I finally received my pair of KSwiss Kwicky Blade Light’s yesterday afternoon, and it was well worth the wait. They have a great combination of forefront cushioning (for those forefoot strikers), feel very light weight and seem to be pretty low profile. I also liked the fact they offer a tad bit more support than my current shoe, the saucony kinvara, for the longer distances.
I haven’t tried it out yet, but apparently, they don’t absorb any water.
I have the blade lights and love them. Looking forward to ordering the Kwicky.
Do you have any feedback on how they compare to the Blade Light Run?
I actually train in the blade light, so yes.
They are lighter than the blade light and have more forefoot cushing. They are also lower profile (feels like my foot is closer to the ground) and feel more flexable.
The fit is about the same. I wear the same size in both shoes.
Thanks. I had the Kinvara’s, but didn’t like them; too minimalist for me. So I went to the Blade Light’s 6 months ago and like them alot, but I was curious if these might have just a touch more stability for longer runs (16+ miles).
I went the same route. The kinvara’s are great for anything under 10 miles, but after that I need a little more support for anything longer. I would say these are right in between the kinvara’s and the blade light.
Okay, it sounds like they have less support than the Blade Light. I was under the impression they had MORE support than the Blade Light. Either way, sounds like something to try.
Not sure if I am misunderstanding your assumption, when I read on Kswiss site, Blade Light is listed as neutral shoe, and Kwicky as a support shoe. So, Kwicky should be “more stable”. Just my understanding.
For the OP, do you think you can use Kwicky as a daily run shoe, including long runs 15-17mi, is there adequate cushion in your opinion. I currently train in Elixir 5 and K-Ona S, looking to try Kwicky.
Thanks.
I’ve had mine for about a week now. I have been in DS Trainers, but also ran in the Blade Light Run. The Blade Light was not enough support for me on longer runs, hence the return to the DS Trainer while I waited for the Kwicky. For comparison purposes, I’m a touch over 6’2, 180-185lbs, and a midfoot strike mild overpronator. I can’t run in purely neutral shoes for anything longer than a 5k.
The cushioning and support is great, and the seamless upper is super comfortable. I say they have plenty of cushioning for longer distance, but my longest run in them thus far has only been 7 miles.
For those coming from the Blade Light, I feel that they are a touch narrower, especially through the midfoot. For this reason, I’m on the fence about whether I’m going to keep them. On that 7 mile run I started getting a bit of soreness in my outside midfoot (I’m not a running expert, this area may have a name). My foot is pretty normal, a bit narrow, except for my right outside midfoot does something crazy. I’m going to try some things so I will check back in with a more complete report. The upper is pretty much a sock with the yellow parts providing the structure. I think my laces have been too tight, and those “yellow parts” are constricting my foot. I’m putting my XTenex laces in them tonight to see if the extra elasticity will ease that strain, or if they need to go back in the box.
My understanding was the same as yours. According to the website, the Blade Light is a neutral shoe, where the Kwicky is a support shoe…so I expected the Kwicky to have more support than the Blade Light.
However, the OP feels that the Kwicky is less support than the Blade Light, which is what I found surprising. Again, might be worth trying either way.
The kwicky does have a little bit of posting (not as much as the K-Ona), but it is noticeable in my option. As a neutral runner, that little bit of posting is nice though for long runs as you fatigue and begin to pronate a bit. I definitely think this has enough coushin for the longer runs on a daily basis. In fact, I believe this shoe has more forefoot cushin than any shoe I have ran in previous, which I why I like it so much at this point.
When I put the kwicky between the kinvara and the blade run, I was comparing more the overall structural stiffness of the shoe.
I run in the K-onas and am extremely interested in trying out the Kwicky, except for two things.
Why such a crazy price increase over the k-ona/any of the other k-swiss?!
And why the yellow? At least have another option!
I love the K-onas and was going to use that for long course racing this year but like the idea of a little less posting and more forefoot cushioning. Weight for each is a toss up. I do wish they could have shed a bit more weight from the Kwicky though.
their are several reasons for the price increase. the shoe is hydrophobic (ion mask) which means the shoe will not absorb water making the shoe incapable of gaining weight during a run, it will stay the same weight even if you pour an entire water bottle on it or run in the rain. the seamfree upper is all bonded without stitching which is a more expensive process but makes the shoe perfect for running without socks. as far as the yellow color, we have more colors coming if the yellow is not your thing… please feel free to contact me if you have more questions.
EV
I get the price increase, just not the $40 increase (over the k onas). Just seems a bit much but what do I know.
Do you have a date on when the next colors will be available? That yellow is hard on the eyes. I would love to try these despite the higher price and use them only for long course racing and the occasional long run.
I agree. I can get similar shoes at a lrs on closeout for around $45-50 a pair right now. I’ve run races with my shoes soaking wet, and it wasn’t too big an issue. I’d rather get 2-3 pairs of shoes than one of the kwicky blade light.
are you referring to the men’s or the women’s yellow. the men’s is predominately silver with yellow and black accents. the price difference is a lot and i hope you have seen that all our running shoes have been very competitively priced. the ionmask treatment is not like spraying scotch guard, it is a gas that bonds on a molecular level to all elements of the shoe making the shoe hydrophobic without changing the breathability of the fabrics or there characteristics. it is actually a very cool technology. the seamfree makes the upper feel like a sock! The other reason for the price is the outsole design. the bottom unit on the shoe is very intricate. but, if the price is too high for someones liking, the K-ona is still an awesome shoe!
I’m referring to the mens.
Timing on different colors for the mens shoe?
two more colorways come out in Q3. you can assume they will be bright colors still. this shoe is not going to be the typical blue/grey running shoe that covers the running wall. this one is meant to stand out 
Ditto on the price increase or sticker shock, completely understand that the Kwicky is going to cost more then the blades but $40 or a 47% increase? I understand the non stitching and water resistant fabric but if this shoe costs 47% more to manufacture then K Swiss needs to improve its manufacturing processes or contracting for who produces for them.
Went into the local shop since they have been talking about the shoe coming out since November and I was in the Blades but was hoping for a shoe with more fore foot flex. I tried the shoe on and liked it was going to buy until I saw the price and decided to hold off and still search for other alternatives.
Best,
Greg
I have used the Blade Light Run shoes for about 4 months and they didn’t have enough support for me and were a little spongy.
I bought the Kwicky Blade Light and absolutely love them.
They have the support that was lacking in the blade light run. I did my first long course in them and ran 20km without socks, the shoe did not absorb any water at all but it still ran in on to my foot which lead to rubbing and a blister. If you do not get them wet they are fine for running without socks as i have done in training.
I will be using these shoes for all my training runs as well as racing Ironman Australia in them.
The pricing is fine for the quality of shoe that you are getting.