Saucony Kinvara 7 LR Shoe Review
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Are you in the market for a smooth riding, light weight road shoe to help you glide over the pavement? Need a replacement for the no longer in production Pearl Izumi running shoes? The Saucony Life on the Run Kinvara 7 is a great choice that puts comfort at the forefront of its design and eliminates all distractions, so you can focus on the miles in front of you.
Saucony Kinvara 7 LR
Upper
The upper of the Kinvara 7 consists of Saucony’s FlexFilm overlays that are welded into the upper of the shoe to eliminate hotspots from any seams. The FlexFilm helps to provide a great lock down for every footfall. It also helps give the shoe some of it’s lightweight, while still providing a durable and flexible fit.
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- Sleek upper design with improved use of FLEXFILM provides great lockdown for every stride
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- Hotspot free Flexflim to keep your feet happy
Where Saucony does a really superb job is selecting the material for the mesh upper. The shoe helps to move any moisture away from your foot, leaving you dry, comfortable and blister free. The overall feeling of the upper leaves you with a very light and airy feel to it.
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- Sleek upper design with improved use of FLEXFILM provides great lockdown for every stride
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- The materials in this product are designed to move moisture away from the skin, to keep you running dry and comfortable.
Lower
Saucony comes in with a new outsole configuration that includes TRI-FLEX which helps increase flexibility and adaptability of shoe. The wider lugs on the outsole deliver more ground contact and will extend the longevity of the shoe in general.
The Kinvara 7 has a 4mm heel-to-toe offset that delivers a natural ride, letting your feet and body do more of the work while relying less on the shoes’ cushioning and stability features.
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- Tri-Flex increases force dispersion over a greater surface area while also delivering optimal flexibility and traction.
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- Everun iBR+ is a supremely lightweight but durable outsole rubber that enhances your shoe’s other cushioning elements.
Saucony used IBR+ in the midfoot which is a supremely lightweight flexible material that provides enhanced cushioning and a smoother transition. The IBR+ allows the shoe to come in at a featherweight 7.8 oz. (size 9).
“The EVERUN Landing Zone and Heel Insert provide remarkable impact protection, maintaining cushioning properties three times longer than standard EVAs while returning 83% of the energy absorbed, according to research in the Saucony Human Performance and Innovation Lab.
Typical EVA foam heats up, getting softer the longer the run just when the body fatigues and needs impact protection the most. The EVERUN technology addresses this breakdown of cushioning and consequently, joint protection, in running shoes during the course of a run.”
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- Responsive Everun Cushioining
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- Showing a little bit of compression
Fit
The Kinvara 7 LR runs true to size, and I found it very comfortable. The toe box has the perfect width for my average foot and I felt like my foot could expand on impact. The heel cup in this shoe has a firm structure and just the right amount of padding up through the Achilles and ankle collar. It allowed my heel to be anchored precisely in the shoe with no slippage on uphills and no pinching or hot spots.
The interior is smooth and the mesh outer is breathable and lightweight. The tongue is thin yet has adequately padding, it stays put and fits smoothly over the foot. With the slipper like fit the Kinvara 7 might be the best fitting shoe that I have worn in some time.
Ride
Right out of the box the Kinvara 7 hit that sweet spot of light, smooth and responsiveness, that I always look for in a road shoe. In every instance that I have run in this shoe they have performed brilliantly.
With EVERUN stamped on the side of the shoe, I think Saucony is on to something; the plush underfoot cushioning combined with the EVERUN Heel Insert, gave me the feeling that I could run all day. I also noticed that the faster I went the smoother the shoe seemed to become.
It is to the point where I want to pull out this shoe for each and every run that I go on.
Specifications
- Shoe Category: Neutral
- Pronation: Neutral
- Cushion: Responsive
- Construction Type: Natural Motion
- Surface: Road, Track
- Arch: High, Normal (Mid)
- Water Resistant: No
- Waterproof: No
- Offset: 4mm
- Heel Stack Height: 22mm
- Forefoot Stack Height: 18mm
- Weight: 7.8 oz (size 9)
Final Thoughts
In my opinion the Saucony Kinvara 7 LR is one of the best road running shoes out there. Designed for sublimely smooth transitions, the Kinvara allows you to rack up miles in blissful comfort. This moderately cushioned running shoe provides plush padding and has the right amount of ground feel on middle distance runs and long distance efforts alike. Its 22mm heel stack is indicative of its supple, yet highly reactive feel underfoot. If you’re looking for a versatile everyday runner with a smooth responsive ride, the Saucony Kinvara 7 LR is the shoe that you have been waiting for.
For more information or to purchase, visit www.amazon.com/saucony. MSRP $110
