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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Saucony Kinvara 7 Review}} The Saucony Kinvara an extremely popular lightweight running shoe. Compared with a traditional shoe it sheds many of the pointless e..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Saucony Kinvara 7 Review}}
The Saucony Kinvara an extremely popular lightweight running shoe. Compared with a traditional shoe it sheds many of the pointless excesses though it has not been truly optimized. This makes it a great half way house for runners to transition between a traditional running shoe and something closer to an ideal. If you get on well with the Kinvara you could continue your journey in one of three directions:
* You could head towards a more minimalist or even barefoot style of running, perhaps trying the [[Saucony Endorphin]] and then the [[Merrell Trail Glove]].
* If you want more cushioning, then there is the [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka Range]], including the awesome [[Hoka Clifton]] that provides massive cushioning in a shoe that weighs barely more than the Kinvara.
* If you find the Kinvara is giving you a good level of cushioning, then consider something lighter weight like the [[New Balance RC5000v2]] or [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]]. Of course you could continue with the Kinvara ;}
Compared with its predecessor, the [[Saucony Kinvara 6| Kinvara 6]], version 7 is a little lighter, a little firmer, and a little more drop, but the changes are relatively modest. Version 7 is actually a little closer to the [[Saucony Kinvara 5| Kinvara 5]] which is probably no bad thing. The Kinvara 7 is one of my top picks for runners looking to transition to a better running shoe from something more traditional, and is a worthy shoe in its own right, so I've rated it as "The Best of the Best." The Kinvara 7 has been replaced by the [[Saucony Kinvara| Kinvara 8]]. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-top.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 top]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 bottom]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-inside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 inside]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-outside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 outside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. The Kinvara will appeal to runners looking for something that's quite close to a traditional running shoe rather than either a true minimalist shoe, an optimally cushioned shoe, or a [[Maximalist]] shoe. I'd recommend considering the [[Hoka Clifton]], [[New Balance RC5000v2]], or [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] as better shoes, but they are also further from the traditional design.
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Kinvara is softly cushioned and comfortable, though it's not as soft as a [[Maximalist]] shoe like the [[Hoka Clifton]]. In fact, it offers almost exactly the same cushioning as the [[New Balance RC5000v2]] while weighing roughly twice as much.
* {{H:drop}}. The Kinvara has 4mm of drop, which I think is a good compromise for somebody transitioning from a traditional, high-heeled shoe. In fact, if you're transitioning from a shoe that has 10+mm of drop you may need to look for something in the 6-8mm range as part of your transition.
* {{H:structure}}. This shoe uses single density of foam, which is Saucony's "power grid" that's claimed to be 15% lighter and 30% more durable than standard EVA. Of course, every manufacturer claims that their phone is better than the "standard" so take this with a huge pinch of salt.
* {{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.
* {{H:outsole}}. There is hard rubber covering only a few patches of the contact area. You can see these patches as the orange and green color in the photographs above. This means that the Kinvara has a rather more exposed midsole than I'd like in a shoe of this weight and cushioning.
* {{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]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is seamless in the forefoot, with just a few modest reinforcement overlays on the outside. There is a seem where they've added extra cushioning around the heel that's a little more noticeable than some other competitor shoes. 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, either positive or negative. The upper is inflexible and padded only around the heel, with good padding around the ankle opening.
* {{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.
* {{H:lacing}}. The flat laces work well and remained tied.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The [[Heel Counter]] is quite firm and pronounced, but fairly small. It has relatively hard edges, but I did not find any problems with the edges digging in.
{{FastBlr|saucony/kinvara-6-952|952|Saucony Kinvara 7}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
The Saucony Kinvara an extremely popular lightweight running shoe. Compared with a traditional shoe it sheds many of the pointless excesses though it has not been truly optimized. This makes it a great half way house for runners to transition between a traditional running shoe and something closer to an ideal. If you get on well with the Kinvara you could continue your journey in one of three directions:
* You could head towards a more minimalist or even barefoot style of running, perhaps trying the [[Saucony Endorphin]] and then the [[Merrell Trail Glove]].
* If you want more cushioning, then there is the [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka Range]], including the awesome [[Hoka Clifton]] that provides massive cushioning in a shoe that weighs barely more than the Kinvara.
* If you find the Kinvara is giving you a good level of cushioning, then consider something lighter weight like the [[New Balance RC5000v2]] or [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]]. Of course you could continue with the Kinvara ;}
Compared with its predecessor, the [[Saucony Kinvara 6| Kinvara 6]], version 7 is a little lighter, a little firmer, and a little more drop, but the changes are relatively modest. Version 7 is actually a little closer to the [[Saucony Kinvara 5| Kinvara 5]] which is probably no bad thing. The Kinvara 7 is one of my top picks for runners looking to transition to a better running shoe from something more traditional, and is a worthy shoe in its own right, so I've rated it as "The Best of the Best." The Kinvara 7 has been replaced by the [[Saucony Kinvara| Kinvara 8]]. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-top.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 top]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 bottom]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-inside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 inside]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara-outside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 7 outside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. The Kinvara will appeal to runners looking for something that's quite close to a traditional running shoe rather than either a true minimalist shoe, an optimally cushioned shoe, or a [[Maximalist]] shoe. I'd recommend considering the [[Hoka Clifton]], [[New Balance RC5000v2]], or [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] as better shoes, but they are also further from the traditional design.
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Kinvara is softly cushioned and comfortable, though it's not as soft as a [[Maximalist]] shoe like the [[Hoka Clifton]]. In fact, it offers almost exactly the same cushioning as the [[New Balance RC5000v2]] while weighing roughly twice as much.
* {{H:drop}}. The Kinvara has 4mm of drop, which I think is a good compromise for somebody transitioning from a traditional, high-heeled shoe. In fact, if you're transitioning from a shoe that has 10+mm of drop you may need to look for something in the 6-8mm range as part of your transition.
* {{H:structure}}. This shoe uses single density of foam, which is Saucony's "power grid" that's claimed to be 15% lighter and 30% more durable than standard EVA. Of course, every manufacturer claims that their phone is better than the "standard" so take this with a huge pinch of salt.
* {{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.
* {{H:outsole}}. There is hard rubber covering only a few patches of the contact area. You can see these patches as the orange and green color in the photographs above. This means that the Kinvara has a rather more exposed midsole than I'd like in a shoe of this weight and cushioning.
* {{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]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is seamless in the forefoot, with just a few modest reinforcement overlays on the outside. There is a seem where they've added extra cushioning around the heel that's a little more noticeable than some other competitor shoes. 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, either positive or negative. The upper is inflexible and padded only around the heel, with good padding around the ankle opening.
* {{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.
* {{H:lacing}}. The flat laces work well and remained tied.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The [[Heel Counter]] is quite firm and pronounced, but fairly small. It has relatively hard edges, but I did not find any problems with the edges digging in.
{{FastBlr|saucony/kinvara-6-952|952|Saucony Kinvara 7}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}