Saucony Kinvara 5

Name: Saucony Kinvara 5
Brand: Saucony
Rating: 4.6 (128 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.6 oz (men's) · 24/20mm stack · 4mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Saucony Kinvara 6 replaced it

How it ranks

The Saucony Kinvara 5 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and value are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 128 runner reviews and 14 other rated shoes in the Kinvara product line.

Very good

Overall

Very good 91

Comfort

Good 88

Value

Good 88

Appearance

Good 88

Cushioning

Decent 75

Durability

Bottom-tier 50

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

100 Very high

Very high 100

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Our ratings
Product line track record
External ratings

What runners say

“Tears occur on every pair on both sides of the toe box where the foot flexes.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“Toe box is just a little bit too short unless I wear really thin socks and even then taking it on 12+ km runs is a blister-risk.”

4/5 Full review training for middle distance

“On trails, the shoe might last two-three months before they begin to rip across the sides and in various places on the front.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14

“The mesh is very breathable yet durable and not prone to ripping unlike the mesh of the Kinvara 4.”

4/5 Full review training for middle distance

“With added cushioning, able to run in this shoe as a recovery shoe up to about 400 miles versus Kinvara 4 at 275-300.”

5/5 Full review 110 mpw training for a half marathon

“Light weight (7.7 oz) and low drop (4mm) give it versatility as both a racing shoe (10k-Marathon) and daily mileage trainer.”

4/5 Full review training for middle distance

“Holes develop pretty quickly around the toe area.”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a marathon

“Light with just enough cushioning and versatile enough to run a 5k or a marathon in.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a marathon

“Pieces of the outsole started to fall off as early as 180 miles.”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance

“The heel tab is nice and low and the liner in the heel area is super soft and still quite durable.”

4/5 Full review training for middle distance

“Allows running fast but provides enough cushioning to double as an everyday training shoe.”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a half marathon

“Previous editions would split from the side along the pinky toe.”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a marathon

“Improved with a more durable and plush upper without compromising the weight.”

5/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a marathon

“Don't get much more than 200-250 miles from a pair.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas adizero Boston 3

“The shoe is very light and pretty flexible, which really helps enjoy the surface being run on.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Virrata 2

“New model seems to have fixed tearing of fabric where the shoe flexes.”

5/5 Full review 75 mpw training for a half marathon

“Prone to tearing on the upper, including midfoot area.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31

“Great binding that locks in the foot while giving lots of room to breathe.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Ghost 7

“Toes started tearing up the sides of the toe box after a couple hundred miles.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Virrata 2

“After 300 miles, the mesh is shredded but the shoe still feels good to run in.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“Don't wear on the bottom very fast, but the mesh top isn't very durable.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw came from the Mizuno Wave Precision 12

“Very smooth without a ton of cushioning.”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a half marathon

“Got about 450 miles out of them.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam 980

“Well cushioned, lightweight, with minimal heel to toe drop.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw

“Put about 600 miles on them.”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon

“Got 500-600 miles.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw came from the Mizuno Wave Precision 12

“Lightweight with 4mm heel-toe drop.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 14

Prefer this shoe over another

50% 58/115

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

At 7.6 oz reviewers still find enough cushioning for daily miles.
Runners use it for track intervals, tempos and marathons alike.
The Kinvara 4 before it scores 73 on a hundred and twenty-nine reviews, and reviewers rate this version's fit, comfort and upper above it.

Cons

Reviewers frequently report the upper mesh tearing near the toes.
Durability is the weakest dimension at 3.6 out of 5, and several runners retire pairs near 200 to 250 miles.
Four reviewers find forefoot traction poor on certain surfaces.

