Saucony Kinvara 15 review

7 expert score
8 user's score
As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples. We purchased this pair at Running Warehouse with our own money.
Review written on 31st July by Justin Alpaugh Ultrarunner and running shoes expert.
7 other reviews

Saucony Kinvara 15 Verdict

The Saucony Kinvara 15 is a lightweight daily trainer that is meant for speed and those short easy miles. The Kinvara has improved from previous versions but yet it still lacks enough cushioning for longer days.

The pros

  • Light weight
  • Affordable
  • Upper

The cons

  • Cushioning
  • Outsole

Where to buy

Best offers today in United States, all prices in USD

Rating breakdown

Comfort
8.0
Build quality
8.0
Upper
8.0
Sole unit
7.0
Landing
7.0
Transition
7.0
Toe-off
8.0
Traction
7.0
Durability
8.0
Value / Price
8.0

Facts / Specs

Brand
Model
Kinvara 15
Previous model
Weight
6.7 oz (190 g)
MSRP
$120.00

Heel
30 mm.
Toe
26 mm.
Heel drop
4 mm.
Carbon plate
No plate

Size/Fit

Sizing
True to size
Heel fit
Normal
Midfoot fit
Normal
Toebox fit
Normal

Cushioning & ride

Type of cushioning
Responsive/balanced
Amount of cushioning
Little cushioning
Stability
Some stability
Flexibility
Medium

Usage

Racing
Speedwork  
Daily training  
Long distance racing
Ultra distance racing

Who should buy the Saucony Kinvara 15 ?

A runner who has a wide variety of shoes in their rotation would benefit from the Kinvara on short speed work days. Such as track workouts and the 4-5 mile easy run.

The ideal workout for the Kinvara 15 would look like this. Two mile warm up end up at a track 8×300 repeats and a 2 mile cool down to finish. Some short easy miles with some speed work in the middle.

Who should not buy the Saucony Kinvara 15 ?

Runners who put in the miles day in and day out should not buy the Kinvara 15. Runners who prefer cushioning should also not buy them as well.

Saucony Kinvara 15 Introduction

Picture of Saucony Kinvara 15

The Saucony Kinvara 15 is a lightweight daily trainer that is meant to tackle the easy miles but also factor in the speed work as well.

A breakdown of the Kinvara 15 is quite simple: the shoe is a basic design which is not necessarily a bad thing.

The shoe has a nice low profile upper it wraps around the foot like a glove but it is not restrictive. There is thin layer of padding around the tongue and heel collar which compliments the low profile upper.

The kinvara 15 has a 4mm drop which is considered a low stack. So if you enjoy more ground contact and a firmer ride this will do it.

The more interesting part of the Kinvara 15 is the outsole: there are 2 small pieces of rubber outsole one towards the forefoot and one patch of rubber towards the heel. This is to help cut weight off the shoe. It only weighs in at 6.7 oz for a men’s size 9. That is pretty dang light for a running shoe.

The issue with the majority of the outsole being exposed foam is durability: it most likely will not last as long as other shoes with full length rubber outsoles.

Although Saucony uses the PWRRUN midsole foam which is know to be firm and durable and requires a break in period to really help soften it up a touch so time will tell if the exposed foam outsole will last. So far no issues at 50+ miles.

There is not any crazy technology built into the shoe it is tailored for easy miles and speed miles and the Kinvara 15 does exactly what Saucony designed it to do. I just did a review of the Asics Hyper Speed 4 and I would say the Kinvara 15 and Hyper Speed 4 fit perfect into the same niche of running.

I tried to decide which one I liked better and I honestly could not decide.

The Kinvara 15 is priced at only 120 dollars so that’s hard to beat especially for the casual runner who is not picky about what shoe they wear. There is definitely some value there in regards to the use of the shoe and the price.

Saucony Kinvara 15 First Impressions

Picture of Saucony Kinvara 15

When I received the Saucony Kinvara 15 on my door step I have to be honest I was not overly excited.

I have ran in the Kinvara 13s and I did not enjoy them. I just did not have a solid place for them in my shoe rotation. So I was imagining the same thing for the Kinvara 15.

My first impression of the Kinvara 15 when trying them on I immediately knew that Saucony added a touch more cushioning but still not enough to my liking.

