I use UK size 10, and the shoe fit is perfect for me. Here is how my foot strike and pronation measures (courtesy: RunMechanics). For neutral runners wanting slight stability with lightweight, Kinvara could be a good option.
![saucony kinvara 10 vs 11 saucony kinvara 10 vs 11](https://i0.wp.com/fueledbylolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Attachment-4-38.jpeg)
That said, I don’t expect it to match with stability shoes. My pronation angles reflect it, and are quite low too at 7 degrees, compared to the 11 degrees that I see in my other shoes. Despite being a very flexible shoe, the extra outward flare at the bottom helps the stability. The low heel drop definitely promotes mid-foot strike better than other shoes that I have used. However, I may not consider this shoe for training distances beyond 30 KM, as I am better served by shoes that have more cushioning and are much softer. For longer runs, there is enough midsole cushion across the entire foot, and the lighter weight of the shoe keeps me comfortable even in the latter kilometers. For interval and tempo workouts, it offers enough bounce. No matter the type of run, it works very well. I have used the shoe for interval runs, tempo runs, easy and long runs of more than 25 KM distance. I have run 130 km so far, the ride experience is as good as the very first day. Once done, the shoe is as comfortable as it can be. The shoe didn’t need any break-in, but for a bit of adjustment to low heel drop for the first few km. The Kinvara 12 is not a bad shoe by any means, but it doesn’t stand out against better options available from other brands and Saucony itself.With all my recent running in high stack shoes, carbon plates, and rocker profiles, running in Kinvara feels very different, but in a good way. It’s more suited to easy training runs while still bringing the heat in speed sessions. At £120 it’s a fair bit cheaper than the £155 Endorphin Speed, but the Hoka Mach 4 is around the same price.Įven if you do enjoy a firmer ride, the Brooks Hyperion Tempo is a better shoe than the Kinvara 12. Unless you have a real craving for the traditional feel and firm ride of the Kinvara it’s not a shoe I’d recommend. The more comfortable ride of the Mach makes it versatile enough to do all your training in, and it matches the Kinvara 12 in the pace stakes. There are also shoes without plates that are light and fast but have a more enjoyable ride than the Kinvara 12, like the Hoka Mach 4. I’ve been spoiled by the new generation of shoes that combine the ability to handle a higher pace with a softer, bouncier ride: shoes like the Saucony Endorphin Speed or the Hoka Rocket X, both trainers you can race in that have plates (nylon in the Speed, carbon in the Rocket X) and softer, springier foam in the midsole. I did not enjoy using the Kinvara 12 for easy runs or longer tempo efforts. However, it’s still harder on the legs than a lot of other shoes. It’s without doubt a speedy shoe, and although the ride is firm, it doesn’t beat up your legs as much as a traditional racing flat with minimal cushioning. It does give the Kinvara 12 more of a kick when running fast, and the most enjoyable runs I’ve done in the shoe have been sessions doing short reps, either 400m or 60 seconds long. The firmer feel is more in line with the earlier Kinvaras I tested (my first was the Kinvara 8), and the reversion to that ride will please many people who weren’t such fans of the softer Kinvara 11.
![saucony kinvara 10 vs 11 saucony kinvara 10 vs 11](https://i2.wp.com/fueledbylolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Blue-Blueberries-Food-Fact-Facebook-Post-29.jpg)
It fits true to size and looks sharp, too.Ĭompared with the 11, the Kinvara 12 is a firmer shoe that loses some bounce, delivering a ride that lets you feel the ground beneath your feet. But this 12th edition reverts to type, delivering a low-drop, lightweight and speedy trainer that you can also race in. That has not been the case with the last few generations of Saucony Kinvaras, which have seen the shoe shift to a cushioned daily training option. When updating popular, long-running shoe lines, many brands err on the side of caution and make small changes that verge on the imperceptible.