Saucony Kinvara4: Product Review

If you have been following my blog then you already know that I have fallen in love with Saucony running shoes. I was blessed with the opportunity to review the Kinvara4 through a FitFluential Ambassador opportunity.
But before I start talking too much about the Kinvara4 let me provide you some background information. Years ago I was wearing running shoes more minimal in design. You know, the lightweight, flexible, very little lift shoes. The brand doesn't matter right now. Things changed drastically when I woke up with my left leg/hip in pain. Long story short, I had injured my piriformis muscle somehow, I become paranoid about further injury, I moved into more traditional/more supportive running shoes, and I stuck to it.
This puts me in the scenario of which came first - the chicken or the egg? Did the running shoe lead to the injury? I guess I could go in for a professional analysis but I truly feel I can listen to my body and what it is telling me. And I felt confident running my longer runs, especially marathons, in a more supportive shoe, such as the Saucony Cohesion.
Fast forward quite a bit, but not yet to today, and I had the opportunity to run in Saucony Virrata. LOVED them! But definitely felt with zero drop I would stick to them for shorter runs. I didn't envision myself running 10+ miles in them.
And that brings us to Saucony Kinvara4. I gotta say, I loved how much they had in common with the Virrata in terms of material and flexibility but these have a 4mm drop, not zero. Less of a drop than the Saucony Cohesion, more flexible, lighter, and definitely brighter! I immediately laced up for my first run and loved the way they felt on my feet. I also love that the shoelaces were shorter. I noticed it right off. Not too short but there is indeed less lace hanging around. Seems smart. Why have lace just bouncing around?
Typically my first runs in a new shoe are for 1-2 miles, 3 miles at tops. I broke all my own rules in my first run in the Kinvara4 with a 5.1 mile run. The shoe just felt perfect for me, an extension of me, and I knew then and there, I could run long in this shoe if I wanted to. And I have. I have logged two runs greater than 10 miles plus multiple other runs with the last one being 10.5 miles this past Saturday. Ironically, I ran 6 miles the next day in a more supportive shoe and although my pace was awesome, my body felt a little awkward at first. Perhaps the 4mm drop will prove to be better for me in the long run (pun intended).
For those who are interested, the Kinvara4 is $100 and you can see it HERE.
And in case you are wondering....
Will I be running all my runs in my new Kinvara4? The answer is still no but not because I don't love them but because I rotate through my running shoes. Right now I am rotating through Saucony Virrata (review HERE), Saucony Cohesion (almost ready to retire), Saucony Hurricane (replaced my Saucony Shadow Genesis and not sure I am loving the 12 mm drop...perhaps not my wisest purchase but seemed comparable to the Cohesion at first step), and Saucony Kinvara4.
Will I be purchasing another pair of Kinvara4 one day? ABSOLUTELY! Especially if this happiness keeps holding up!
Please note: I received these shoes free of charge to review through being a FitFluential Ambassador. I was not compensated for this post. I did not promise a favorable review. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for my sister finding the time to listen to me when I just need a shoulder to lean on.
Daily Affirmation: I find order in chaos.