Saucony Kinvara 9 Shoe Review

The Saucony Kinvara shoe model continues to be one of the most popular Saucony running shoes. The lightweight and responsive feel make this shoe great for daily training and even racing.

Similar to other newer Saucony shoes, the Saucony Kinvara 9 sole is made entirely of the EVERUN sole. This makes the shoe lighter, faster, and responsive. If you have read any of my other posts, then you know that the EVERUN sole provides optimal energy return with a little bit of support.

If you are a fan of the Kinvara 8, you will like the updates to the Kinvara 9.

I recently reviewed the Saucony Hurricane ISO 4 and while this is a stability shoe, I really liked the direction that Saucony is going with their shoes. They look good, feel good, and responsiveness of the shoe is evident when compared to other shoes I run in.

Sizing is a little tricky with this shoe. I usually check Road Runner Sports and Running Warehouse to see what their recommendations are with regards to sizing. A number of different sites, including Road Runner Sports, suggest ordering a 1/2 size up. I would recommend wearing your normal size.

There are 4 color options for this shoe for both men and women. I do wish they had better color options but did like the color scheme for the pair I wore for this review. I do think that the Women’s colors are better than the men’s.

Below are a few of the things I like and don’t like about the Saucony Kinvara 9 running shoe. The durability of the shoe is based on my experience with other Kinvara models.

Saucony Kinvara 9 Initial Thoughts

As I mentioned earlier, when I first received the shoes, the box was so light that I thought it was something for my kids. When I first opened the box I was happy with the great orange and red color scheme.

The 7.6oz shoe felt much lighter than I expected. The Kinvara 9 is a little lighter than last year’s model and you could tell when you put these on. 

When I put these shoes on and walked around the house, they almost felt like a slipper. They were that comfortable. I noticed the low drop of the shoe but liked how fast they felt.

Here are some pictures of the shoes I wore for this review.

Saucony Kinvara 9 Shoe Specifications

• Shoe Weight: Men’s: 7.6 oz (size 9)
• Shoe Category: Neutral
• Pronation: Moderate
• Sole Offset: 4mm
• Heel Stack Height: 23mm
• Forefoot Stack Height: 19mm
• Cushioning: EVERUN (full sole)
• Surface: Road
• Previous Model: Saucony Kinvara 8

Saucony Kinvara 9 Shoe Overview

The Saucony Kinvara 9 running shoe is a neutral running shoe that can be worn for almost any running distance (wouldn’t recommend for long runs). They are supportive enough for mid-distance and light enough for speed work, even racing.

According to Saucony.com, “with the addition of a full EVERUNTM topsole, the unparalleled underfoot feel of this neutral running shoe continues on without rival.”

It makes sense as to why this shoe is so popular. The price is competitive and the performance delivered by this shoe is top notch.

Saucony Kinvara 9 Shoe Upper

Saucony Kinvara 9 upper remains lightweight and comfortable like previous versions. The sock-like fit is partly due to the seamless mesh upper that breathes well due to the ventilated fabric.

When you put the Saucony Kinvara 9 on, you notice the mesh upper that forms to your foot, providing just enough stability without being too tight. I recently reviewed the Brooks Ravenna 9 and this shoe has a seamless upper as well that some say fits a little tight. This shoe does not feel like that.

The improved woven heel support is one thing you will notice from the Kinvara 8. This improves the fit and helps make the Kinvara 9 a little lighter than the Kinvara 8 (around .2 oz lighter). The supported heel helps you securely move forward with each step.

Below are a few pictures of the Saucony Kinvara 9 upper part of the shoe.

Saucony Kinvara 9 Shoe Sole

The Saucony Kinvara 9 sole is very similar to the Kinvara 8. The sole continues to have a full EVERUN topsole, providing optimal energy return and comfort.

The one thing that Saucony added to this version was the flex grooves that can be found on many of the latest Saucony shoes that I have reviewed. These improve comfort and increase the flexibility of the sole.

Strategic rubber provides an improved feel and flexibility. I still have my doubts about the durability of the sole and can’t wait to see how this shoe performs with time.

Below are a few pictures of the Saucony Kinvara 9 sole.

If you have run in these shoes, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!

Looking for other shoe reviews? Check out RunRepeat.com for additional shoe reviews.

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