New Saucony Kinvara? (Read 4691 times)

I just did a group track workout this morning and every single person at the track (including myself) was wearing Kinvaras.

I have a pair of Kinvaras. I'm not a fan, really. They're super squishy and wearing fast. I like the Frees better.

I love the Type As for racing -- picked up the Type A2 when it was new at the Boston expo in 2008, ran 5 miles in them, and decided to risk running the marathon in them. I didn't regret it. The Type A3 was very similar, possibly only styling changes? (Which were for the worse -- I loved the solid red A2.)

 

I have  new pair of A4s, which I have only run 5 miles in. The heel is lower than on the A2 or A3. As a result, I guess, they feel noticeably less cushioned. I am not sure how they will work for me in marathons. Will find out on 7/4. Note that high / low heel is not the same as high / low heel counter -- the heel counter doesn't seem excessive to me in any of the Type As.

 

I picked up the Kinvaras at the Boston expo this year, and have run almost exclusively in them since then. They are almost perfect. Certainly, I can't see ever going back to the Ride, or any other full-weight trainer. Can't speak to fast wear; that's hard for me to evaluate. They do feel a bit flat this week, actually, but I think that is because my legs are not recovered from the 12-hour race I ran on Saturday (in the Kinvaras).

 

The one thing that is not quite perfect, for me,  is that the internal spider construction presses just a bit on my right little toe, building up a corn. So I brought two other pairs to the 12-hour just in case (Rides and A4s). But the Kinvaras never felt uncomfortable, and I finished the day with no foot issues at all.

 

I also used them in a 25K trail race a few weeks ago. I realized immediately they offer no ankle support whatsoever, so I had to be extra careful with foot placement, but again, I didn't regret it.

I have a brand new pair in the closet and they will come out in the next rotation when my current shoes wear out.  So all I have done is try them on and walk around a little.  FWIW I like the feel.

Initial impression after a couple of runs = I am in love.

Just FYI, I'm coming from Newton running shoes-- which I happen to really like and have been wearing for nearly 2 years now.  I've also usually had a pair of Nike Lunar "whatever-name-they-feel-like giving-this-year"  thrown into the rotation b/c Nike seems to excel at cushioned footwear.    IMO, the Kinvaras have much more cushioning in the forefoot & midfoot than my Newtons.  To me, the cushioning feels a lot like the original Nike LunarTrainers from a few years ago (the ones with the old-school waffle sole).  The Kinvaras are also extremely light-- as light as my Newton racers, but with more cushioning.  How Saucony managed to combine both is pretty amazing.  The Kinvaras are narrower than both my Newtons and the LT.  I actually wish they had a bit more volume to work with.

I'm a wee bit concerned about durability, as I'm seeing a good amount of wear in the forefoot after only a few runs.  Still, with the discount that I get from RW.com, they are fairly cheap and if I have to replace them every month, so be it.  Until the next best thing comes along, I'm in the Kinvaras. 

How are people feeling about these?

After a few more runs, I think they are a good shoe, but maybe not for people (like me) with wider feet .  I do not think they are at all comparable to the Nike Lunar Trainer. 

I like the soles a shitload. .

 

I have lots of shoes with soles that appreciate shitloads too, apparently. Damn dogs.

Maybe its the thinner heel, but while I felt fine running 15 miles on Sunday in them, my calf was not happy yesterday in the Kinvaras. Nothing more than a little soreness, Need to transition a little slower I guess.