Saucony Kinvara 12

I bought my first pair of Kinvaras four or five years ago when I was vacationing in Boston and paid a visit to the downtown store near the marathon finish line.  I'd been running in Brooks Adrenalines for 15 years, but I'd slowly come to realize that the heel lift--that's the only term I had at the time--was giving me a stride that just didn't seem optimal, especially on downhills.  I told her that my stride felt much more natural in racing flats with less heel lift.  She quickly said, "You need a low offset shoe."  I'd never heard that term!  But she was right--and she put me in my first pair of Kinvaras, which were the 8s or 9s, and the rest is history.  I LOVE these shoes!  The Kinvara 12 is the best so far.  They have 4 mm. offset, I believe; these, like the first pair, quickly guided me into a shorter, quicker stride rate and a midfoot plant, so that my feet got activated as cushioning and my achilles tendons and glutes were activated.  I train full time AND race in these lightweight trainers, and I have no knee, hip, or other biomechanical problems.  Great look in orange, too.  I can't say enough.  They don't have a huge amount of cushioning, but that's not a problem because, as I say, they've got me striding properly, and powerfully.

This is a workout shoe and should be used for moderate to hard sessions although not for racing. It has a really nice bouncy feel to it versus regular trainers and I find myself running 15-20 seconds faster per mile at an easy effort (I run about 7:00 pace with my easy trainers and 6:40 or so with these). They feel really smooth and responsive and I buy them for about $95 on amazon. Only downside and reason they're not a 10 is they wear out quicker than I'd like- there's some wear and tear after 250 miles and you probably shouldn't go past 350.