Saucony Kinvara TR Review

And without further ado - my first running shoe review: Saucony Kinvara TR 

After 200+ miles, Kinvara TRs still look quite bright!

After my first attempt at writing a review of the new Saucony Kinvara TR trail shoes, ended up being a post about  why I shouldn’t be reviewing running shoes , I'm going to try to be a bit more of a "proper" shoe reviewer this time and actually write a useful review. Just to clarify, the Kinvara TRs aren't available in the UK at the time of writing (mid August 2012), and I was incredibly lucky to be sent a pre-launch pair to review. I haven't been paid for this review, or given any instruction about what I should or shouldn't say. I've just run in the shoes, a lot, in the 6+ weeks that I've had them.

Having run 200+ miles in the Kinvara TRs now, on a varied mix of on-road, gravel paths and muddy trails, I can definitely say they are amongst the most surprising running shoes I've tried so far, and amongst the most comfortable.

Not just Kinvara 2s with an off-road sole.

When I first read the information about the Kinvara TR, I assumed it would feel very similar to the Kinvara 2, but would offer much better off-road grip thanks to a sole designed for off-road use. In fact, the Kinvara TR feels very, very different to the Kinvara 2 when you first put it on.

 The first sensation I had when I put the the Kinvara 2s on, back in February, was that my feet had been "released". The Kinvara 2 has a very light, thin upper, that hardly restricts your foot at all - giving a very different, and very natural sensation, almost like not wearing shoes at all. The Kinvara TR on the other hand feels much more like a "normal" running shoe to me, but a very snug and comfortable one. For me the feel is fairly similar to my Brooks Racer ST-5s, which have been my "go to" long-run road shoes, as they are reasonably light and fast, but a bit more cushioned than the Kinvara 2 or the Brooks Green Silence shoes that I use for shorter distances. 

Very bright, and pretty light: 285g / 10oz - UK size 10 / US size 11

Light, and very bright. 

The first thing that everyone notices about the Kinvara TR, at least in the colour variant that I have, is that they are bright, very bright. My training partner Stuart (Capt. USA) calls them my "Health and Safety shoes" and I can see why - they definitely aren't for the shy and retiring :). When I put them on, I was surprised to feel that they were light, but not as light as I was expecting. It turns out that they tip the scales at 285g (10oz) in my UK size 10 (US size 11). My Kinvara 2, Brooks Green Silence, and my other trail shoes, the Inov-8 X-Talon 212s, all tip the scales at around 240g (8.5oz) so the Kinvara TRs are noticeably heavier.

Again the best comparison for me is with my Brooks Racer ST-5s, which are almost exactly the same weight and for me have a similar fit. I have pretty wide feet, and some brands of shoe don't work for me at all as a result, but I've found that Brooks and Saucony in particular suit the shape of my feet. The Kinvara TR is a better fit for me than the Kinvara 2 (which was only just wide enough) and doesn't feel like it's struggling to accommodate my abnormal feet in the same way that its road-going predecessor sometimes seemed to. 

Getting them dirty for the first time - many of my runs in the Kinvara TRs have been mud-fests 

The Kinvara TRs are billed as Minimalist shoes, and for anyone used to "traditional" running shoes, which have much more structure, cushioning and weight (most are 300g+ if not 400g+ in larger sizes), they will feel light and free, but for me, they are at the heavier end of what I'm comfortable running in (but not too heavy). 

Comfortable on road, as well as off...

A lot of the running that I do is on-road, or a combination of road and trail, and on my first run in the Kinvara TRs, I was immediately struck by how good they felt running on the pavement. This is in marked contrast to my Inov-8 X-Talon 212s, which just feel "wrong" running on concrete / tarmac (which I know is not what they are designed for at all). 

In fact, the first long run I did in the Kinvara TR was entirely on the road, when I ran a 14 mile leg of the Real Relay in them, just a couple of days after getting them. I loved the experience, and the shoes were absolutely fine on the harder surfaces. 

Since then I've logged around 400 miles in total, and around 1/2 of those have been in the Kinvara TRs - which have become my "go to" shoes for any run which is either all trail, or part trail, part road. I've been on some pretty muddy, steep and wet off-road sections, and they've taken everything I've thrown at them in their stride.

