Stepping to the starting line of a race, my mind circles in thought. Lately it has been anxiety about my gear. This new found anxiety revolves around one big question: Am I wearing the right shoes today? As you can imagine, shoe selection for racing or speed work is kind of a big deal. After enduring multiple marathons fighting through the pain of blistering from a poor shoe selection, my goal has been to solve this painful piece of the puzzle. Slipping on the Saucony Kinvara for the first time eased my worries and is now the answer to my race day question.

Earlier this year, my friends at Sauconcy introduced me to the Kinvara. I remember my first thoughts, “Looks like an interesting shoe”. When I asked the story of the shoe, it was intriguing to hear that the shoe was targeted directly toward the emerging “free” running trend. While the Vibram Five Fingers really dominates the “free” running market, there are plenty of runners like myself who struggle to picture themselves almost shoeless. I can’t see myself becoming a “free” runner at this time. Wearing the Kinvara is as close to that as I’m going to get. Although, that wasn’t my goal. I was unconsciously searching for a new speed shoe.

Lucky for me the Kinvara was truly built for speed. My first couple of runs in the shoe were proof enough. Since the shoes are practically weightless, cutting through the miles required much less effort than in my previous pair of trainers. Run after run, the results were consistent and downright ideal. With a couple weeks of general training runs and run commutes in the books, I decided to tackle a spring half marathon in the Kinvara.

For the first time in several years, I stepped to the line with only typical race day jitters and the calming silence knowing my shoes were in check. The race went off without a hitch from the gear perspective. It was a half marathon so physically it’s never just a walk in the park. The day did impress in my mind a solid choice for my distance racing shoe and speed work trainer – The Kinvara.

The Kinvara by Saucony is now available in nearly every specialty running store across the country. Support your local running shops. Buying your shoes and other products locally supports more than the owner’s bottom line, you are supporting the livelihood of your running community.

Thanks again to my friends at Saucony for the opportunity to test run these shoes months before they landed in the market.