Saucony Kinvaras

I go to the gym because I want to get a cardiovascular workout and to lift weights and build strength. My bicycle has totally spoiled me, and I cannot bike for long distances at the gym sitting on a padded couch. I never seem to push myself hard enough when I am on an elliptical machine. Unfortunately, my current gym does not have the highly-effective Jacob’s Ladder.

I am not a serious runner, and I don’t know anything about mechanics, pronation or podiatry. I have some moderate experience with knee pain though, which is why I was forced to explore my options when it came to running.

When I went to get a real pair of running shoes, I went into a shoe store that had a good reputation for assisting runners. They asked me to lift my pant cuffs, and by looking at me, they pronounced me a “neutral” footed runner and promptly fitted me with a $100 Asics. Needless to say, it didn’t work out. I tried running for a bit, and I started getting knee pain. I attribute my knee pain to running and doing squats and other bent-knee exercises.

About two years ago, someone recommended to me that I should think about switching my running method, and to go for a fore-foot or mid-food strike, instead of landing on my heels. This was right at the beginning of the barefoot running craze, and I had seen my first Vibram five fingers in the wild. I tried it, and sure enough, my knee pain subsided and I could run a mile without feeling a pinching sensation in my knee.

Not that I care too much what I look like, but I was attracted to the Saucony Kinvaras, which are minimalist runners without the skeletoes look. After running a few miles in them, I will never go back to a normal running shoe. The shoes flex and feel very natural on my feet. I do not feel like I am running with concrete blocks stuck to my ankles. I can’t speak to the durability of these lightweight shoes, but they seem to be made well.

I noticed that they just released the next generation of these shoes, the Saucony Kinvara 2.