I planned to get this review done a couple of weeks ago, but being tardy in my writing has actually worked really well, as today I gave the Kinvara TRs their ultimate test so far...

20 Hilly & wet miles in the Peak District, wearing Kinvara TRs

Andrew shows the way to Mam Tor - the final climb of the day

Today's run was one of the toughest and most fun I've ever done - running the first half (20 miles, 2800ft of elevation gain) of the High Peak 40 event that I'm going to try to run next month! 

I was lucky to not have to run it on my own and was accompanied on a day of adventure and flapjack eating, by my very experienced running uncle: Chris, and 3 Twitter running friends: Andrew (who's done the High Peak 40 three times already), Matt, who I hope to be running with on event day itself, and Martin, who's also training for his first Ultra marathon.

The High Peak 20 running crew

The route for today's run was a great test of fitness, and equipment, especially our shoes, as there was a real mix of terrain. With everything from long downhill road sections, to incredibly steep (walking only) rocky uphill sections, through wet, muddy fields and gravel paths, if you could think of a surface to run on, we probably encountered it today.

Throughout the run, the Kinvara TRs were incredibly comfortable, and gave good cushioning and support, and my feet felt really protected on the many sections with sharp, loose rocks. They also gave good traction on the uphill sections, and the many gravel and muddy downhill sections. The only slight criticism I had was that on the really steep and slippery rocky downhill around Rushup Edge, I was struggling for grip more than the others, and didn't always feel totally in control. I suspect this may well be due to the lugs starting to wear down (after a lot of road running), rather than any inherent lack of grip from the shoes. 

After today's run, I'm feeling more confident that I can complete the entire High Peak 40 race - though I also know that I'll be using the Kinvara TRs as my shoes on the day - rather than my Inov-8 X-Talons, which wouldn't give enough cushioning for me over the 9 hours I'll be using them, and aren't designed for roads, which make up a chunk of the route. 


Summary: Surprising, Comfortable & adaptable. 

And that's it: after getting on for 2 months of running in the Kinvara TRs at least 2 or 3 times a week, often more, I've been continually surprised by how different to the Kinvara 2s they are, and how many different types of runs I find myself using them for. For entirely off-road runs, especially those with really muddy / slippery sections, I'd still choose my Inov-8 X-Talons, but for any other off-road run, particularly those with on-road parts too, I pick the Kinvara TRs every time. 


I guess that the biggest recommendation I can give for the Kinvara TRs is that I'll be running my first ultra marathon in them, and if anyone asked if I'd recommend they do the same, my answer would be an emphatic, "yes". 

Please let me know if there's anything more you'd like to know about the Saucony Kinvara TRs, or the other shoes that I've run in over the past year (I've been through quite a few!) - and if there's interest from readers of this blog, I'll happily review my other shoes too, even if the manufacturers don't ask me to...

Mike
P.S. Thanks to Andrew, Matt, Martin & Chris for a great run today. 

Saucony Kinvara TR Review (pre-review)

My first running shoe review - Saucony Kinvara TR and why I probably shouldn't be reviewing running shoes :)

I'm not sure where to start this review, as I'm not an experienced runner, I'm not an experienced blogger, and I'm not really an experienced anything that's relevant to writing running shoe reviews! 

The Kinvara TRs - just after they arrived on my desk at work :)

I've read a few running shoe reviews in my time, and although I only got my first pair of running shoes almost exactly a year ago the Kinvara TRs are actually my 10th pair of running shoes, so I guess I'm not totally unqualified.

I have developed something of a reputation amongst my friends and family as a running shoe hoarder, as hardly a month seems to pass without a new pair of running shoes appearing in the porch at home, or under my desk at work.

I've been fortunate not have to purchase all 10 pairs, as one was a parkrun prize and the pair  I'm eventually going to get around to reviewing were very kindly sent to me as a pre-release review sample by Jonny Quint of Saucony UK, complete with a hand-written compliments slip.

A pair of unreleased new running shoes for me to review? Me?? 

