Nike Alphafly 3 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 2: Which carbon racing shoe is best for you?

The Nike Alphafly 3 is the running shoe you’ll see dominating start lines and being on the feet of some of the best and fastest runners on the planet. There’s also carbon racing shoes that want to be in that leading pack like the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2,

Saucony’s answer to Nike’s marathon racer has the same goal but goes about delivering that in a slightly different way.

These are also two of the best running shoes and two of the most expensive you can buy, so if you’ve got to spend big, which one should be on your feet?

We’ve put some running time in both and here’s our take on how the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 matches up to the Nike Alphafly 3.

Nike Alphafly 3 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 2: Price and release date

The Nike Alphafly 3 launched in 2024 priced at $285 / £284.99 / AU$370, making it comfortably one of the most expensive racing shoes you can buy. Unsurprisingly, despite being around for over a year, one of the most coveted shoes remains at that launch price.

The Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 first went on sale in limited quantities in Summer 2024 and was then made more widely available from March 1st 2025. Its price sits at $275 / £280 / AU379, so not far off the price of the Alphafly 3.

Nike Alphafly 3 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 2: Specs

Nike Alphafly 3 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 2: Design and fit

These two shoes are built for racing and primarily to be ones you’d grab mainly for marathons, but can do the job for distances below that. That means ticking a few key boxes like staying light and breathable, locking things nicely in place, and giving your toes room to splay when you run longer with them.

The Alphafly 3 does look the hulkier of the two shoes, yet it actually weighed just a gram lighter than the Endorphin Elite 2 with my UK size 8 (US 8.5) Alphafly 3 weighing in on the scales at 205g and the Endorphin Elite 2 in at 206g. These aren’t the lightest carbon plate racing shoes you can grab, but also not clunky ones to shift in either

Both use knitted uppers to help keep that overall weight down. The fact you’ll be able to spy your socks through them both is a sign that they aim to keep things well-ventilated when you’re hitting your faster paces.

There’s not a huge amount to separate them in terms of the space they offer up front in the toes. I felt happy going for my usual running shoe size in both and never felt they were a tight squeeze. I would say that while both offer some defence for your toes by adding some harder material to do that, it certainly feels more present on the Endorphin Elite 2 and did cause some rubbing.

Go further back and it’s all pretty solid. They hold the middle of your foot well, the lacing and all-in-one tongues provide a good lockdown and never felt like they were putting any unwanted pressure on the top of my foot.

If you like a shoe with lots of padding around the heel area to go big on support, neither shoe will give you that; both choose to focus padding on the interior of the heel collar, with the one inside of the Alphafly 3 stretching a little longer around that heel collar. Crucially, those heel collars haven’t caused any irritation or rubbing.

• Winner: Nike Alphafly 3

Nike Alphafly 3 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 2: Performance

On paper, you’d think these shoes would offer a similar experience, simply because they have the same 8mm drops, stack heights and weigh in pretty much the same. In reality, they’re very different beasts that have the same thing in common: they feel good at your fastest.

One clear difference is the cushioning technologies used that have a huge say on what they feel like to run in. The Alphafly 3 has a big stack of Nike’s ZoomX foam, and its standout quality is its bounciness. That’s matched up with a full-length carbon plate to provide that propulsion for faster runs and two Zoom Air Units at the front of the shoe to improve energy returns on longer runs to help keep legs fresher.

The result is a shoe that puts ample cushioning beneath you for protection, while creating a ride that’s lively, fast and does that in a smooth and stable fashion

It's in contrast to the Endorphin Elite 2 where Saucony’s combination of its much softer IncrediRun cushioning, Speedroll rocker geometry and slotted carbon plate. It all combines to bring big bounce too but from a much squishier platform that feels great when you’re running on long, straight routes. The liveliness can be more challenging to control when you’re darting around corners or on a very twisty route.

The slightly more punchy feel of the Endorphin Elite 2 does seem to make it more at home for shorter distances compared to the Alphafly 3. That’s not to say Nike’s shoe can’t handle tackling a 5k race, but it excels when cruising for longer periods.

When you compare outsoles and consider overall durability, it does feel like a win for the Alphafly 3 on both fronts. While I’ve not seen bad wear on either shoe, the Alphafly 3 has more rubber in place, which makes it more suitable for running in wetter conditions than the Elite 2, offering a bit more protection for the exposed foam that will get beaten up quicker than your standard non-carbon shoe.

I’d still be saving these for longer training days and mainly for when it’s time to race, with the Nike feeling like it can handle more regular, longer mileage.

• Winner: Draw

Nike Alphafly 3 vs Saucony Endorphin Elite 2: Verdict

Bottom line, these are two running shoes that feel great to run fast in and are also very different approaches to achieve that.

The Alphafly 3 feels like a shoe built for longer distances and has a fun, bouncy ride that’s balanced out by a design that keeps things controlled and ideal for cruising in pretty effortlessly. The Endorphin Elite 2 brings the bounce too, just from a much softer cushioning. This would appeal more to runners concerned that the Alphafly 3 might not be as friendly at slower paces.

I’d say the Endorphin Elite 2 has a bit more scope to work for shorter, faster sessions as well as longer ones and shines on straight, mostly uninterrupted routes.

There’s no getting away from the pricing as you’ll need to spend big on both of them. There’s a strong case to opt for a host of other shoes from the likes of Brooks, Puma, Hoka and Adidas, which you can grab for less.

It boils down to what you want in a racing shoe. If you want a bouncy, lively yet more controlled shoe, I’d say it’s the Alphafly 3 you want. If you like the idea of a racing shoe that offers softness, and you can use it in longer races, then the Elite 2 is worth looking at.

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