Ah, the smell of a new pair of shoes, not yet out of the box!
So, after our own resident sniffer dog satisfied himself as to the safety of my new Kinvara 5s, I took them out for a total of 26 km (~16 miles) over the weekend, including two workouts on the treadmill and the last of the winter Leicester Road Running League race – the Desworth 6 miler (of which more in a next post).
First impressions? They are fantastic! They felt quite soft and cushioned (although that could just be my impression after running in 500 mile old shoes!), but also nice and snug on the foot – they didn’t feel out-of-place in a race at all (for reference, I would normally race anything up to 10k in the In0v-8 Road-X-Treme 138, which I love, but on this occasion wanted to try the Kinvaras). Saucony have introduced what they call a “Pro-lock lacing system” (see photo below) which keeps the midfoot firmly in place even as the forefoot remains nice and comfy.
Detail of the Kinvara 5’s “Pro-lock lacing system”
In all a lovely pair of shoes, as light, comfortable and unobtrusive when you run as the previous versions of Kinvaras, but with enough improvement (softer ride, more precise fit) to justify launching the new version even the eyes of someone who is not used to reviewing shoes and picking up subtle little differences between them. I definitely look forward to running in them (I even dread the long runs a bit less), and I think my calves and shins will be grateful for the improved cushioning!
Running the Marathon. Again. 