EXCLUSIVE: Minted NY Talks Latest Saucony Collab

After founding Minted NY in 2021, brothers Marcus and Shawn Milione have grown their fledgling project into a full-blown running community, fashion brand, and footwear collaborator. The first sneaker collab from the Minted NY team came by way of a Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4 in 2024, and shortly after, the duo came together for a performance running project on the Endorphin Speed 4.

Minted NY x Saucony Endorphin Pro 5 Details

Things have been quiet on the Minted NY x Saucony front since that November 2024 project, but just two months ago, Minted was tapped to help spearhead the campaign for the all-new Endorphin Pro 5. Unfortunately, that ad spot wasn’t tied to an official collaboration, but it did serve as a subtle teaser for what was to come.

Just two weeks would pass before Minted NY officially unveiled its Endorphin Pro 5 collab with Saucony. The pair is decked out in grey and metallic silver hues, with the Saucony logo, laces, midsole, and eyelet overlays all coming in this metallic silver finish. Minted logos hit the lateral heel in a contrasting blue shade to finish the design.

Ahead of the launch of the Minted NY x Saucony Endorphin Pro 5, Sole Retriever was able to speak with founders Marcus and Shawn about the project, what’s next for the brand, and future Minted NY x Saucony projects. You can cop Minted’s Endorphin Pro 5 on May 16 at a special pop-up in London at the Saucony Covent Garden store, on May 19 via the brand’s website, and on May 21 via Saucony and global retailers.

Minted NY x Sole Retriever Conversation

NICK VLAHOS:

How has your relationship with Saucony evolved since that first collaboration?

MINTED NY:

Our relationship with Saucony has evolved tremendously since our very first meeting with the team. As with any new partnership, there’s naturally a level of caution at the beginning as both groups learn how best to work together.

At the end of the day, a collaboration only works if the people you’re working with truly believe in the vision behind the project. From the very beginning, Jason, who has been our main point of contact and ultimately the person who reached out to us, fully supported what we were trying to do. As the years went on, that relationship continued to grow, and we’ve since had the pleasure of working closely with Philo as well, who has been an awesome addition to the team.

I don’t think people always realize how small the core group behind projects like this really is, but that’s part of what makes it special. It’s a tight-knit team of people like Jason, Philo, and Moira who genuinely believe anything is possible and consistently support us in pushing ideas further. With each project and release, the relationship only becomes stronger, and we’ve been very fortunate to grow closer with the Saucony team as a whole along the way.

NV:

Why was the Endorphin Pro 5 the right silhouette for this project specifically? What made it the best canvas creatively compared to some of Saucony’s other performance runners?

MNY:

The Pro 5 felt like the natural next step, as it represents the next tier within Saucony’s Endorphin line following our launch of the Speed 4 in 2024. As the project evolved from blue into chrome, it made sense to work with a running shoe that reflected that same progression. Moving from a nylon-plated daily trainer to a carbon-plated race shoe felt completely in step with that evolution.

NV:

The chrome aesthetic immediately stands out. What was the original inspiration behind the concept? Foil blankets? Ron Hill’s kit?

MNY:

We have spent a great deal of time studying industrial objects and their relationship to speed, along with the idea of laboratory sterility. We wanted the shoe to feel almost as if it had been dipped in metal, like taking the original blue pair and coating it in chrome. In our minds, that became a symbolic strengthening or upgrade, a reflection of the shift from collaborating on a nylon-plated daily trainer to a carbon-plated race shoe. The progression in silhouette and use-case felt naturally aligned with that visual evolution.

Interestingly, we didn’t discover the Ron Hill kit until nearly a year into the project, when we began developing the accompanying apparel capsule. His background as a textile chemist and his scientific approach connected closely with the Dr. DeMinted world we had already been building. We ended up recreating a pair of shorts inspired by that kit as a tribute to that connection. They won’t be released commercially, but it felt important for us to acknowledge the reference.

NV:

How did you come up with the mad scientist type that often features in the marketing? Did he have an influence on the chrome?

MNY:

The mad scientist, or Dr. DeMinted, originally began as a mascot character tied to our endurance fueling gels, almost as if he were the person behind the testing and formulation process. Over time, we decided to bring him into the Pro 5 project because he became a useful way for us to visualize and communicate the references and ideas behind the products we create.

It started as in-house illustrations and graphics and gradually evolved into a fully animated character and world. And yes, he is absolutely behind the chrome. The character is constantly experimenting in the pursuit of improved performance. In the teaser animation we released, an industrial experiment that DeMinted was working on goes wrong and, as a byproduct, he creates this ultra-reflective chrome compound. The shoe is then dipped into it, transforming it into a faster version of itself. That narrative ties directly back to the original inspiration behind the project and the idea of progression through experimentation.

NV:

Modern running shoes are becoming fashion objects in a way we really haven’t seen before. Why do you think performance running footwear has become so culturally relevant outside of running itself?

MNY:

Our guess is probably as good as anyone else’s. As running continues to grow in popularity, there will naturally be a group of people who want to express themselves through what they wear and how they approach the sport. Our design language might not resonate with everyone, but that’s part of what makes running interesting in the first place. There are countless ways to engage with it and countless ways to be yourself within it. There’s no single correct answer.