Although my friends & family seem to think I have an addiction to buying new running shoes, I'd like to point out that I bought 2 pairs online (my original Asics Gel Kayano 17s and my first off-road shoes, the New Balance MT-271s), before I had any idea what kind of shoes I needed, or liked to run in, and another 2 pairs were replacements after unfortunate accidents befell their predecessors.

An accident-prone shoe destroyer, reviewing shoes?? 

I managed to destroy my first pair of my favourite long run shoes, the Brooks Racer ST-5s just a few days before my first marathon in April this year (and I'd been planning to run in them on the big day), when I decided to get them washed and dried in plenty of time before the race.

My chosen method of washing them was the same as it had always been for getting running shoes clean: I put them in a pillowcase and stuck them in the washing machine with a load of  other washing, started the machine and went to work. I ran home from work that day, and arriving tired, was initially bemused by the massive pile of smashed glass on the kitchen floor.  After checking the window was still in one piece (it was), my eyes were drawn to the bright orange trainers poking out of the front of the washing machine, and it quickly became clear that they had somehow, literally destroyed the glass-fronted door of the washer. 
 

Big chunks of torn running shoe & shards of broken glass, yikes!

Although most people would have been worried about the washing machine and the inevitable expense of sorting it out I was immediately concerned with only one thing - what was I going to run the marathon in?? Fortunately I had a voucher from Sweatshop for a new pair of shoes for £25, and they had 1 pair of size 10 Racer ST-5s in stock in the Nottingham store where the staff know me by name, given how frequently I'm there... 

So that was one pair of shoes that I kind of *had* to replace, the other was a different, and almost even more disastrous incident, the day before my first half marathon at Silverstone in March. I'd decided that I needed to wash the shoes I'd chosen for my first big running challenge, so put them in the washing machine - no problem I thought, they'll dry quickly, so I hung them on the washing line. 

Unfortunately it was early March, and the shoes were still wet when we left for the drive to Northampton, where we were staying the night before the race. "No problem" I thought, "I'll dry the shoes on a radiator in the hotel room.". After a quick inspection of the very basic room however, it was immediately obvious that there was no radiator in the room - and the only source of heat was a lamp. Rather stupidly (in hindsight, very stupidly), I figured that putting the shoes on top of the lamp to dry them was a good idea - after all, they were very lightweight, my new favourite shoes by far, and would surely dry very quickly...

They didn't dry quickly enough however, because before long they'd caught fire! Sarah suddenly asked "can you smell burning?",  I quickly realised what was wrong - and got the shoes out of the window, hoping that the hotel fire alarm wouldn't go off.  It didn't, which was both relieving (because it would have been very embarrassing) and concerning, (as there had been a lot of smoke, so it should have gone off really), in equal measure...

Fortunately the only real damage to the shoes was that a big chunk of the tongue of one of them was now missing, which meant I could still run in them without too many problems. 

 Saucony Kinvara 2 - loved them, set fire to them! - Oops!

Those shoes, were my favourites, the lightweight, minimalist, make you run fast and free, light and happy: Saucony Kinvara 2...

It was an exchange of positive tweets with the inspirational @MartinBown - who tried the Kinvara 2s on my recommendation, then set a big PB the first time he ran in them, which lead to Saucony's UK arm sending me the as yet unreleased trail (TR) version of the new Kinvara 3s for me to try, and write about. 

I'm pretty sure if Saucony had known about me setting fire to my first pair of Kinvara 2s, they wouldn't have sent me the review pair out. I hope I haven't scuppered my chances of future review pairs from them or other firms by admitting to destroying shoes (but I'm guessing I probably have!) :)

I may also have scuppered my chances of becoming a running shoe reviewer by not actually writing a review yet - this post was originally intended to be all about the Kinvara TRs, but as usual, I've written way more than I intended to and run out of time. 

So, the next post (very soon) will be a proper review of the Kinvara TRs, and I'll end this post with a taster three word summary of my thoughts about them: 

Bright, Comfortable & Surprising. 

One year on, a year of fun, fitness & friends

I felt it was about time I wrote a new post, as I haven't for months, and also because today is the 1st anniversary, of my 1st run in my 1st ever pair of running shoes. 


