Saucony Kinvara 8

Name: Saucony Kinvara 8
Brand: Saucony
Rating: 4.6 (57 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.3 oz · 4mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Saucony Kinvara 9 replaced it

How it ranks

The Saucony Kinvara 8 ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Value and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 57 runner reviews and 14 other rated shoes in the Kinvara product line.

Good

Overall

Good 81

Value

Very good 90

Appearance

Good 83

Comfort

Good 82

Cushioning

Below average 69

Durability

Bottom-tier 53

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.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“Upper tears after 250 miles, leaving holes that let rocks and gravel enter.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

“Lightweight yet surprisingly cushioned and responsive, making it versatile.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“Perfect cushioning for short runs, long runs, intervals, 10k-half marathon races.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 10

“Got ~1,200 miles on last pair and shoe became even more comfortable as it aged.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“Fit perfectly and allowed me to amp up post-graduate mileage more than ever reached during college years.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova Glide 8 Boost

“One of the best marathon shoes if you want lightness and cushion.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide 10

“Versatile for long runs and light enough for speed work.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Ride 9

“Stable and supportive without feeling like running on bricks.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide 6

“Had to stop mid-run; midfoot and toebox area are really narrow.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“Plush padding; simplicity and lightness are real pluses.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31

“For underpronators, nothing protects outside sole from wearing quickly.”

3/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

“Light and responsive; good for half and full marathon racing.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Zealot ISO

“Soles compress and lose spring after ~200 miles.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Zealot ISO

“Super light and fit like a glove immediately.”

5/5 Full review 10 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Fastwitch 8

“Little grip; very challenging for winter runs with snow or ice.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon

“Incredible at taking on water; terrible at wicking it away.”

4/5 Full review 65 mpw came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

“Love the lightweight nature, but soft soles cause quick tearing.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

“Get 450-500 miles before soles are completely gone.”

4/5 Full review 85 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

“Outsides wear down a lot quicker than preferred due to inward foot strike.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova Glide 8 Boost

“Way too narrow and has way too much cushion for what it is.”

4/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

“Can't put more than 350 miles on these shoes.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31

“Each pair typically wears out around 300-350 miles.”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 19

“Felt fast and light but cushioning a little soft.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Ride 8

“The 8 runs about a half size bigger.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5

“Flexibility of upper can give perception of wider toe box.”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

“Upper tears at 250-300 miles, but quite minor.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide 10

“Cushioning on par with Hoka.”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Huaka

“Enormous heel counter and narrow toebox.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3

Prefer this shoe over another

47% 41/87

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers run everything in it, from easy miles and tempo work to track sessions and marathons.
At 7.6 oz men's, reviewers call it light with decent cushioning.
It lists at $110, below the $150 median for daily trainers for sale, and reviewers rate value highly.

Cons

Thin outsole rubber and a mesh upper often wear through quickly.
Several reviewers say the foam feels flat after a few hundred miles.
Seven of the forty-seven reviewers who report fit say it runs small, while one finds the forefoot too roomy.

Kinvara 8 rates 81. 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 2013 91 89 2015 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 This shoe

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

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

57 ratings

5/5 33

4/5 23

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 7.3 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 7.6 oz · Women's 6.9 oz
Release: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $110
Drop: 4mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

5/5

Overall

Love the feel of this shoe, can take it on long runs, tempo runs, even to the track and it never feels out of place.

Anonymous runner · Oct 1, 2018

40 mpw

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

Saucony Kinvara- Lightweight Trainer

5/5

Overall

This is probably a harken back to the older versions of the kinvara (2 and 4 being the best) with the typical lightness and flexibility across the arch while still providing reasonable cushion as an everyday trainer. Heal-striking runners may find that the outer heal tends to crush down due to the structure of the foam. Runs true to size and is extremely comfortable well up to 500-600 miles.

Anonymous runner · Jul 12, 2018

60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

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

From the Track to the Roads and beyond

5/5

Overall

I switched the the kinvara's about a year ago and haven't looked back. After looking for a shoe with a smaller drop, I came across these and fell in love. I wear them for every workout and race. They're lightweight yet stable.

Donnieandclyde · Jul 11, 2018

60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Ride 9

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

7 is better but 8 is solid.

4/5

Overall

The Kinvara 8 is a solid daily trainer for neutral runners who don't need a ton of cushioning. It's a fast shoe that I wear for easy mileage. I usually get 450-500 miles on them before the soles are completely gone. They feel a bit dead once you hit the 400s. If you can find a pair on sale, they are a steal. I think that the heel changes from version 7 to 8 was a step down. 7 was so comfy.

Anonymous runner · Jul 9, 2018

85 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

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

Good, lightweight, and versatile shoe

4/5

Overall

The Kinvara can literally do it all for me. Long runs, Tempos, Speedwork, etc. It's lightweight yet surprisingly cushioned and responsive, making it a really versatile shoe. The Kinvara 8 has much softer and springy cushioning than the Kinvara 7, but overall it makes it much more comfortable. While some people have complained about the shoe not lasting long enough, I've gotten ~1,200 miles on my last pair and found the shoe to become even more comfortable as its aged. The two downsides of the shoe I've found are the toebox and the enourmous heel counter. While breaking the shoe in, I've had to stop in the middle of runs because the midfoot and toebox area are really narrow. I took out the insoles and Lydiard laced the shoes (this solved my problems), though without doing this the shoe couldn't at all fit a wide-footed monkey like me. The heel counter has this terrible design where it rounds accross the back of the shoe all the way to the beginning of the arch. I overpronate though I don't wear orthotics, so I've sometimes found the edge of my foot hitting the edge when my foot rolls inward. It doesn't usually cause problems, but when it does it produces weird feelings in my feet and pain when I bend them in certain directions. The problem went away for me when the shoe was broken in. Aside from these me-specific problems (which are most likely just caused by my wide feet), I would 100% fully recommend the Kinvara 8s.

slowmsrunner · Jul 2, 2018

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3