Saucony Men's 7 M Kinvara 14 Daily Training / Running Shoes in Black/White

Lots of hate on this version of the kinvara, but I love it. Yes it's a different ride than the other iterations, but still has good some value for a fast and "lower-ish profile" daily trainer. Made sure I bought a couple extra pairs while the price was halfed.

This is the first time that I purchased a Saucony shoe and the Kinvara 14 model specifically. Coming from New Balance 1400 v5 & v6, their mid-level minimalist shoe, I was skeptical. I beat those shoes up to the ground. The only reason I decided to switch brands is because they discontinued the 1400's and I was left comparing their FuelCell line (8mm drop) vs Kinvara (4mm), but I was so used to my 1400's (10mm) with very little padding/stack. In other words, I was used to feeling the road and not feel like I was standing on cushions as a mid/forefoot striker. After the first 30km, I can say that it was a change, the obvious is the feeling of more cushioning beneath my feet and the curved sole (not as flat as the 1400s). As with all my runners, I replaced the laces with the elastic Lock Laces, and threaded them for heel-lock, that immediately allowed my feet to expand a bit more after the first few KMs. I am now more used to them, and they feel better. The reason I give them 4/5 stars might just be my issue but I feel that the pointed toebox design forces my toes together, especially the smaller toe. I haven't experienced any blistering, but I am playing with the tightness of the laces to see what works… and yes, I sized them slightly larger so I don't think it's a shoe size problem. All in all, I was more impressed after the first run and replacing the laces. I do feel more comfortable on the “rocking feeling” of the sole design and I will beat the heck out of them before deciding if they are a permanent switch. I can say that buying last years' model in black vs other colors (not very popular I guess), at half-price, meant that the price-value was a no-brainer for the same technology. Happy running!