NV:

There’s a growing overlap between run clubs, fashion brands, and sneaker culture right now. From your perspective, what’s driving that shift?

MNY:

We’d be ignorant to ignore the role social media has played in shaping modern running. Whether people agree with it or not, social platforms allow more eyes than ever to be on any given moment, product, or person. Because of this increased visibility, the culture around the sport has evolved alongside it.

NV:

How much does NYC itself influence the storytelling and visual language behind your collaborations?

MNY:

New York City plays a major role in shaping our collaborations, along with many of the products we create. We are drawn to the city’s urban and gritty visual language, and we see a lot of parallels between the energy of NYC and running itself. This feeling that you’re always building toward something, refining, progressing, and moving forward. We’ve tried to carry parts of that mindset and atmosphere throughout the rollout of the shoe.

NV:

Saucony has quietly become one of the most culturally relevant running brands over the last few years through partnerships with brands and creatives like yourselves, 3sixteen, Estudio Niksen and others. What do you think Saucony understands right now that some competitors may not?

MNY:

That’s probably a better question for Jason. [Laughs] He has a really strong eye for the types of brands and people he chooses to work with. We think what makes the Saucony collaborations special is that the relationships behind them are genuine. It never feels like the goal is simply to rush out a collaboration product or make a quick profit. There’s real care, trust, and shared interest in building something meaningful together.

NV:

How important was it for this project to still feel authentic to serious runners?

MNY:

Very. Saucony makes extremely polished running shoes. Our goal is to convey that as best we can by designing something that is visually appealing and performs well.

NV:

On the flip side, sneaker and fashion consumers are now buying technical running products even if they never plan to race in them. Did you consciously design this shoe to live in both worlds?

MNY:

It wasn’t something we were consciously designing around at the beginning of the project, but midway through development it naturally became part of the decision making process. We went through a large number of samples, and in one of the final rounds we found ourselves choosing between two directions. Ultimately, we landed on this version because it felt like it could exist comfortably in both the performance and lifestyle worlds, whereas the other option felt much more confined to performance running alone.

NV:

Your earlier collaborations incorporated very personal New York references, like the Central Park loop graphic on the insoles. Are there similarly subtle storytelling details on this pair that people may overlook initially?

MNY:

There isn’t really an easter egg element on this pair in the same vein as there was on the Endorphin Speed 4. With this project, we were much more focused on telling the story of Dr. DeMinted and the experiment behind the chrome concept, and we didn’t want to distract from that narrative. We do have a few subtle Minted NY Blue touchpoints on the shoe as an ode to the first collaboration.

NV:

Running collaborations are becoming increasingly common across the industry. Do you think the space is reaching a saturation point, or are we still early in this crossover between running and fashion?

MNY:

We try to stay in our own lane and focus on the level of effort, care, and direction we put into our own collaborations. As long as we feel we executed the vision we set out to create, that’s what matters most to us. Collaborations will always come and go, and some will resonate more than others, but the people behind them are ultimately the only ones who truly know whether they achieved what they intended to.

We think saturation only really becomes an issue when the ideas, themes, and purpose behind collaborations begin to disappear. As long as there’s genuine thought and intention behind a project, there will always be room for meaningful work.

NV:

How involved were you with the material selection, finish execution, and overall wear-testing process for the shoe?

MNY:

We try to be as hands-on as possible with every project we work on. We worked through each stage of the process closely alongside the Saucony team. We especially want to give a huge shoutout to Moira, who sourced many of the paint and chrome finishes that ultimately brought the shoe to life and helped us push the concept as far as possible visually.

One of the biggest challenges during development was maintaining the highly reflective, liquid chrome look on the midsole while still making it fully executable at scale. There were multiple points where achieving that level of shine became extremely difficult, and Moira played a key role in making sure it was actually achievable. This project would not have been possible without her or the wider Saucony team.

NV:

Minted NY has built a strong community component through running. How important is community-building to the brand compared to just creating product?

MNY:

It’s massive. To be honest, it can sometimes be difficult to balance because we’re only a team of three and physically can’t be everywhere at once. But the community is everything to us. These are the people choosing to spend their time, money, and energy supporting what we do, and that’s something you can never take for granted or allow yourself to become disconnected from.

Creating products is incredibly fulfilling, but without a genuine connection between the product and the people wearing it, it doesn’t mean nearly as much to us.

NV:

Was there a specific feeling or emotion you wanted runners to experience when they lace this pair up for the first time?

MNY:

That the shoe looks and feels fast.

NV:

What models are they eyeing next to work on? Anything on the Saucony line that you’d like to take a stab at?

MNY:

We’re looking to continue working our way through the rest of the Endorphin lineup, along with potentially exploring a few new models as well. At the moment, we have around 3-4 new shoes in development with the Saucony team, although that doesn’t always mean every project will see the light of day.

NV:

Beyond footwear, what do you think the future of Minted NY looks like within the broader running and performance space?

MNY:

We want to continue building on what we’ve already built. We never want to lose the feeling of being the underdog or the mentality of operating with a massive chip on our shoulder.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy watching films and discovering music. Follow me on Letterboxd @nickvlah For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com