Saucony Kinvara's

[DisgruntledVirus]

Anybody tried these as a minimalist running shoe? I picked up a pair to try and am really looking forward to running with them. Just was curious if anybody has used them, and if so what their thoughts/experiences have been.

 

[kamper]

I tried them on today, although I didn't run in them. From what I felt and what I've read, these aren't a minimalist shoe really. They're super light and they have a smaller heel-to-toe drop than most trainers, but they're stiff and you don't get much ground feel. I had a Kinvara on one foot and a Grid A4 on the other and the difference was very stark (the Grid A4 being much more flexy with better feel and even lighter).

From what I've read, they will allow you to heel strike, but they won't force it, so if you're looking to try mid/forefoot striking, it's an option with a fallback. They really seem like a middleground between minimalist and, er, not minimalist. If I was choosing between regular trainers and these, I'd definitely give these a try.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I tried them on today, although I didn't run in them. From what I felt and what I've read, these aren't a minimalist shoe really. They're super light and they have a smaller heel-to-toe drop than most trainers, but they're stiff and you don't get much ground feel. I had a Kinvara on one foot and a Grid A4 on the other and the difference was very stark (the Grid A4 being much more flexy with better feel and even lighter).

From what I've read, they will allow you to heel strike, but they won't force it, so if you're looking to try mid/forefoot striking, it's an option with a fallback. They really seem like a middleground between minimalist and, er, not minimalist. If I was choosing between regular trainers and these, I'd definitely give these a try.

I just did a short (2.5 mile) run in them. I am still getting over a head cold (so I'm stuffed up and have been coughing), so I'm not ready to say one way or the other how I feel about them with certainty. I am coming from the Nike Vamero line, so it's definitely a different type of shoe than I have been running in.

The store I got them from let me bring them home, and if after a day or two of wearing them on runs (treadmill/grass only though) I don't like them I can return them for another pair. So todays run was on grass only. My impressions:

First impressions were that they were very comfortable, and hugged my foot well. Walking around and doing warmup jogs in my yard they felt good. I could feel the ground a bit more than my Vamero's. They seemed to be a good shoe to transition to a more minimalist shoe in the future.

During the run, my right foot really began to bother me both on the inside (innermost part of the arch) and on the outer side. I have had some issues with these in the past, but these shoes seemed to not help. I'm not sure if it's just because they are using muscles/tendons that aren't normally used or what. In reviews I have seen, this is one of the common things I see negative about the shoe (the lack of support for the sides of the foot). This, being sick, and wanting to keep the shoes in good condition in case of a return all were reasons for the short run. I could feel more of the ground than my Vamero's during the run as well, so while they might not be true "minimalist" they are definitely not the normal shoe and fall somewhere in the middle.

It's been about 30 min since I got done, and my feet are definitely sore. This is to be expected to a point with a new shoe, especially one that isn't the same style of shoe as what you're coming from. For me, the Kinvara's are one of the most extreme cases of this happening. I don't want to blame the shoe though, since I've never really run in anything other than thick soled shoes with a 8mm+ drop (well not since soccer anyways).

I'm going to give them another run on Monday after class at the rec center at school and see if I get the same results. If I do, I'm going to be returning them for a different shoe I think. I would really hate to do that though

 

[SociallyChallenged]

What kind of foot strike do you use, Disgruntled?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Reminds me of the Nike Free.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

What kind of foot strike do you use, Disgruntled?

I've been actively working on trying to change to be a mid-foot/forefoot striker. Right now though, I still heel strike sometimes out of habit.

Reminds me of the Nike Free.

It's similar as near as I can tell. I'd say it's less of a minimalist/barefoot shoe than the Free's. They appear to be more of a transition shoe to move to the Free's or some other minimalist/barefoot style shoe.

 

[Paleo]

I use the Vibram Bikila..I sprint with those on the track.

This is the Bikila site, pretty cool site

http://www.youarethetechnology.com/

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I did a 6.3 mile run in these last night, and just wanted to update this thread. Last night's run was the best run I've had in a long time. I don't know if it was due to the shoes, overall good run, my diet the prior 24 hours, or what the cause was though. On a different note, one which I can almost entirely attribute to the shoes, was I noticed I ran differently. I was less likely to heel strike, I felt the ground more, and I could feel my calves and thighs being worked unlike in prior runs.

I think I will enjoy running in these.

 

[kamper]

Couple of questions about them... How much did they cost? And how do you find the width? Wide enough around the front of the foot?

I'd also be interested to know how they wear as you run more in them, since there's so little rubber protecting the midsole.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Couple of questions about them... How much did they cost? And how do you find the width? Wide enough around the front of the foot?

I'd also be interested to know how they wear as you run more in them, since there's so little rubber protecting the midsole.

They were $90 which appears to be MSRP for retail (Amazon might have them cheaper).

The width appears to be the absolute bare minimum for the most part. The front of the shoe I'm still torn on if it provides enough support (i.e. wide enough) for my foot, but based on the run the other night it is. Give me a few more runs in them and I'll let you know.

So far they have about 10 miles on them. The life is one of the major things I'm concerned about as well. I'm expecting a minimum of 250 miles out of them, but would like to be in the 300's. I'll update around 50 miles or so.

 

[kamper]

They were $90 which appears to be MSRP for retail (Amazon might have them cheaper).

From what I've seen, they retail for around $140 here in Canada, which is ridiculous given that our dollars have been almost at parity for a few months now

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

From what I've seen, they retail for around $140 here in Canada, which is ridiculous given that our dollars have been almost at parity for a few months now

Holy crap. That is way too much for these shoes. No idea why they are that high up there. They should be <$100 with the exchange rate.

 

[SWScorch]

I run in them and they are great. I like how they aren't totally minimalist; they still have decent cushioning; they are just really light and don't have a huge heel. I have ran as far as 10 miles in them with no ill effects. But then again, I am a 135-lb neutral runner who does most of my running at 6:30-7:00 pace. But I have used them for warmups and cooldowns for workouts at 8:00+ pace and they still feel great. My only concern in longevity as they have almost no outsole material to speak of.

 

[kamper]

I run in them and they are great. I like how they aren't totally minimalist; they still have decent cushioning; they are just really light and don't have a huge heel. I have ran as far as 10 miles in them with no ill effects. But then again, I am a 135-lb neutral runner who does most of my running at 6:30-7:00 pace. But I have used them for warmups and cooldowns for workouts at 8:00+ pace and they still feel great. My only concern in longevity as they have almost no outsole material to speak of.

How many miles have you gotten on a pair?

 

[SWScorch]

So far I only have 115 miles on them. No real visible wear so far, so that's encouraging, but I do know a few people who only got ~150 miles out of them. Of course, I also know some other people who have Kinvaras with over 500 miles and are still going strong. I think it depends heavily on your footstrike and what kind of terrain you run on.