Kit & Gear

REVIEW: Saucony Kinvara 13

Built for speed seekers. Now lighter than ever, the Saucony Kinvara 13 is flawless, fast, and light as a feather. Feel nothing but the determination to kick it into high gear. The Kinvara 13 takes more of what you love and leaves out any unnecessary components so all you need to focus on is speed.

Pictured: Saucony Kinvara 13 (Blue Raz/Black)

Paula Bedford has been busy putting the Saucony Kinvara 13 road running shoes to the test. 

Pictured: Saucony Kinvara 13 (ViZi Gold/ViZi Red)

The last pair of Saucony Kinvara I owned were the 10. I had them for about 5 years and still wore them, but I realised it was time to retire then and that I was going to need another pair for the Thames Path 100. The forecast was looking really dry and the trail shoes that I wear most of the time were most likely not going to be right for the job.

I wear barefoot shoes to walk in most of the time and have found that this has begun to influence my choice of trainers quite a bit. I want my shoes to feel light and I want to feel the ground. I prefer it. The Kinvara are great for that and the 13 is even lighter than the 10 but still has enough cushioning underfoot to be comfortable when running on harder surfaces, which is important for longer races. They really do feel great to run in. The midsole has been developed using Saucony's PWRRUN midsole compound which they say provides even more energy return, and rebound. I'd agree it feels responsive and you almost forget you are wearing them! 

Pictured: Saucony Kinvara 13 Women's shoes (Cool Mint/Acid)

I think these would be a great shoe for shorter distances too and can imagine wearing them for my next 1/2 marathon. It’s worth mentioning that my choice of wearing a light and minimal shoe such as the Kinvara 13 is very much based on personal preference. If you are wanting a shoe with more support, structure and cushioning, then it might be best to choose a model from the Saucony Ride or the Endorphin ranges.

Pictured: Saucony Kinvara 13 (Black/Silver)

I like to have plenty of toe room in my trainers and want extra space as I know my feet might swell over longer distances, so I went 1.5 sizes up in this shoe (I always go a whole size up in trainers anyway! - personal preference). It fitted fine around the heel but didn't squash my toes. I ended up wearing these for about 80 miles of the Thames Path 100, only swapping into my trail shoes when I needed a bit more protection from the unforgiving rutted path. 

Overall, I love these shoes, they are comfortable to wear and feel great.

SHOP ALL SAUCONY KINVARA 13 ROAD RUNNING SHOES HERE

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