I love kinvaras. Loved my first pair so much, I bought 2 more. And they seem to get more comfortable the older they are... My first pair has nearly 1k miles and those are my go to pair for race day. Second pair has maybe 400 miles. Third pair still in box!
They are Kinvara 2's by the way. Two training partners of mine wear 3's and really like them!

The Kinvara's have been great shoes for me. Just ordered and received my 2nd pair as the first were getting well worn. Out of the box they felt good and keep feeling better. I have no experience with the other option, but love my Kinvara 2 shoes and will likely buy again when this pair is worn out.

I have maybe 10 pairs of Kinvaras. I ran in them once and have never even thought of looking at another shoe since, except for the virrata. I did try them on in the store and they felt super plush. I ran on them in the store for a mile and they felt great. I will give them a shot. I have two pairs of Kinvara's still in the box. I am a discount buyer and will buy them when they go on sale. They always do... I think if you have ran in Kinvaras the Virrata will be an easy transisition.

Phenomenal. Can't believe I wasted so much money on Asics over the years and wish I would have clued in on Saucony shoes sooner. If you're a mid to fore foot striker with a high stride rate then I bet you'll love the Kinvaras.

Train in Virratas.

Race in Kinvaras

Bada-boom....

Gotta be sure about your needs regarding support.
Neutral means: non.
So your footfall better look good or
injuries...

My Kinvara's are my favourite shoe. I do about 50% or my training in them, the rest in Triumph 9s (another Saucony label).

They're very good for neutral, forefoot strikers. They also don't have a lot of heel drop, so if you're prone to calf and achilles injuries, it's probably best to switch it up a bit with a different shoe.

I have a pair of kinvara 2 which I have found to be great. Fast, light, long lasting. I recently bought a pair of virrata's which I am not as happy with. The sole feels a bit hard and unforgiving underfoot, and some noticeable wear after only 100km or so.

I'm also agree that they are not for those who may be less than biomechanically sound. Much as I have loved running in kinvara's, I feel they may have contributed to my battle with the dreaded runners knee.

I feel the same way... 3 pair of Kinvara 3's and I just can't bring myself to throw away my highest mileage ones even though they stink and have worn down the tread. They just get better with age.

Didn't care for the K1, but loved the 2 and 3. Best part of kinvara 3 is they now come in widths. Before, they were just a hair on the tight side unless I sized up. Now, my fat hobbit feet are quite happy.

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I've been running in Kinvaras for over a year and just got a pair of Virratas a couple weeks ago. To me, the shoes feel very similar but the Virratas have a 0mm drop while the Kinvaras have a 4mm drop. So far I really like the Virratas. I feel like they have a little snugger fit and feel like they have a little more forefoot cushioning. I also feel the arch a little more. I don't know if they actually have more of an arch or more forefoot cushioning, that is just how they feel to me. The running store did say they are slightly narrower then the Kinvaras. I'm not sure why another poster said they would train in the Virrata and race in the Kinvara - the Virrata is a lighter shoe.

I've spent years trying many different shoes from many different company's and none of them quite felt right until I got into a pair of Kinvara 3's. They're brilliant. Any kind of pain and discomfort just disappeared and it had seemed I had found my shoe. After getting close to the end of life on my second pair I started looking for some new ones and I was thinking about going with the new Kinvara 4's but I found a great deal on the Virrata's and I decided to pull the trigger since they are supposed to be very similar to the Kinvara's. on my first run there were a few things I noticed about them. First thing was that I could slightly feel the lugs across my fore foot but this was expected and mentioned in more than one review, within the first few miles that went away and I have not noticed it since then. The other thing that I noticed right away was that it did infact feel much like my Kinvara's but with a bit more cushion in the mid to fore foot but without losing any of the responsiveness or feel for the ground. I'm now a few weeks on the Virrata's and they are now my go to shoe for training and racing. However there is one concern about the Virrata's, since they lack the little rubber pads on the ends of the lugs that the Kinvara's have I wonder about the mileage I will get out of them. Honestly though, with the Virrata's slightly lower price and better over all comfort and feel I don't really care. They are still on sale and I'm going to buy another pair before the end of the week.

I spent the last two years in the Kinvara's and loved them, however I recently have switched over to the virrata and I honestly think it feels a bit nicer. It fits my foot a little bit better and doesnt have quite the big cushion under the forefoot that the Kinvara has. You can tell that it is a little bit lighter and you can feel the road a little more, but I enjoy the ride and will be running in the virrata in this weekend's marathon. I've done multiple long runs in the virrata since picking them up a few weeks ago and haven't had any issues with the shoe not having enough cushion. I'd deffinately suggest trying them out if you've been in the kinvara before.

I've gone through about a dozen pairs of Kinvara's in the past few years. Love them - they've been my go-to shoe for nearly all my runs, from 5k to a few marathons and IM. I recently got a pair of Virrata's and they are definitely a little different. The toe box seems a tiny bit more roomy, and they are definitely a little firmer as well. I've been using the Virrata's on my track/interval days and in a recent 5-mile race. They seem a bit quicker than the Kinvara's. That said, I recently bought another three pairs of Kinvara's because they will be more durable (and they were also closeouts) - simply look at the bottom of the shoe. They are both great shoes in my opinion.

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Thanks so much...I'll let you know what will happen.

I tried and bought both and I liked the Virratas more but the lack of rubber underneath makes it a race only (?) shoes and maybe some shorter, faster runs. There's nothing wrong with the Kinvaras but I'll just use it as a training shoes. Both shoes cost me almost the same price as A pair of Newton (or Hoka). Thanks for your input. I don't think I'm going back to Newtons anytime soon due to $$$.

I run in both. Love the forefoot cushioning of the virrata, and the low to the ground feel. I train long in the kinvaras and do tempo work in the virrata. I think you'll enjoy both. No need to choose.

its so interesting because had the opposite reaction to the virratas...I thought they felt TOO high compared to the Kinvaras. I've had 4 pairs of K2s and 3s and they were/ are my recovery run/ mid distance shoes and thought the Virratas would fit in nicely as a compliment but they just seemed overly plush and I personally felt a disconnect to the road.

i believe that the kinvaras are 4mm and the virratas are 0mm. i love both shoes, but you're right, they have a completely different feel.