Saucony Men's Kinvara 5 Running Shoe,Blue/Black/Citron,12 M US

I've run a marathon, couple half marathons and a few 10k/5ks in these and they are my go to shoe for road races. They are light weight with low heel to toe drop (4mm), good flexibility, and nice road feel. That said, I would probably not use them for anything longer than a half marathon. There is not a ton of cushioning built into these (part of the low weight design), and after 20miles I feel like you really begin to notice it. The only other knock I can put on these is the lack of durable rubber on the sole. There is some, but in an effort to keep the weight very low it's only in small patches (any of the colored rubber on the bottom is harder wear rubber, while the white is just foam for cushioning). This means they wear out pretty quick on the sole. Not a huge issue for me as I only wear them for races, but I would not recommend them as a daily trainer unless you like replacing your shoes after about 200miles. I'm a midfoot to forefoot striker so it is the front patches on my shoes that are wearing rather quickly while my heel looks relatively new. Not sure how this compares to previous or newer models, but that's my experience with this shoe.Overall, this is one of my favorite shoes. They fit well and have ample room up from for my toes to spread out and hold the foot nicely without much wiggle or slipping.

This is the 2nd pair of kinvara 5 shoes i have put into my shoe rotation and they are great.They work well for most types of training runs, from long, slow distance runs up to track sessions/speed work.I find the midsole has just the right amount of cushion for me (6"2, 180lbs). the rubber outsole has pods in all the right places which seem to work well for midfoot striking, however have also tried mild heel strike and forefoot sprints and they still work well through the gait cycle, so should suit most footstrike positions.The upper is light and flexible and with around 80 miles on my first pair they seem to be holding up well, the toebox has a good amount of room allowing for toe splay, especially for me as i have a slightly wider forefoot.It took me a couple of runs to get used to the prolock feature however once you get that dialed in they are fine.I have used the Kinvara for the majority of my hill training for an upcoming hill half marathon and have found they provide a stable, secure platform with enough flexibility and softness for plenty of tough hill miles.Also quite good on hard packed trails, even ran in a bit of mud/ice and they held up well.Will be running a half marathon race this weekend and the Kinvara 5 will be my raceday shoe.Overall i believe the Saucony Kinvara 5 would make a great training/racing shoe for most runners looking for a lightweight, cushioned, neutral running shoe.Happy Running.

EDIT 7/24/2015: Eight months later I have to revise my review up from three to four stars. After putting 500 miles on one pair and 400 on another pair, including both the Boston and Grandma's marathons, I have to say these are holding up better than the Kinvara 3s and seem to handle high mileage exceptionally well. I had planned to retire the first pair at 500 but now I think I can get a little more life out of them. Though I still prefer the feel of the 3, I appreciate this version's toughness.ORIGINAL REVIEW (12/18/2014):I've run over 3000 miles in six pairs of Kinvara 3s - including three marathons and over a dozen half marathons. They may not be responsible for my massive marathon improvements but they certainly played a role. I'm very partial to the shoe. But it's getting harder and harder to get them, and the pairs still for sale have been sitting around for a couple years, losing the spring in their soles with age if not miles.It's logical to skip to the current version, rather than switching to the nearly-identical but also no-longer-made Kinvara 4, so I got myself a pair of Kinvara 5s. Don't get me wrong, they're fine - they capture the core qualities I like about the Kinvara series. Like the 3 they're very light and share the positives of the minimalist movement while still bringing a fair bit of cushion; they're incredibly responsive but provide some structure.But while the Kinvara 3 (and all other Kinvaras up to now) have a slipper-like appearance and feel, these have the substantial feel of a traditional running shoe - a thick and stiff heel collar, heavy cladding up around the toe, a feeling that your foot is being swallowed by the shoe. While the Kinvara 3 had only as much upper as was required to keep the shoe on the foot, the upper on these feels heavier and gives less. The heel cup on the Kinvara 3s is soft and pliable, but on these it's stiff and holds the heel in place. The 5 may or may not actually weigh more than the 3 but it feels heavier on my foot. The additional cladding on the outside up near the front prevents the shoe from moving as effortlessly with my foot, meaning that I'm experiencing something I've never experienced in a Kinvara - a hot spot after long runs.I've assumed these shoes are meant for faster runners, and with a 3:08 marathon I'm probably at the slow end of what Saucony has in mind for these. I have a hard time imagining the target audience would like these changes - they all seem aimed to make the shoe more durable for heavier, slower runners, while I'm sure those runners use heavier, more restrictive shoes. I'd like to see them return to the lighter, softer, simpler design of the Kinvara 3.That said, I do expect this to be my Boston shoe this year; I'd prefer to have the Kinvara 3 back, but in its absence I'm going with the 5.

This is a great running shoe once you get the laces adjusted just right. I'm not sure what value the prolock system gives, but I ended up having to loosen up the laces through those loops and now the shoe fits perfectly. Right off it was causing come pain in my midfoot until I made the lacing adjustments. So far I've put 55 miles on the shoes including a 16 miler and they are awesome.They are light, quick and still offer good cushioning. I definitely feel faster in these than my older heavier Saucony's. The toe box is also roomy and doesn't restrict movement at all. Overall a great choice for a running shoe.