Saucony Kinvara 8

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

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.6 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 rests on 57 runner reviews and 14 other rated shoes in the Kinvara product line.

Good

89/100

Overall

Good 89

Value

Excellent 94

Comfort

Good 88

Appearance

Good 86

Cushioning

Decent 77

Durability

Bottom-tier 52

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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

98/100

Very high 98

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

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 Sep 14.

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 on 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 89. This shoe has very high certainty. 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

58 2011 97 73 2013 97 97 2015 98 89 2017 88 97 2019 71 87 2021 77 88 2023 82 88 2025

Release year

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

Kinvara 16

2025 · 2 reviews

88 Good

74 Confidence
Kinvara 15

2024 · 13 reviews

82 Good

84 Confidence
Kinvara 14

2023 · 49 reviews

88 Good

94 Confidence
Kinvara 13

2022 · 36 reviews

77 Decent

93 Confidence
Kinvara 12

2021 · 6 reviews

87 Good

84 Confidence
Kinvara 11

2020 · 7 reviews

71 Decent

76 Confidence
Kinvara 10

2019 · 51 reviews

97 Exceptional

98 Confidence
Kinvara 9

2018 · 55 reviews

88 Good

97 Confidence
Kinvara 8 This shoe

2017 · 57 reviews

89 Good

98 Confidence
Kinvara 7

2016 · 21 reviews

98 Exceptional

97 Confidence
Kinvara 6

2015 · 8 reviews

97 Exceptional

94 Confidence
Kinvara 5

2014 · 128 reviews

97 Exceptional

100 Confidence
Kinvara 4

2013 · 129 reviews

73 Decent

99 Confidence
Kinvara 3

2012 · 11 reviews

97 Excellent

92 Confidence
Kinvara 2

2011 · 3 reviews

58 Bottom-tier

75 Confidence

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

Runner reviews

Write a review

Really nice light trainer/marathon flat

5/5

Overall

I thought this shoe was really nice to run in, I got in over 430 miles (I have a side heel strike that wears shoes down pretty quick) but I could probably make over 500 which is good for me, probably at least 550-600 for people who don't strike with the sides of their feet. They're pretty well cushioned, I've gone on 15 mile long runs and although my feet can feel moderately sore every once in awhile, it doesn't seem like a huge issue. This is probably one of the best shoes you could run a marathon in if you want lightness and cushion. Only issues for me are that the appearance isn't supremely good (the lime greens are just not a good color for taking mud) and the way it ties down on your feet with the pro-lock and all that is not that great initially but I got used to it eventually.

Evdawg · Jan 31, 2018

55 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide 10

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

Kinvaras getting worse each generation

4/5

Overall

Each year and each model the Kinvaras are trending downward. The 6 was amazing, the 7 good, and the 8s are meh. The snugness of the 6s is getting looser. The 8s are incredibly good at taking on water and incredibly bad at wicking away the water. I believe in the gospel of Kinvara, but it's getting harder and harder to be a disciple.

Tweeeked · Jan 31, 2018

65 mpw came from the Saucony Kinvara 7

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

Solid Lightweight Option, Not Durable

4/5

Overall

I love the lightweight nature of this shoe, but the softness of the soles cause this shoe to tear apart quickly. The design is streamlined so nothing bothers you while you run. This shoe is also at a great price point.

Anonymous runner · Jan 31, 2018

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