Shoe Review: The Saucony Kinvara 10

Jonathan Green runs for Saucony's Freedom Track Club

A Praise-Worthy Update

After a decade, the Saucony Kinvara remains one of the most popular lightweight trainers available. And, after quite a few miles in the shoe ourselves, we are absolutely certain that the Kinvara 10 is a revolutionary update worthy of high praise. Here’s why. But first, the deets:

Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4 mm (23 mm heel stack; 19 mm forefoot stack)
Weight: 6.7 oz., women’s size 7; 7.8 oz., men’s size 9
Category: Neutral
MSRP: $110

Fit

The neutral shoe offers immediate comfort thanks to plush cushioning from an EVA+ midsole, bouncy EVERUN topsole and a new memory-foam-topper-like footbed called “Formfit.” The engineered mesh upper feels roomier and more comfortable than version 9. And, with such few overlays, it helps to save even more weight.

The pillow-y heel-hugging cushion takes heel security and immediate step-in comfort to a whole new level. One of our narrow-heeled testers reported zero heel slippage in the shoe. And, to top it off, the entire shoe’s collar feels silky against your skin.

Shop Women's Saucony Kinvara 10

Ride

Saucony added a carved guidance system on the outsole to help with a smooth heel-to-toe transition. Plus, added rubber in key friction areas (the outer heel and inner toe) add to the shoe’s overall road life. Plus, it’s firm, bouncy and light. We felt just as comfortable and smooth on long runs with a heel-to-toe strike as we did on short up-tempo intervals with a midfoot strike.

Shop Men's Kinvara 10

Saucony Kinvara 9 vs. Saucony Kinvara 10

The most prominent change from the Kinvara 9 to the Kinvara 10 is the design of the upper.

Saucony used engineered mesh on the 10 to be supportive and breathable, but the 10 employs a subtle striped design instead of the speckled mesh pattern from the 9.

Another noticeable change is the addition of Saucony's FORMFIT contoured footbed. The new footbed cradles your foot better than the previous version of the shoe to keep you centered during your run.

Outsole construction is similar on both shoes, making for a minimal look and feel. Designers used extra rubber on the toe and the heel to protect high-wear areas, but the outsole is purposefully sparse to maintain the shoe's light weight.

The 10's lacing system is almost identical to the 9, too. The only difference is the removal of the 9's extra lace loop near the toe.

While the changes make the Kinvara 10 look and feel better, they don't change its lightweight feel: The men's Kinvara 10 is still under 8 oz and the women's still weighs less than 7 oz.

Conclusion

They’re lightweight enough to don on race day and cushioned enough to stand up to burly daily training miles. Suffice to say the Kinvara 10 from Saucony provides maximum comfort in a lightweight, responsive, durable training and racing shoe. Basically, it’s a unicorn.

Still not convinced? Don’t sweat it. Fleet Feet's return policy means you can test drive your shoes and gear without risk. If you’re not happy with the way your gear performs, looks or fits, we’ll take it back within 60 days. Plus, you’ll get free return shipping on all fleetfeet.com orders. That's our Happy Fit Guarantee.