The Asics Sonicblast 2 and the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 are direct rivals: a plate (Pebax and nylon respectively), a smooth and responsive ride with a clear forward roll, but a more forgiving feel overall. On price, the Sonicblast 2 is a bit pricier, $15 more.
The Endorphin Speed 5 uses two layers of PWRRUN PB Peba around a nylon plate, with the SpeedRoll geometry for the roll. The feel is very well balanced while leaning firm.
The Sonicblast 2 combines FF Turbo² A-TPU (top layer) and FF Blast Max (bottom layer), with a fork-shaped Pebax plate: the feel is balanced with a touch of firmness, and shock absorption is excellent.
The Sonicblast is much taller, with the same standard 8 mm drop. On the scale it is a bit lighter, by about 12 g / 0.4 oz.
Responsiveness is very good on both sides, and both are less demanding than the carbon rockets (like the Asics Metaspeed or the Saucony Endorphin Elite).
The Endorphin Speed 5 gives a very light, airy contact with the ground, without pronounced bounce: you barely feel the nylon plate. It works in every fast scenario, from short repeats like 10 x 400 m to longer tempo stretches. The Sonicblast 2 comes alive as soon as you pick up the pace, with propulsion that gets close to the Metaspeed: tempo workouts, long runs with marathon-pace stretches and 400 m repeats are a real pleasure. Its dimensions do make it feel further from the ground, though. Both make less sense at moderate paces.
Both uppers are excellent. The hexagonal engineered mesh on the Endorphin Speed 5 breathes very well, and the fit drew almost no comment from runners (wide feet included). The engineered mesh on the Sonicblast 2 offers impressive comfort and precise lockdown, a little too precise for some of our testers with wide feet. Go with your usual size in both cases.
On distance, the Endorphin Speed 5 lets anyone push to the half marathon, with the marathon depending on the runner: heavier runners find it more limited over long distances. The Sonicblast 2 lets you go long over every format, with plenty of protection, as long as you’re fine with the slightly firm ride.
Sonicblast 2 vs Endorphin Speed 5: Which Should You Choose?
The Sonicblast 2 if you want more protection and stronger propulsion for your fast workouts up to the marathon.
The Endorphin Speed 5 if you prefer a ride closer to the ground, but more for the in-between distances.
