficult to find anything I didn’t like about the Saucony Endorphin XC. If I haaad to pick something, it may be that the midfoot reinforcements can choke out my chunky midfoot if I tie the shoe wrong, but I experience this in lots of shoes because my foot shape is a bit janky.

The big concern? One hundred and ninety dollars. 190. Yeah, I’ll just let that figure sit there and sink in. That’s quite a buck to pay for a spike designed to get slammed into terrain over and over. Heck, it’s $20 more expensive than the next closest competitor, the Dragonfly XC, and going on $30 more expensive than everything else. To me, a really durable, “worth every penny” cross country spike is one that I can take through two cross country seasons strong and then at least consider dragging through a third on its last leg. Will the IncrediRun midsole stand up that long? I honestly have no clue.

There’s enough underfoot that I imagine it can, I just know nothing about the longevity of the compound, and it honestly hasn’t even been on the market long enough for anyone to say. Personally, given the quality of the rest of the spike, I’m fairly optimistic that the Endorphin XC is going to be able to go the distance, but I can’t tell you with any objective data that this spike’s lifetime will be worth it. That’s your own decision to make. You still gotta pay rent, you know?

Final thoughts on the Saucony Endorphin XC

KALEB: I know I’ve gushed over the Saucony Endorphin XC, so I feel the need to promise that — like all Believe in the Run reviews — this is, in fact, an independent review, and I’m not being paid anything to write nice stuff about Saucony or their shoes. But hopefully, I’ve given enough evidence above to back up the love I instantly gained for this spike. I honestly wish I’d had even more time to log mileage in these spikes because my brain keeps telling me they have some weakness, but I just haven’t found one (besides not wanting to get the beautiful white upper dirty).

My excitement about finally having a proper cross country superspike on the market is only tempered by the fact that they can’t legally be worn in championship races. I look forward to Saucony’s future upgrades that will hopefully maintain the greatness of the Endorphin XC while making it a viable competition shoe for everyone. Until then, you’ll catch me toeing the line in this spike in every race I can!

You can pick up the Saucony Endorphin XC for $190 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.