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Saucony

Kinvara 8

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road

Excellent (90/100)

Weight: 7.6 oz
Release: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $110
Drop Height: 4mm

Excellent (90/100) overall

Where to buy

No offers available

Shoe details

Weight: 7.6 oz
Release: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $110
Drop Height: 4mm

Ratings & Reviews

Excellent (90/100)

Based on product-line history, external ratings, and runner reviews.

Scores better than 89% of all shoes.

Our ratings use detailed reviews from knowledgeable runners, ratings for shoes in the same product line, and reliable product information from trusted retailers.

Rating breakdown

Better Shoes Rating. Shading shows the expected rating range.

Rankings combine runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, direct comparisons to other shoes, related product-line performance, and trusted external ratings.

The darker band shows the central rating range. The lighter band shows a wider range of reasonable outcomes. More reviews for this shoe usually narrow both bands.

Overall

Excellent (90/100)

Overall rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Excellent (90/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 89% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Overall

Overall rating

Better Shoes Rating

Excellent (90/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 89% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Excellent (90/100)

Value

Excellent (94/100)

Value rating

Better Shoes Rating

Excellent (94/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 94% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Value

Value rating

Better Shoes Rating

Excellent (94/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 94% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Excellent (94/100)

Comfort

Very good (88/100)

Comfort rating

Better Shoes Rating

Very good (88/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 87% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Comfort

Comfort rating

Better Shoes Rating

Very good (88/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 87% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Very good (88/100)

Appearance

Very good (84/100)

Appearance rating

Better Shoes Rating

Very good (84/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 74% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Appearance

Appearance rating

Better Shoes Rating

Very good (84/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 74% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Very good (84/100)

Cushioning

Very good (82/100)

Cushioning rating

Better Shoes Rating

Very good (82/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 74% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Cushioning

Cushioning rating

Better Shoes Rating

Very good (82/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 74% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Very good (82/100)

Durability

Bottom-tier (50/100)

Durability rating

Better Shoes Rating

Bottom-tier (50/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 1% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Durability

Durability rating

Better Shoes Rating

Bottom-tier (50/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 1% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Bottom-tier (50/100)

47%

41/87

Prefer this shoe over another.

Reviewers said this shoe was better than another shoe they ran in.

Comparison set

Rating

All Running Shoes

Scores better than 89% of 2,617 running shoes.

Excellent

Daily Trainers

Scores better than 87% of 1,872 daily trainers.

87%

Kinvara Family

Scores better than 53% of 10 kinvara family.

53%

Saucony

Scores better than 81% of 209 Saucony shoes.

81%

Pros & Cons

Pros

Most reviewers like this shoe more than their last shoe.
Reviewers rate this shoe better than the Kinvara 6.
One of the most popular shoes among LetsRun.com readers.
Rated among the top 5% of shoes overall.
Rated among the top 10% of shoes on comfort.

Cons

Rated below average on cushioning.
Rated among the bottom 10% of shoes on durability.

Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Kinvara 8

Kinvara 16

SUPERBLAST 2

Current shoe

Reference shoe

Newest / Lowest price / Best value

Best overall / Best comfort / Best cushioning

Shoe properties

Type

Daily trainer

Pronation

Neutral

Weight

7.6 oz M

—

Stack

—

Drop

4mm

—

7mm

Release

2017 Q3

2025 Q2 Newest

2024 Q2

MSRP

$110

—

$200

Best price

—

$129.95 Lowest price

$149.99

Ratings

Overall

Very good (89%)

Very good (85%)

Exceptional (>99%) Best overall

Comfort

Very good (87%)

Good (77%)

Exceptional (99%) Best comfort

Cushioning

Good (74%)

Below average (40%)

Exceptional (99%) Best cushioning

Durability

Bottom tier (1%)

Bottom tier (2%)

Exceptional (99%) Best durability

Appearance

Good (74%)

Good (73%)

Exceptional (98%) Best appearance

Value

Excellent (94%)

Excellent (96%) Best value

Very good (86%)

Where to buy

$119.99

Top 3%

Ranks higher than this shoe

Reader Ratings

57 reader ratings

Review a shoe

Showing 1–5 of 57 written reviews

Soft, light and low

Anonymous runner · Mar 22, 2020

3/5

Overall

The shoe looks great and feels super comfortable when you put your foot in it. The cushioning extremely soft an comfortable. Very lightweight shoe. Great for someone with good biomachanics. The low drop makes it uncomfortable for those with Achilles problems. The bottom of the shoe only has hard rubber on the inner portions of the bottom. If you are an underpronator there is nothing to protect the bottom of the shoe from wearing on the outside. Outer portion of the shoe wears very quickly, not a very durable shoe. It is a fast and light shoe for fast runs for efficient runners.

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 2/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 3/5

Saving me from Three Stripes and a Third Stress Fracture!

alexrunsmiles · Jul 12, 2019

5/5

Overall

Initially, I was an adidas freak. I wore them throughout college and loved the feel that they gave to my feet which ran wide near the toes. Unfortunately, I suffered two stress fractures in my later years in the same foot that, along with severe cases of hammer toe in both feet, left me spending precious time away from the team and in the pool crosstraining. After I graduated, I continued to train lightly in Supernovas. I would occasionally run with an athlete I coached in HS who was beginning her freshman year at LSU. These shoes continued to hold up, even after I was struck by a car while running last August (fortunately, no major injuries there. Just a concussion and seizure at the scene). So my Supernova obsession lasted through the accident and into the fall, when I was running low on my shoes' mileage and needed a new pair. I just happened to have a $50 Fleet Feet gift card. At the store, however, I was informed that they had no Supernovas available in my size. Rather, the associate suggested Kinvaras in a full size smaller than what I was accustom to. Not about to pay more online for a brand, I decided to give the Kinvaras a try to see if it was time to change. Sure enough, they fit perfectly and allowed me to amp up my post-graduate mileage moreso than I had ever reached during my college years. I've been wearing them now for almost a year and have yet to suffer a significant injury. With my foot strike being more inward, the outsides of the shoe wear down a lot quicker than I would prefer. But otherwise, these shoes are flawless. And I am truly grateful for the chance encounter to switch into them and to continue my dream.

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Best Shoe Ever (for me)

Anonymous runner · Jul 4, 2019

5/5

Overall

Perfect for a mid-foot striker.

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Reader review

Anonymous runner · Jul 4, 2019

4/5

Overall

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

They run big

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

4/5

Overall

Switched from a Kinvara 5 and found the 8 run a bit bigger by about half a size.

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 5/5

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Kinvara 8

Where to buy

Shoe details

Ratings & Reviews

Rating breakdown

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Compared to other shoes

Where to buy

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Reader Ratings

Soft, light and low

Saving me from Three Stripes and a Third Stress Fracture!

Best Shoe Ever (for me)

Reader review

They run big