Saucony Kinvara 5

The Saucony Kinvara 5 is the flagship natural running shoe of the American brand. After the success of the Kinvara 3 and the award-winning Saucony Kinvara 4 (this one with some more criticism than the 3) the 2014 update was presented during the Boston Marathon of which they are the main sponsor.

The Saucony Kinvara 5 undergoes a major redesign especially of its upper, but maintains the essence of the Kinvara 4 built with ultra-lightweight materials, and a final weight of only 218 grams in a size 9 USA.

The height from heel to toe, i.e. the drop is again 4 mm, which favors a more natural way of running. As we always say before putting on a shoe with a drop of less than 6 mm, a progressive adaptation is necessary.

New features

Among the new features is a new lacing system called ProLock that allows a better fit of the foot.

The upper uses lighter materials and Saucony has developed a technology called FlexFilm, a very flexible and breathable upper layer that protects the foot and helps stabilize the movement of the foot in each stride. It also has no seams to avoid annoying rubbing and lighten the weight as much as possible.

As for cushioning, Saucony continues to rely on its PowerGrid technology, an improved EVA+ material. It provides a landing that despite its low drop helps absorb impact and provides energy transfer on impulse.

In the outsole Saucony has added iBR+ rubber zones strategically placed in high wear areas for increased durability.

The collar that wraps around the ankle has been redesigned using a technology called RunDry that provides greater comfort and better sweat and moisture wicking properties.

Saucony Kinvara RunShield

And as a novelty they are launching an update for the most demanding runners. The Saucony Kinvara RunShield , combines all the high-tech features of the Kinvara 5 but adds a water-resistant FlexShell layer to keep feet dry and warm without sacrificing performance.

The Saucony Kinvara 5 is available for both women and men from May 1, 2014 for about 110 euros (price has not been confirmed in Europe yet. In the US it will be worth $110).

The Kinvara RunShield will be splurged a bit more and interestingly will be released in summer, on August 1.