Kinvara 5 rates 91. This shoe has very high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Saucony Kinvara

Each dot is one version of the Kinvara, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

62 2011 86 71 91 2014 89 93 81 2017 80 91 2019 77 84 2021 78 84 2023 83 87 2025

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Kinvara 16

2025 · 3 reviews

87 Good

85 Confidence
Kinvara 15

2024 · 13 reviews

83 Good

86 Confidence
Kinvara 14

2023 · 49 reviews

84 Good

97 Confidence
Kinvara 13

2022 · 36 reviews

78 Decent

96 Confidence
Kinvara 12

2021 · 6 reviews

84 Good

86 Confidence
Kinvara 11

2020 · 7 reviews

77 Decent

87 Confidence
Kinvara 10

2019 · 51 reviews

91 Very good

99 Confidence
Kinvara 9

2018 · 55 reviews

80 Good

99 Confidence
Kinvara 8

2017 · 57 reviews

81 Good

100 Confidence
Kinvara 7

2016 · 21 reviews

93 Excellent

98 Confidence
Kinvara 6

2015 · 8 reviews

89 Good

94 Confidence
Kinvara 5 This shoe

2014 · 128 reviews

91 Very good

100 Confidence
Kinvara 4

2013 · 129 reviews

71 Decent

100 Confidence
Kinvara 3

2012 · 11 reviews

86 Good

94 Confidence
Kinvara 2

2011 · 3 reviews

62 Below average

89 Confidence

Runner Ratings

128 ratings

5/5 82

4/5 43

3/5 2

2/5 1

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 7.6 oz (men's)
Release: 2014
MSRP: $100
Stack: 24/20mm
Drop: 4mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Saucony Kinvara 5-Deserved Its Hype

5/5

Overall

I got this shoe a little after it came out and it has lasted me all the years since. I haven't used it as much as my other shoes, but that's mainly due to its speed in races. Overall I've logged around 200 miles in them and left them to sit in a closet otherwise, but neither time nor wear have seemed to give them any turmoil. I have set PRs in this shoe for 5k and used it for many tempo runs and workouts that were some of the best workouts I'd experienced. An overall great shoe that I wish I had used more often for longer races (especially a half) and workouts.

Anonymous runner · Mar 18, 2019

2 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Free RN

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

Nice light, neutral ride, but uppers shred with less than 200 miles' use

4/5

Overall

Bought this earlier Kinvara version because it was available for a great price. I've been wearing Kinvaras since 2012. A versatile shoe for regular runs and races for anything over 10k. I'd rate this version middle-high among model editions... fit, cushioning, and lacing were improved over some versions (3 and 4 seemed to be problematic to me). The uppers not holding up was still a problem-- I had big-toe holes just before 200 miles, and some light pulling and shredding of the side mesh near the arch noticeable at about 250 miles. Hard rubber covering the foam of the rear right was also starting to go, but that might be more related to my gait. I'll be able to milk out another 50 miles or so to get this pair to the low-end of typical shoe life for me (300-400 miles). A good shoe that works well for me, but uppers not durable, making them frustrating, having experienced what Saucony shoes can be at their best.

Anonymous runner · Jul 6, 2018

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

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

4/5

Overall

Very good; lightweight and great for tempos and even long runs if you can handle it. Fortunately I can, although occasionally I experienced heel pain. The biggest two problems I found, as a runner who prefers neutral, low cushion shoes, is that a.)The shoe doesn't hold up very well and b.) The shoe is very rigid in the beginning. As for the durability, the shoe might last two-three months, depending on your surface(I mostly do trails around my highschool and stateparks) before they begin to rip across the sides and in various places on the front. The sole also breaks down quickly. A great shoe with a decent price if you're willing to shovel out the money fairly quickly. however, if you can find them at average cheapness(45-65$) you end up paying the same price for two pairs as most do for 1, so it ends up worth it. As for the rigidity, the beginning of training with them is rough as tehy are stiff and take a week of running to loosen them up, so it's always good to alternate runs with other shoes to keep your legs fresh. However, I enjoy them very much as a competitive high school runner and would recommend them to anyone who can handle low-support shoes.

Sethbale · Jun 13, 2016

50 mpw came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14

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

5/5

Overall

Have run 14 mile long runs to track sessions in it. Versatile!!

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2016

35 mpw came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 18

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 1/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

5/5

Overall

This shoe has been fantastic. Probably the best shoe I've run in for me since I began running about 10+ years ago. I've tried the Kinvara 3 as well and coming back to the Kinvara line was a great choice. I'll soon be trying the Kinvara 6 and I hope it hasn't changed much

Anonymous runner · Jan 8, 2016

50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Pure Flow 3