Saucony Endorphin Trainer and Brooks Ghost Max 2 SC: Two Training Shoes Worth a Second Look

Introduction

Most training shoes this year feel like safe retreads, but a couple of releases quietly break the pattern. The Saucony Endorphin Trainer in particular feels like a shoe that fills a genuine gap in the market, while the Brooks Ghost Max 2 SC leans hard into comfort and a relaxed, retro aesthetic. Both reward a specific kind of running: steady mileage, easy effort, and long enjoyable days on the roads.

Saucony Endorphin Trainer: A Fresh Take on the Daily Trainer

On paper, the Endorphin Trainer does not look special. It sits in the same crowded space as shoes like the Cloudmonster Hyper, Skyward X, and Super Blast. Out on the roads, though, it delivers something no other shoe currently does, and that comes down to its midsole construction.

The secret sauce is a top layer of soft, bouncy Increditun foam stacked over a firmer layer of traditional EVA on the bottom. Add in a 3/4-length carbon fiber plate and you get a ride that mixes one of the most classic foams with one of the most exciting newer ones. The result is a long-run cruiser that feels relaxed and fun, soft without being too squishy.

Depending on your pace, this shoe can flex into different roles. For faster runners it works as a long run and easy mileage shoe. For runners moving at around 8 to 11 minute paces, it could plausibly serve as a tempo shoe or even a marathon race shoe. At marathon pace around 5:56 per mile, it held up fine, though pushing faster than everyday pace feels like a lot of work. That is not what it is designed to do.

The upper is arguably the best training upper of the year: soft, stretchy, breathable, with minimal padding that keeps it streamlined. The weight comes in around 300 grams, lighter than the Mag Max and roughly on par with the Glide Ride Max, so it does not feel big, heavy, or clunky. It simply disappears on foot. Against the Mag Max, the bouncy top layer makes slower paces feel even more effortless, and after extended use it has taken over the Mag Max role in a consistent training rotation.

The limitation mirrors the Mag Max: it is not the fastest or most aggressive shoe, and it is not meant to be. Pair it with a dedicated race shoe for hard efforts and let it handle the everyday miles, the protection, and the leg-saving duty. It sits comfortably among the top five training shoes of the year so far, up there with the Mag Max as a reliable shoe for stacking mileage.

Brooks Ghost Max 2 SC: Comfort First, Style Second

The Ghost Max 2 SC plays a different game entirely. This is a max-cushion, dad-drip, normcore-style shoe with a midsole that is genuinely excellent and only softens up with time. For walking, it is extremely comfortable, and even a surprise jog across a school parking lot showed it carries the same pop as the standard Ghost Max 2, if not a touch more.

There are two things to know before buying. First, it fits tighter than the regular Ghost Max 2, so sizing may need attention. Second, the pop in the midsole appears to taper somewhere near 100 miles, though overall protection stays great even after that point.

The look will not be for everyone. It leans into a 90s-inspired aesthetic that younger dads and fans of old-school styling tend to love, while some runners find it reads too close to a mall-walking shoe. If you like the look, though, it is a complete banger of a comfortable, easygoing shoe.

How These Two Shoes Fit Into a Training Rotation

The broader market has gotten a little mixed up: premier training shoes keep getting faster and more aggressive, while race shoes keep going softer and squishier. The Endorphin Trainer pushes back against that by taking a soft, bouncy race-style foam and trickling it down into a training shoe, much like the Boston 12 did with a light strike pro top layer. The Ghost Max 2 SC, meanwhile, is simply about maximum comfort and protection.

Both are easy shoes to run in for different reasons. If you want bounce, effortlessness, and a bit of speed-day versatility in your easy days, the Endorphin Trainer is the stronger pick. If your priority is plush walking comfort and a relaxed style for everyday wear with some running mixed in, the Ghost Max 2 SC makes sense.

Conclusion

The Saucony Endorphin Trainer is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year: fun, reliable, light on foot, and proof that training shoes deserve the exciting foams usually reserved for race day. The Brooks Ghost Max 2 SC delivers outstanding cushioned comfort with a distinctive retro look. Neither is trying to be a race shoe, and both are better for it.