Review: Saucony Kinvara Running Shoe

[nscrbug]

Hmmm...I guess that means that I fall into the "Irish-hammertoe" category. I have long toes (when forceably straightened), but in their natural state they curl downwards.

[KnottedYet]

Hmmm...I guess that means that I fall into the "Irish-hammertoe" category. I have long toes (when forceably straightened), but in their natural state they curl downwards.

Irish feet often end up with toe deformities due to a lifetime of being forced into shoes designed on the Roman foot model.

80-90% of feet are Roman feet, so that is what shoe companies use as the model for mass produced shoes. Back when cobblers made shoes based on the need of each individual, this was less of a problem.

Nifty story of a podiatrist in England during WWII who suddenly had an influx of folks with foot problems. They'd almost all moved from one small town in Ireland to her city in England and suddenly no longer had shoes made for "their" feet (the classic English foot is Roman structure) and developed foot problems from buying mass produced shoes that weren't right for them.

The whole foot thing fascinated her, and she ended up going into paleontology where she categorized burials as Celtic vs Roman based on foot structure rather than artifacts.

[jessmarimba]

I think I have the opposite feet as you, but I appreciate the review! I'm looking at trying the Kinvara or the Mirage next. I like my New Balance MT 101s but I need just a little more cushion in the forefoot, I think. Saucony is one of the few brands that doesn't feel absolutely enormous in the toe box for me (plus the sides are so far apart at the laces that I can lace them tighter without bunching the toe box, either).

[jessmarimba]

Just wanted to update with my response.

The Mirage is absolutely absolutely absolutely not nearly as minimal as they advertise. I did not like them one bit. They are not "kinvaras for mild to moderate overpronators" or whatever they want you to think. Just normal chunky running shoes.

I bought the Kinvaras, and found out on my first run that those shoes plus my normal insoles mean I ended up with nasty blisters on my insole. Somehow, they are actually much more supportive on their own than they looked. However, put the factory insoles back in and ran hill repeats in them today and things went much better. First time I've run without a little something extra in my shoes in YEARS. They felt a little funny walking in, but very light and slightly squishy while running. Thumbs up!

(though I think they're ugly. I like plainer shoes...the highlighter green sole on these is absurd)

[tulip]

My second toe is exactly the same length as my big toe...what does that make me?

Running shoes are still on my list, but the budget just hasn't allowed it yet. Working on that.

[KnottedYet]

My second toe is exactly the same length as my big toe...what does that make me?

Running shoes are still on my list, but the budget just hasn't allowed it yet. Working on that.

Toe-length is only one characteristic (but it's the one most people notice).

What really matters are the proportions of the metatarsals and the angles of the toe-break.

I wouldn't even know where to begin describing over the internet how to figure that one out.

[nscrbug]

Just got an email from my LRS yesterday saying that they just got the Kinvara 2 in stock...I may have to go check it out. In the email, it says that the toe-box has been modified to be roomier...so that's a big plus for me, as I felt the toe box in the 1st version was a bit on the narrow side.