If you’ve followed me for awhile, you know how much I love the Saucony Kinvara 3. This shoe is Saucony’s response to a more minimal, zero-drop, cushioned version of the Kinvara. The question is whether it lives up to the hype.
Well, all-in-all, the shoe is pretty dynamite, but not without it’s faults – and the faults are make or break for me. While it is an extremely light, zero-drop shoe with an amazingly comfortable upper, I never felt that the cushioning met the level of awesome of the Kinvara I was used to – even feeling uneven at times. Also, the “pods” of the outsole EVA limited proper flexion for my foot and I could feel it under foot throughout my runs.
In the end, I appreciate Saucony’s attempt to bring us a zero-drop cushioned shoe, but I don’t think they knocked it out of the park with the Viratta. If this is a sign of things to come from larger shoe companies, I welcome it with open arms (or legs?). In the meantime, I’ll stick with my more forgiving Kinvaras.
LIKED:
- Light
- Flexible
- Fast
- Comfortable Upper
- Zero Drop
DISLIKED:
- Narrow
- Wear & Tear
- Uneven Midsole
- Outsole Grooves
- Poor Cushioning
QUALITY: 3/5
COMFORT: 3/5
PRICE: 5/5
LOOKS: 3/5
TOTAL: 14/20
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