SauconyMen's Kinvara 6 Running Shoe

I've run 6,800 miles in Saucony Kinvaras since October 2012 - which is to say, a large majority of my running mileage in the last 4 years has been in progressive models of this shoe. My favorite model in that time was the 3. I loved the 3 because it was like a slipper with cushioning - not so much a heel "cup" as a heel "pad", and no extra material anywhere, but enough protection to last pretty near the full duration of a marathon. The 4 was the last of the light Kinvaras, and with the 5 the Kinvara really moved away from its origin as a minimalist-inspired shoe that still cushioned your foot.This one is like the 5, just a light version of the battleship running shoes that have dominated the market since the 1970s except for the brief flurry of minimalist activity that originally launched the Kinvara. I'm not crazy about the stiff heel cup that feels like all the bad old running shoes that preceded my switch to the Kinvara in the first place just over four years ago. The additional materials up around the front of the shoe - heavy plastic reinforcements around the places where the Kinvara 4 and early were most likely to rip - make for better longevity, but they also cramp the toebox and interfere with the toe-splaying that early Kinvaras had in common with their more minimalist siblings.Running shoes always "run small", which is to say that anybody who runs knows that your running shoes need to be a good size bigger than regular shoes - so that's the baseline for "fits as expected", one size bigger than other shoes. But the Kinvaras got more cramped with the 5, and the 6 appears to be made on the same last. This issue is probably connected with the heavy added materials around the toebox. I always bought all my Saucony running shoes in 11.5, and my newest pair of Peregrine 4s fit fabulously as 11.5; but with the Kinvara 5 and 6, I find that the 11.5 causes my big toe to push against the top, and my second toe to push against the front. I'd loved the Kinvara series in part because I could run 70-mile weeks without losing toenails, but with the 5 and 6 that problem returned. I've now gone up a half size in the Kinvara 6 and it appears to be reducing the issue. Again, My Peregrines (and Altras and Mizunos) don't need this adjustment, so it's not that my feet are flattening appreciably. So I'd recommend going up a half size even from other running shoes.Despite all these gripes I give the shoe 4 stars because it's a very light shoe that costs very little, that I can cycle through six or so pairs a year without breaking my budget, and that can comfortably carry me through the finish line of a marathon either racing or pacing, and can still be used for a 5k or even (in a pinch) a mile race on the track. I just wish running shoe companies didn't continuously screw with the products - release a shoe and leave it alone for five or ten years please!

I've run in Kinvara 2's and 3's, have had four pairs of them and was dreading moving on to the 6 but the duct tape finally would not hold them together any more. I was pleasantly surprised. The toe box, the main reason I buy Saucony, was ever so slightly more narrow but not uncomfortably so. And they admit it. You can overlay any of their shoes over any shoe you have had in the past and they will show you the profile match. Can't speak for durability yet, I've only got about 50 miles on them, but not concerned. I tend to be a "Born to Run" advocate and the shoe manufacturers worst nightmare, running in shoes not to any arbitrary mileage but until they fall apart. A couple of days a week I go barefoot on grass or wear Vibrams in the winter, so the light weight and small heel to toe drop are just right for me. For reference, 5'11" 160lbs. 25-30 MPW.

Pros: super light-weight, easy to run in, provides good tractionCons: painful break-in period that was longer than usualI generally don't have much discomfort from new running shoes after the first week, but these ones applied a lot of pressure to the tops of my foot (not a usual spot for discomfort) and I believe it is due to their little plastic tab lace holes. A few weeks in, I got them adjusted right and they fit quite well, but that first bit was rough enough that I think I will go back to Asics next time.

This review is based on my daily running experience with my Reebok Zpump fusion, whose outsole wore out after 450kms. I have no prior experience with Kinvaras, so I cannot say much about the difference between the versions. Transitioning from a 10mm heel drop to 4mm heel drop took a couple of runs, but the fit is just perfect. It runs small, so do order 1/2 size up. I've heard much fuss about the pro-lock feature, but you can hardly make out its presence while running, and the midfoot fit is snug, so it is doing what it is supposed to do. It is light weight, though a little flashy. I would have loved some subdued color options, but it is what it is. I ran about 6kms in its very first outing, without breaking in the shoe, and it felt just fine, no blisters or ill-effects on the foot. For the price, I have no complaints. I do miss the cushion of the Z-pump, but this is sole is padded enough and it is easier to cover longer distances.Deserves a 4.5 star rating, but giving it a 4 since there is no option. I know I am nitpicking when I say I've cut 1/2 star for it being a little flashy and comparatively less durable going by the wear pattern on impact area after a few runs.

I've been running happily in Kinvara's for a few years now. When I first got a pair of Kinvara 5's, I thought the added plushness to the tongue and around the ankle would bother me as I really liked the simplicity of the previous versions. Once I started running in them, that turned out to not be a problem at all and the slightly added room in the toe box solved the only minor gripe had with the 2's, 3's and 4's.The 6th version was supposed to be largely the same as the 5's but for me, they seemed to go in the opposite direction in the toe box. The uppers at the front of the foot and especially around the toes seems tighter. Less flexible too, but that might just be because they're brand new. I don't know if they need some break-in, but none of my previous kinvaras felt tight when I first put them on. I even tried ordering a 2nd pair in a half size up but while they were a little better, there was a tightness that seemed to be there by design.I decided to return the 6's (both pairs - my usual size and the 1/2 size up) and just get another pair of 5's. Its too bad Kinvara's only come in regular width with no wide option. I'll try again if a 7th edition come out but this as far as I want to experiment with the current version.

Love these shoes

Muy buenas zapatillas de entrenamiento

Good shoes, they fit a little bit narrow at the top of the foot, so they lace up slightly wide

fueron mis segundas zapatillas y a dia de hoy estoy seguro de que podrían seguir rindiendo a un buen nivel

Ich nutze diesen Schuh auf Arbeit (Sportlehrer). Er passt vorzüglich und ist daher sehr angenehm zu tragen, auch wegen seines geringen Gewichts.