Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Kinvara 3 discomfort - is it me or the shoe?

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Quit pokin' my plantar!
Winter returned to the New York area overnight and I stepped outside this morning into 30° temperatures. I wore the new Kinvara 3's to see how they'd feel after my feet had an opportunity to recover from a weekend of long running. I expected the new shoes to perform in a similar way to my original Kinvaras, and they did, but I also experienced some discomfort underfoot. Much to my chagrin, the mid-sole was poking noticeably against the sock liner on the lateral plantar fascia (top left side) of my foot.

I've had a similar issue with my second pair of Hattori's that cut in on the medial side, prompting me to retire them after only 70 miles. My other pair of Hattori's fits me perfectly after 300 miles of running. The problem with the Kinvaras could be more related to me than the shoes, and I'm hoping it isn't a design or fit problem. I went up 1/2 size on the Kinvaras because the Mirages feel slightly too snug in the toe-box, and I expected the same from the K3's.

Perhaps that sizing up created a vertical alignment issue that resulted in this issue. I'll run with the Kinvara 3's again tomorrow and, if the problem continues, I'll switch back to the Spiras for a few days. I really do like the Kinvara's design and by the end they did feel more comfortable. I just know that if the issue continues I'll probably end up passing them over for other, more comfortable, options.

4 comments:

  1. I was not sure if I would get a Kinvara 2 or a Brooks Pure Flow and after trying them out at a running store, I felt the Kinvara too narrow and decided to buy the Brooks Flow. Anyway, I'm really enjoying the Flow and may not change but want to give the Kinvara 3 a test and perhaps buy one to see. Do you know if the Kinvara 3 is wider ? Will they offer a wider option ?

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  2. I found the Pure Flows fairly tight through the mid-foot. The Kinvara 3's are not as tight. I far prefer the overall fit of the Kinvara to any of the Pure models, especially the Connect and Flow. The shoes are different in terms of feel. The K3's feel much like the original Kinvaras. The Pure models feel more decoupled between heel and fore foot.

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  3. Thank you very much for the reply, I will give the K3 a try, I'm guessing that I will like it by your description above. I've heard they will be on sale by the end of April.

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  4. I didn't mention it, but I had heard that Saucony specifically addressed issues with narrowness in the Kinvara 2's. Your best bet is to try them on and see. My advice: NEVER buy shoes that don't feel good in the store. Even if the saleperson says you'll like them better when you run in them.

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