I had a track workout the following day so during that workout I had to achieve 8 reps of 300 meters hitting 50 seconds each time and I was able to manage that every rep.

The shoes felt light and they could hand the 5 min average pace over 300 meters without any issues. I will definitely keep using them on track days.

Saucony Kinvara 15 Upper

Picture of Saucony Kinvara 15

The fit of the Kinvara was nice it is nothing overwhelming it slips on nice and when lacing up it fits like a comfortable glove. That could be due to what Saucony calls their “super responsive sock liner” I guess I did not notice it being responsive but it did make the upper of the shoe fit nice!

It is light weight so as one can imagine the shoe is very breathable. It is a simple design really nothing too crazy to target in this category nothing to complain about either.

I really enjoyed the fit and how comfortable it was. I specifically chose to wear the Kinvara 15 during the birth of my second child last week because of how comfortable the upper feels when laced up! So that must be saying something.

Saucony Kinvara 15 Sole Unit

Picture of Saucony Kinvara 15

The sole unit is personally one of my cons. To start there is not enough cushioning in my opinion. It is a low profile shoe but you can definitely notice ground contact. It is not uncomfortable it just does not help when you start to run over 10 miles in them.

Stability is fine there were not any issues there.

Traction is another thing I struggled with. As mentioned already the outsole consists of exposed foam and 2 small patches of rubber. I run a lot on farm roads that have a wide shoulder of gravel and when I am avoiding cars and running in that gravel I notice that traction is not the best just due to the majority of the outsole being foam.

The ride is not all that bad there is a good amount of energy return and the Kinvara 15 really helps propel you to stay on your toes.

I did a speed workout that ended up being 9 miles and by the end of it and the following day my calves were on fire because I stayed on my toes during the majority of that run. So that is not a bad thing because it can make you a more efficient runner.

I notice that I stay more in a neutral position when running in the Kinvara 15 where as the majority of the time my feet roll inwards with other shoes with more cushion.

Saucony Kinvara 15 Conclusions

Picture of Saucony Kinvara 15

The Saucony Kinvara 15 just does not have a home for me.

I like the idea of primarily using it for the track but even if I have an easy 4 mile run I have a few different options I would prefer that are much more fun to run in.

I could definitely see the benefit and the use for others to use it but for me not so much. I love simply designed shoes so I really do enjoy and like the Kinvara 15 but I would prefer some other options.

Saucony tailors the shoe to be lightweight meant for daily training and speed work and they delivered on that promise so there is not much to complain about here.

How does the Kinvara 15 compare?

Asics Hyper Speed 4
Saucony Kinvara 15
ON Cloudflow 4
Expert score
7
7
7
User score
Retail price
US$99.95
US$119.95
US$159.95
Brand
Weight
7.4 oz
6.7 oz
8.7 oz
Heel Drop
7 mm
4 mm
8 mm
Recommended for
Racing, speedwork, daily training
Speedwork, daily training
Speedwork, daily training
Cushioning type
responsive/balanced
responsive/balanced
responsive
Cushioning amount
Medium cushioning
Little cushioning
Medium cushioning
Flexibility
medium
medium
flexible
Stability
some stability
some stability
not particularly stable
Sizing
true to size
true to size
true to size

Why you can trust us

As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples from companies.
We purchased this pair of Saucony at Running Warehouse  with our own money.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our policy.
Lowest price:

$119

Saucony Kinvara 15 price comparison

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Reviewed by Justin

This review was written by Justin Alpaugh on 31st July.
Justin Alpaugh lives in Pocatello, Idaho. A place where in any direction you look you will find mountains. He grew up hunting and currently pursues the challenge of archery hunting. Hunting was an outlet to get into ultra running back in 2019. Since then he has ran a handful of ultras including the 100 mile distance. Running on the roads and trails molds Justin into becoming a better husband and father. Finding the right running shoes is equally an important part of his journey.

User feedback (1)

  • avatar-comment-1040590
    James P.
    1 month ago
    8 score

    I’ve been running in Kinvaras for years, and while the 15 is solid, I feel like the responsiveness compared to earlier models isn’t quite there. It’s a light shoe for sure, which is great for those speedier sessions, but I didn’t get that same snappy feeling I used to. Still, for the price and weight, it’s a good pickup. Might not be my go-to for longer distances though.

Lowest price:
$119

Where to buy

Best offers today in United States, all prices in USD

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