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| − | {{DISPLAYTITLE:Saucony Kinvara 8 Review}}
| + | #REDIRECT [[Saucony Kinvara 8]] |
| − | The latest version of the Kinvara is quite different to its predecessor, even though it looks almost identical. The eighth iteration is far more softly cushioned, and I would classify it as a [[Maximalist]] shoe. While it's midsole is nowhere near as tall as the [[Hoka Bondi]], which is half as thick again, I found the Kinvara to be more softly cushioned. I've really enjoyed running in the Kinvara 8, far more than any of its predecessors, but I feel for the many fans of the Kinvara line who may be looking for a more direct replacement. If you liked the [[Saucony Kinvara 7]], then you may want to check out the [[Topo ST-2]] for a successor. I've rated the Kinvara 8 as "Highly Recommended", and it's a strong competitor to the outstanding [[Hoka Clifton]] and [[Altra Escalante]], which is exalted company. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
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| − | {| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
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| − | |- valign="top"
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| − | |[[File:Saucony Kinvara 8-top.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 8 top]]
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| − | |[[File:Saucony Kinvara 8-outside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 8 outside]]
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| − | |- valign="top"
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| − | |[[File:Saucony Kinvara 8-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 8 bottom]]
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| − | |[[File:Saucony Kinvara 8-inside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 8 inside]]
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| − | |}
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| − | =Characteristics=
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| − | * {{H:cushioning}}. The eighth incarnation of the Kinvara is far more softly cushioned than its predecessors, and I'd say it's more softly cushioned than the [[Hoka Bondi]]. In fact, the Kinvara is now nipping at the heels of the awesome [[Hoka Clifton]]. The Kinvara 8 offers slightly less cushioning than the Hoka Clifton for slightly less weight, and comes a remarkably close to the cushioning-to-weight ratio of the Clifton. I think that this is the Kinvara is actually a little more springy and responsive than the Clifton something that's a remarkable achievement in a shoe this cushioned. The Kinvara has a thin layer of TPU foam (EVERUN) at the top of the midsole, but I haven't put on enough miles to know if this will help with the shoes of longevity or not.
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| − | * {{H:drop}}. The Kinvara has 4mm of drop, which is slightly more than I think is ideal, but shouldn't cause many people a problem.
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| − | * {{H:structure}}. This shoe uses two types of foam, but these are not intended to control foot motion in the way that a Medial Post would do. Instead there is a layer of Saucony's TPU foam at the top over a thicker layer of standard EVA foam. This is intended to improve comfort, rather than interfere with your biomechanics. The only thing that I found that it might be intrusive is the shape of the heel, which is sloped a little so that it is higher on the inside (medial), which makes it a little bit like running on a camber. I got used to this pretty quickly, but I think it's suboptimal.
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| − | * {{H:flexibility}}. The Kinvara reasonably flexible, and perhaps more flexible than you might expect from its thickness. However, don't go expecting the kind of flexibility you get in a minimalist shoe.
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| − | * {{H:outsole}}. There is hard rubber covering only a few patches of the contact area. You can see these patches as the orange patches on the underside of the shoe in the photographs above. This means that the Kinvara has quite a bit of exposed midsole, but that's quite reasonable given its outstanding cushioning-to-weight ratio.
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| − | * {{H:shape}}. The shoe is does not match the shape of the human foot, so it's worth considering [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the toe box for comfort]]. The Kinvara is certainly not as bad as some shoes, but it's nothing like an Altra or a Topo. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}<br/> [[File: Kinvara8 Upper (1).jpg|center|thumb|300px| A shot of the Kinvara 8, backlight to show breathability]]<br/>[[File:Kinvara8 Upper (2).jpg|center|thumb|300px|Again, a backlit shot of the Kinvara 8, this time from above. ]]
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| − | * {{H:upper}}. The upper is seamless in the forefoot, and consists of a fine mesh inner liner and a much coarser meshed overlay/outer. There is a little bit of padding around the rear of the upper, and the ankle opening is generously padded. Sadly, Saucony have continued to add their "Pro-Lock", which is intended to create a tighter fit around the midfoot. I didn't find this made any difference while running, either positive or negative. However, I did find it made the shoe slightly trickier to put on, and slightly trickier to get the laced tension just right.
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| − | * {{H:tongue}}. The Kinvara has a sock style tongue that is attached to either side of the upper. I found that this worked remarkably well, as it felt like a conventional tongue that stayed in place perfectly. The tongue has thick, soft padding.
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| − | * {{H:lacing}}. The flat laces work well and remained tied. There is some noticeable elasticity in the laces, which I think adds nicely to the comfort of the shoe. This is not the bungee style laces, but a traditional lace with just a tiny bit of stretch, something that I find is a nice addition.
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| − | * {{H:heelcounter}}. The [[Heel Counter]] is hard heel counter that remarkably hard edges, but it doesn't come up overly high, and the padding that's between the heel counter and your foot pretty much negates it.
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| − | {{FastBlr|saucony/kinvara-6-952|952|Saucony Kinvara 8}}
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| − | =200 Mile Update=
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| − | The Kinvara 8 has proved a great companion over the last 200 miles. It's been a shoe I've instinctively reached for, and its provided a nice combination of soft cushioning without being squishy. While it's not as light as many of the other shoes I run in, it's still remarkably light for the cushioning provides. The Kinvara 8 has worked well at faster paces as well as providing some comfort when my legs are weary. The "pro-lock" as proved to be an annoyance, but only when I'm putting the shoes on, as it makes lacing just a little more tedious than it should be. There is a little more wear on the sole than is perhaps ideal. I've worn down the hard orange outsole pads in the forefoot, and the blue midsole there is starting to abrade slightly. I'm generally pretty easy-going on my shoes, so if your running style is a little more abrasive you may find this Kinvara will wear quicker than you'd like. However, as I usually find, the outsole is not a limiting factor, and the midsole has started to compress quite noticeably under the ball of the foot. This is partly the removable insole, but mostly it's the foam midsole. It's possible that [[Replacement Insoles]] might help, but I think about only extend the life fractionally. I was hoping that the Kinvara 8 would last a little longer than it has, especially given how much I've enjoyed running in them. I tend to be rather more conservative in the life of my running shoes, as I found that the compression of the midsole can noticeably change my running form, so I'd rather replace my running shoes sooner rather than risk an injury. Overall, the last 200 miles has confirmed my belief that this is an outstanding running shoe and highly recommended.
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| − | |[[File:Kinvara8-200 (2).jpg|none|thumb|300px| Here's an overview of the soul after 200 miles.]]
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| − | |[[File:Kinvara8-200 (3).jpg|none|thumb|300px|This is a close up of the outside hard rubber outsole, showing only the slightest signs of wear.]]
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| − | |- valign="top"
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| − | |[[File:Kinvara8-200 (4).jpg|none|thumb|300px|The rubber outsole under the forefoot has worn rather more, which may not be surprising given how little there is in this area.]]
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| − | |- valign="top"
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| − | |[[File:Kinvara8-200 (5).jpg|400px|none|thumb|300px|The insole is showing significant signs of wear, and the part of the under the ball of my foot is compressed quite a bit.]]
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| − | |- valign="top"
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| − | |[[File:Kinvara8-200 (1).jpg|none|thumb|300px|Here you can see the TPU layer that is just under the removed insole.]]
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| − | |}
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| − | =A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
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| − | {{:Shoes-include}}
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