Shoe Review : Saucony Kinvara 6

I had previously heard so much about the Saucony Kinvara as being a great shoe to run even before Frank Chong of Running Lab Malaysia, offered me to test a pair of the soon to be available Kinvara 6 (K6), courtesy of RSH Malaysia.

The Saucony Kinvara 6 (K6) in Red / Orange / Mint color
 

With so much praise given for the past Kinvara versions, I was excited at the prospect of testing the K6.

Frank instantly dubbed this pair "Dragonfruit" due to it's catchy Red / Orange / Mint color but Zijil added "Papaya" to the mix and hence, it's Ms. "DragoPapy" to me. =)

I took this pair out for a short run in the local park soon after getting it and instantly my feet started giving me feedback.

A few more runs with Ms. "DragoPapy" including recovery runs and medium distance runs later, here's my take on this great pair of kicks.

Feel :-

The shoe feels really comfortable and soft underfoot. And because my feet are so sensitive, I felt a slight raise at the back of my toe base inside the shoe upon first putting it on. That feeling has since ceased to be obvious the more I have ran with the shoe.

I did not feel any strain to my calves or any pain whatsoever in my almost healed right heel pad, proving that the cushioning was good. 

Open breathable mesh

The shoe claimed to ensure a cooler run and greater foot breathability due to it's open breathable mesh. However, for an unknown reason, my feet actually felt hot in this pair of shoes even on a 8 km early morning run, compared to the Saucony Mirage 5. This however, did not prove to be a problem to me as I don't have sweaty feet.

Performance :-

Although the shoe looked bulky externally, however, it was surprisingly light and flexible upon wearing it. There's a bouncy, springy feel to it making this a really responsive and fast ride when the shoe hits the road. I guess Saucony's PowerGrid and Flexfilm technology allowed the shoe to move better with my feet in a seamless, flexible way.

FlexFilm Technology allows the shoe to move better with the runner's foot

I felt that the shoe is good as an everyday training shoe and it also has good stability and mild pronation control despite being from the Natural Running, Neutral Pronation range.

I do have my own doubts however, of the K6 being used as a speedwork shoe or even a racing shoe for a short 5k, 10k or even a 21k distance. 

However, I feel that it would be a good training and racing shoe for a marathon as the IBR+ provides a lightweight yet durable outsole that cushions the foot well from the repeated pounding on the road. And it looks formidable enough to handle any amount of mileage on the road.

The Outsole

Whether to use the shoe for whatever distance, however, is entirely up to personal preference.


Fit:- 

As I had rather narrow feet, I had to lace this shoe up one more hole unlike other shoes I own. This was just so that it did not feel too loose on the run. However, even so, this didn't prevent the tongue from wagging to the side after each run. I was surprised as Saucony's trademark Pro-lock lacing system was supposed to secure a midfoot fit.

Pro-Lock lacing system

However, I also found that if I didn't lace it up properly, the insides of the tongue would put some pressure on the bony rise of my foot. And sometimes, this proved a little painful mid-run. All the more reason to ensure that one always laces one's running shoes up well before taking it for a spin outdoors!

The shoe has a 4 mm offset

The inner sole of the K6

The toe box height is medium and the shoe had a semi-curved shape with a medium to narrow heel.

Medium height toe box

Look:-
Aesthetic-wise, the shoe looked good and the colors available were very attractive and fun. 

For women, the colors available were :-
- White / Blue / Coral
- Red / Orange / Mint (the pair I was given to test)
- Blue / Citron

For men, the colors available were :-
- White / Citron / Orange
- Blue / Slime / Coral


Here are some technical specifications in case you are interested to know:-

Category :- Natural Running, Neutral Pronation
Cushioning : Responsive Cushioning
Construction Type : Natural Motion
Running Surface : Road, Track
Suitable foot type : High Arch or Normal (Mid-Arch) foot
Water Resistance / Water Proof : NIL for both. (*Note : The K6 also has a Runshield version which is water proof)
Heel Stack Height : 22 mm
Forefoot Stack Height : 18 mm
Offset : 4 mm drop


Weight:-
Women (US Size 8) : 6.7oz
Men (US Size 9) : 7.8 oz

The Saucony Kinvara 6 will be available at Running Lab by end July / early August 2015 and retailing for RM399.00. In terms of affordability, I feel that this shoe is a good deal if you look at the combination of feel, performance, style and durability.

Go check them out once the shoe is available instores! In the meantime, I am enjoying my runs with Ms. "DragoPapy" and I hope you will too!

Disclaimer : The opinions expressed in this review is entirety the author's own and is not influenced nor comissioned by any party.