That year has flown by, and I can't believe that this time last year, I'd never even run 5K, and I never, ever thought I'd call myself a runner and be comfortable, delighted in fact, to be called a runner by others. 


The reason I bought my 1st pair of running shoes, wasn't because I wanted to be a runner, and I really had no desire at all to run regularly, or to run long distances. At the time, I just thought I should have some "proper" shoes, if I was going to have any chance of getting through the triathlon that I'd signed up. That triathlon, the Broxtowe Sprint was to be my big challenge after losing 5st earlier last year, and was suddenly only 4 weeks away and my very limited, painful, running training had all been done in squash shoes!


My first pair of running shoes were Asics Gel Kayano 17s, which I chose after researching online, and I thought they were just what I needed to get me through the scary 5K that I'd have to somehow have to stagger through at the end of the triathlon. 


Since that first run: http://runkeeper.com/user/MikeW30/activity/46109016 which was just over a mile long, I've managed to run another 2,070 miles, to complete my 1st triathlon, 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon, and I've run at least 5K every day, for the past 255 days. 


I've also been lucky enough to try lots of other running shoes, including 2 free pairs, one of which, the Saucony Kinvara TR, aren't even launched yet. I don't want to talk about shoes though, or distances, or races, or PBs, but about why I enjoy running so much, and why I don't plan to stop any time soon. 

For me, the love I've found for running over the past 10 months or so (I didn't start to enjoy it as soon as got my running shoes, one day a few weeks later, something just "clicked"), comes down to fun, fitness, family & friends. 



Fun
Over the past few months, running has gone from being something I never thought I'd be any good at, and never really enjoyed, to a major part of my life, that I can't imagine being without.

I can't imagine being without it because for me, running has become really good fun - it's taken me to many new places, I've discovered footpaths almost on my doorstep that I never knew existed, and beautiful scenery in many parts of the country that I would never have been to, or noticed in years gone by. 

FitnessRunning has also helped my fitness, and although this time last year I was probably fitter than I'd ever been, I'm now feeling fitter than ever pretty much every month, and every time I don't think I can improve any more, I somehow seem to be able to.

I've no idea how much longer I'll be able to keep getting faster or going further, but I do know that I'm already a lot fitter than I ever thought I could be, and I'm feeling so, so much better as a result. 


Family & Friends
The most important aspect of my new love for running isn't the fun, or the fitness though, it's the new friends I've made through running, and the friends, family & neighbours I've grown closer to thanks to running.

I won't try to name everyone here, but I do know that without the constant support of my parents (who also take part in parkrun regularly now, something they'd never have imagined doing a year ago), there's no way I could have run as much as I have.  My sons James and Kieran, who have done amazingly with their running, and my brilliant other half Sarah, who's now training for her first half marathon, (having never run a mile before last December), have made everything so much easier and more enjoyable too, as running with them is amongst my favourite things to do.

My regular training partners Ellie & Stu (Captain America) and Andy Next Door, have also been a crucial in keeping running fun for me, as I enjoy running with others so much more than training solo. 


Tonight, on the anniversary of my 1st, 1 mile run in a pair of running shoes, I ran a 10K race, with 2 friends: Rob who I met through parkrun, and David, who I met through Twitter, and ran a time (44 mins 15 secs), that I never thought I possibly could when I first ran that distance last October.

I wasn't bothered about the time tonight though, it was the experience: running with friends, taking pictures, thanking the marshals and supporters that I enjoyed. That's what I'm looking forward to over the next few weeks and months as well, when I'll be running my first Ultra Marathon (the very scary High Peak 40) with Twitter running friends Matt and Andrew, my next marathon in Chester with Simon & Chris, and Sarah's first half marathon (the Robin Hood). 


Tomorrow morning, I'm back at Colwick parkrun for my 27th run there (and my 33rd parkrun i in total since I started last November : http://www.parkrun.org.uk/athleteresultshistory?athleteNumber=205486 ), and I'll be meeting a new friend, Martin, and running with him for the first time. I'm sure that first run of my 2nd year of running will be just as enjoyable as all the others over the last few months, and I'm really excited to see what the next year will bring, the people I'll meet and family and friends I'll run with.

Hopefully I'll be able to write a few more, and some shorter blog posts too :)