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Saucony Kinvara 6 Review

Ahhh my old friend Kinvara. It is hard to believe we are up to a version 6. It feels like yesterday when I rushed out to buy the first Kinvara. Our love has only grown. We have done short runs, we have done Marathons, and we have done them all well. Kinvara goes on my top ten running shoes of all time list for sure. While the Kinvara has been tweaked and refined, it is still pretty close to the original version. Version 6 is pretty much identical to the 5.

The Good

The Kinvara 6 remains a light weight shoe (8.5 oz for size 10.5) that can go the distance. Kinvara 6 has the right amount of cushion that protects, but also is firm enough to keep you fast on your feet. The new upper mesh is a little more breathable, and a little more “stretchy” so I was told. I didn’t notice the stretch, but my foot doesn’t really test that stuff. It’s narrow. The fit remains solid, and I had no spots of irritation. Heal counter and ankle collar are one of the most comfortable in the biz. The looks? I love the way the Kinvara looks down to my sole. It looks like a running shoe and it looks fast. Can’t be fast, at least look fast right?!

The Bad

I am mixed on the “PRO-LOCK” the shoe fits great but I feel like the PRO-LOCK technology might not be necessary. I would actually like to try the shoe without it and see if I would like it better. It took me awhile to get the fit right with the lacing, I totally went t0o tight in the beginning. Word to the wise, go loose and then tighten down. I also recommend going up a half size. For example, if you run in a 10.5 running shoe, go to 11 in the Saucony Kinvara 6.

The Conclusion

There is not much new here and that is a good thing. This is a phenomenal shoe. It is hard to say what I would do to make any real drastic upgrades. I am sure Saucony will come up with something. The spirit of this shoe stays true to the original 6 iterations later. It is fun to run in, feels great, and looks good. I put more miles on the Saucony Kinvara 6 than I do on a lot of other shoes I review and there is a reason for that. I like running in them. At $100 they are still a good deal. Let’s face it a lot of shoes out there are trying to be Kinvaras why not try them if you have not. Get some from Holabird Sports and you will get a $20 gift card with purchase..

Shoes provided by Saucony for this review.

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What Saucony says:

The new Kinvara 6 is just a few engines short of a turbojet, but you might be fooled when you lace up a pair. Our best-ever PRO-LOCK lacing system delivers the optimal midfoot fit, and teams up with a new breathable mesh to deliver a cool breeze while you’re blazing the course. The upper’s FLEXFILM overlays have been adjusted to help the shoe move better with your foot, and sit atop the same POWERGRID-enhanced midsole as the previous edition, because, well… It’s just that good.

OVERVIEW

Updates to the FlexFilm delivers an even more dialed-in fit while maintaining the same light weight experience
Sporting a new open and breathable mesh for that wind in your toes sensation
The Pro-lock lacing system provides a secure midfoot fit

SPECS

  • Shoe Category: Natural Running, Neutral
  • Pronation: Neutral
  • Cushion: Responsive
  • Construction Type: Natural Motion
  • Surface: Road, Track
  • Arch: High, Normal (Mid)
  • Offset: 4mm
    Heel Stack Height: 22mm
    Forefoot Stack Height: 18mm
Saucony Kinvara 6

 

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Comments

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  1. stewart mainville says:

    Just finished putting in my first 8.5 miles in a new pair of K6s. First Impression; Felt natural(not as responsive as a Skechers GoRun but definitely had a good feel), The transition was easy and I didn’t have the first 1/2-mile feeling like I was running with 2x4s strapped to my feet(like I do with LunarGlides).
    I’ll probably keep ’em.

  2. Scott says:

    I really enjoyed the Kinvara. I found them quite comfortable on some of my longer runs and they are in my wheelhouse of prices compared to some of the more expensive lineups.

    I have been looking for another great shoe to put into my rotation that won’t break the bank. Haven’t cut it down much yet though.

  3. Dave Colafranceschi says:

    I have to differ. I have put 500km’s on a pair and after going through some two dozen of the 4’s and 5’s over the last couple of years I know exactly what they feel like. They had a great shoe in the 5, big toe box, ample room to let the foot move and you didn’t feel locked in to a boot. Now there is a much smaller toe box, a overly padded heel and overly tight feel to the shoe. When I put on a 22mile run I want my feet to be comfortable and the new shoes aren’t. Sorry. I will not be buying another 6 and will wait until the next version to see what they do with it. If I wanted a ski boot feel, I would buy a ski boot. Put a pair of 5’s next to a 6 of the same size, than put them on top of each other sole to sole and it is striking. Ruined a great shoe.

  4. Timothy says:

    So I take it that the Pro-Lock feature is still the same as the K5’s?

    For me that was the deal breaker in the K5’s. No matter how loosely I tied the laces around my midfoot, I felt the outer Pro Lock triangle piece (and that BIG seam of the mesh that houses the triangle) digging into blade of my foot.

    I loved the Kinvara 1-3 but 4 & 5 have been so-so. I was hoping 6 would be better. I won’t rule it out until I put them on at a running store but it doesn’t sound like they’ve addressed the one issue I was hoping they would.

    1. Same Pro-lock feature.

  5. Hmm… no Pro-Lock problem here. I don’t notice any part of it during my runs.

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