Are you tired of the current trend with high stackheights in running shoes, (meaning a lot of foam beneath your foot) and do you sometimes miss back-to-basics shoes, then you should check out the colorful and fast Saucony Kinvara 12. A simple, light and fast running shoe.
This is my review of Saucony Kinvara 12.
Its the 12th version of the extremely popular runing shoe from Saucony and it simply oozes speed. I have done a lot of running in Saucony Kinvara 10 and it is in many ways similar to that model. However, it has become firmer since then, so its no longer an allround-shoe but more a "racer".
However, I distinctly remember the days after my first run in Saucony Kinvara 10 where my calves were incredibly sore because it puts so much pressure on them. So to call , Saucony Kinvara 12 a high-mileage training shoe, is for me to miss the target.
You certainly have to be a very well-trained midfoot- or forefoot runner to be able to go for long runs and use Kinvara 12 as your first choice of running shoe for most of your runs.
You should choose Saucony Kinvara 12 for those workouts where your main purpose is speed.
Its a terrific racer and interval shoe - a shoe designed for max. 21 km at high speed.
For someone like me, a regular excercise runner, it will be too tough to go further. Of course this can change with training over an extended period but it is a very firm shoe for a beginner or heavier runner.
So if you want more comfort than speed, Saucony Kinvara 12 is not what you should be looking for but instead a Saucony Triumph 18 or Saucony Hurricane 23. These will provide you with far more comfort for your runs.
However, there is nothing wrong with the sensation when you put on a pair of Saucony Kinvara 12. It has a terrific feeling and the updated upper wraps itself superbly around your foot. The upper is minimalistic but is still very comfortable. The tongue is attached so it doesn´t slide to either side and you won´t need to adjust it during your run.
On the back you will find a small handle which is supposed to help you get the shoe on but it is in my opinion more dangerous than helpful. It is very sharp and hard and doesn´t work as intended. I also think that when so much effort has gone into making the shoe minimalistic, this detail could have been spared.
My final assessment is that this is a shoe which should be used carefully but if it is used in the right way, its really a shoe that will grant you speed, and who doesn´t want that.
The comfort of the upper is great, and the quality is top. The color will divide opinion but I personally think that it doesn´t hurt to be creative with somewhat crazy colors for a true racer.
In total a superb racer!
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