Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Saucony Kinvara


The new Kinvara has finally arrived here at Run For Your Life. The Kinvara from Saucony is the "minimalist" answer to the Nike Free. It's built on a soft bed of EVA foam, very little rubber on the outsole and a thin mesh upper. We're carrying a nice variety of colors for men and women and would love it if you could come on into the store and try a pair on. Here's what Ben and Dexter had to say about it:

BEN--
What I liked immediately about the shoe was how light it was. It's not quite as light as a racing flat, but seems pretty close. The upper and sock liner really cradled my foot nicely, but with that being said, I have a fairly wide forefoot and so the Kinvara seemed like it wasn't quite wide enough. Still, though, it didn't fit tight; I'm assuming because of the thin mesh. I also liked the arch support which seems to be pretty synonymous with Saucony. I pronate slightly so it wouldn't be a shoe that I could wear for extra long runs. Overall, it's an extremely comfortable shoe.

DEXTER--
When I compare it to the Nike Free, I liked the cushion and arch support more. The cushion is a lot softer and the midsole wrapped my foot like a slipper. I have a narrower foot so the Kinvara was perfect for me. It might be a little heavier than the Free but you don't notice it. I tend to pronate a little as well, but that didn't seem to be a problem in the Kinvara.