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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Saucony Kinvara 6 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 lightweight, comfortable shoe that has justifiably become popular 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 people wanting something its predecessor, the [[Saucony Kinvara 6| Kinvara 6]], version 7 is a little lighter, a little firmer, and a little more minimalistdrop, but not too radicalthe 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 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." (See below for details of changes from version 5 to 6.) {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-top.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 6 7 top]]|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 6 7 bottom]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-inside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 6 7 inside]]|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-outside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Saucony Kinvara 6 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 [[Minimax]] shoe. I'd recommend considering the [[Hoka Clifton]], [[Altra OneNew Balance RC5000v2]], or [[Saucony VirrataAsics 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 [[Minimax]] 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 only 2mm 4mm of drop, which I think is close enough to zeroa good compromise for somebody transitioning from a traditional, high-drop that you probably won't noticeheeled shoe. While this is greatIn fact, it might be an issue if you're looking for transitioning from a transitional shoe that is has 10+mm of drop you may need to look for something in the 6-8mm range as part way between the high heels of a traditional running shoe (~10mm) and a zero drop shoeyour transition. * {{H:structure}}. This shoe uses single density of foam, with some shallow grooves to improve flexibility and save weight. Part of the foam which is colored differently, but this is just a superficial paint, not actually a different density. Saucony's foam, branded "power grid" is that's claimed to be 15% lighter and 30% more durable than standard EVA. (It seems like everyone has foam Of course, every manufacturer claims that's their phone is better than the "standard EVA foam" so take this with a huge pinch of salt.)* {{H:flexibility}}. The Kinvara is 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 about only a third few patches of the surface contact area, which protects most of . You can see these patches as the orange and green color in the main contact patchesphotographs above. I found This means that the outsole and Kinvara has a rather more exposed midsole wore reasonably evenly (some shoes the midsole wears faster creating an uneven solethan 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 the it's worth considering [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the toe box needs to be cut open for comfort]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}* {{H:upper}}. The upper is fairly complex seamless in the forefoot, with different materials and just a number of seamsfew modest reinforcement overlays on the outside. The Kinvara also has something There is a seem where they call '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 designed 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 generally unpaddedpadded only around the heel, and breaths moderately well. The with good padding around the ankle opening is good.
* {{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 kicking digging in.{{FastBlr|saucony/kinvara-6-952|952|Saucony Kinvara 67}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}