So I have been running in the Saucony Kinvara 4's for a while but I've noticed that my legs feel dead after longer runs in them or higher mileage weeks. I love the feel of them and the way they run etc. but are there any shoes similar but a bit softer for easy/recovery runs and long runs?
Hoka.
NB 980 Fresh Foam - not too tall or squishy but more padded than Kinvara and about the same drop. I got some recently and am rotating them with my Kinvaras.
Brooks Pure Flow. Very similar in weight and drop but significantly softer. Also Puma Faas 500 or Altra Torin could work for you.
you should take a look at these new NB fresh foam shoes - guy I know says they feel soft yet fast.
I didn't know that there was a shoe that could prevent dead legs in high-mileage weeks. Do more strides and hills, that will help you better than softer shoes.
Oh and also the new Asics Gel Lyte 33 3 is an excellent option. Lighter but cushier than Kinvara and with a 4 mm drop too.
Sir Dead Legs wrote:
So I have been running in the Saucony Kinvara 4's for a while but I've noticed that my legs feel dead after longer runs in them or higher mileage weeks. I love the feel of them and the way they run etc. but are there any shoes similar but a bit softer for easy/recovery runs and long runs?
Your legs feel dead after long runs or higher mile weeks and you blame it on the shoes?
Brooks Pure Flows are wonderful. But i also wonder if it could be that the pair you are currently running in are worn down. Did you experience this stuff even when the shoes were brand new?
Skechers GoRun Ride, maybe just the GoRun, but if your legs feel a little dead and you want more cushioning, try the GoRun Ride. Much less expensive than Kinvaras as well.
The new Newton Distance
I've run in Kinvaras and I know exactly what you mean. You might try the Skechers GoRun Ride 3 or GoRun Ultra. I like the Ultra a lot, but it's maybe an ounce heavier than the Kinvara 4 or the GoRun Ride 3.
Spira.
saucony cortana is basically a higher cushioned kinvara. whoever mentioned the new gel lyte... i agree it's very close, but i think it feels less cushioned and firmer than the kinvara (lot's of experience with both shoes). it's also a 6mm drop, not 4, that shouldn't cause any issues though. whoever mentioned the fresh foam, i think that would be a very good bet.
So you figure the gel lyte is even a bit firmer than the kinvara? I might look at the NBs then since the cortanas look pretty expensive.
Sir Dead Legs wrote:
So you figure the gel lyte is even a bit firmer than the kinvara? I might look at the NBs then since the cortanas look pretty expensive.
yeah i think so, i think the softness of the foam is similar but there's a little bit less of it in the lytes. they compare very well, so if you like the kinvara you'd probably like the lyte, but they don't sound like what you're looking for at the moment. another one to check out - the pearl izumi road n2.
There's 1 mm less stack heigth in the forefoot of Gel Lyte33 3 compared to Kinvara 4 but the foam is softer, and for me, it feels more cushioned. I can do the long run in Lyte without feeling beaten up in the end, but the Kinvara feels less forgiving. Maybe it has something to to with the flexibility as well, since Kinvara is torsionally much more rigid and results in a harder "slap" when landing midfoot.
Oh yeah, the drop was 6 not 4 mm, remembered that wrong. Can't tell the difference though with the soft heel.
Anyway Pure Flow should meet your needs, since it's both higher and softer. Cortana even more so, but it feel almost bulky - a bit too much if you wan't some ground feel and responsiveness.
Sir Dead Legs wrote:
So I have been running in the Saucony Kinvara 4's for a while but I've noticed that my legs feel dead after longer runs in them or higher mileage weeks. I love the feel of them and the way they run etc. but are there any shoes similar but a bit softer for easy/recovery runs and long runs?
This is the Cortana you're describing
I second(or third) the Cortana. I used to run exclusively in the Kinvara and when upping mileage I felt I needed something a little easier on the feet/legs for my easy days. Now I use Kinvaras for most workouts/long runs and the Cortanas on easy days.
i've only got about 20 miles, a longer workout and a short recovery in the lytes as opposed to several hundred miles over 2 pairs of kinvara 4s, so i'll have to report back later. i definitely am feeling like the kinvara will be more of my tempo/road workout shoe and the lyte more of an interval/track shoe. love them both though.