Why is it called the Saucony "Kinvara" Pro?

In our recent podcast, Saucony's Cory Hofmann explains why the Kinvara Pro was named after the legacy shoe.
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[@alexr273]

He answered everything except the question

[@falchion3568]

I feel like he answered the question perfectly. It's inherits the Kinvara name because Kinvara is all about making an accessible and trendy shoe. Before it was minimalism, and now that "maximalism" is trendy, the Kinvara Pro reflects that

[@alexr273]

@@falchion3568 found his burner account

[@falchion3568]

@@alexr273 Bro woke up and decided to be hateful online

[@alexr273]

@@falchion3568 hateful?

[@q20a08]

@@alexr273 Yeah, I don't get that either. Nobody is interested in persecuting any particular Saucony employee. He's doing the best he can within the corporate culture. Doesn't mean we need to pretend to be blown away by the resulting corporate gobbledygook. There is indeed a suspiciously biased defensive campaign being mounted.

[@jefreywith1f924]

He rambled on for 6 min. 38 sec. to answer a simple question why the name Kinvara Pro and his answer still was not clear to me. A plated super shoe for everyday runners that they can train in. What does that have to with calling it Kinvara. The only resemblance I see is a similar outsole. Otherwise, it's entirely a different shoe altogether. But at least now I know what colleges he graduated from.

[@falchion3568]

I feel like he answered the question perfectly. It's inherits the Kinvara name because Kinvara is all about making an accessible and trendy shoe. Before it was minimalism, and now that "maximalism" is trendy, the Kinvara Pro reflects that

[@b.r.e.t.t.s.a.n.d.l.e.r]

I'm not sure how the Kinvara Pro democratises the latest trends in shoe tech at $180?

[@nate.docsofrunning]

I think he was saying "democratizes" in the way of less aggressive geometry found in top-tier racers and not so much on cost.

[@jefreywith1f924]

@agape245 3/4th carbon plate instead of a full carbon plate. I think depending on one's mechanics and ability, we're splitting hairs.

[@nate.docsofrunning]

@@jefreywith1f924 Carbon plate isn't what makes some of these shoes aggressive -- often it is a narrow midfoot and the degree and apex of the forefoot rocker. There are full-length carbon-plated shoes that are not aggressive -- geometry includes much more than the plate. And I agree that approachability to shoes does relate in part to individual mechanics and ability

[@jefreywith1f924]

@agape245 What about the carbotex plate found in shoes like the Altra Vanish Carbon and the Scott Speed Carbon RC where the plate flexes when it comes in contact with ground force and stays rigid in the other direction. Also, is it true that elite runners have super shoes with a plate tuned to their exact ground contact mechanics.

[@vincewarne228]

I'm not sure he does really explain how or why the Kinvara which was Saucony's answer to minimalism is the best name for the all new shoe? Did I miss the connection?

[@falchion3568]

I feel like he answered the question perfectly. It's inherits the Kinvara name because Kinvara is all about making an accessible and trendy shoe. Before it was minimalism, and now that "maximalism" is trendy, the Kinvara Pro reflects that

[@vincewarne228]

@@falchion3568 so the Kinvara is whatever they want it to be? Because it does still exist as a light weight more minimal shoe - so I’m not sure that answer does really hold up.

[@TolunayOrkun]

They should have named it as a member of the Endorphin family. In fact, this should have been the next version of Shift. The current Shift doesn't make any sense in the lineup. The answer that is not given is that they wanted to capitalize on the name recognition and position this model more for the general public which might have been perhaps intimidated by the Endorphin moniker or they lacked imagination for a new name. By doing this however people are getting confused.

[@sergiocaet]

The fact that it is needed a lot of explanation denotes that the goal was not reached at all, and Saucony is trying to save the Frankestein.

[@darthjohn0]

Kinvara or Kinvarra (Irish: Cinn Mhara, meaning 'head of the sea')[2] is a sea port village in the southwest of County Galway, Ireland. Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional".

[@tsubakichan]

We know the answer. The marketing team pushed the "Kinvara" monicker for this shoe, to the derision of the entire running world. I hope someone they get "reassigned" for this

[@falchion3568]

That's inappropriate

[@q20a08]

@@falchion3568 I'd say both of you are just taking slightly extreme positions. You are sounding much more like an extreme boot-licker from within Saucony than you seem to realize. Given what Kinvara has connoted in the past, and what 'Pro' typically means, people naturally find the name of this shoe quite jarring. Over the longer haul, the marketing guys don't want to completely junk the 'Kinvara' name, so they just want to alter what that name typically means to people. Not ideal on the short-term, but they hope people can forget/forgive about that a few years from now. Unlike the guy driving a Ford 500/ Taurus. There are additional marketing challenges. If you called it, "a stabler/ less speed-focused(or elitist) plated trainer" that requires a lot of rational realism from buyers, rather than raging-excitement motivation. I wouldn't want that marketing task. Which brings it back to the question of, what else they could name it, such as the suggestion of putting it where the Shift is in Endorphin line. Please don't just keep repeating the toady line about him answering the question perfectly. Nobody wants to read that more than once.

[@falchion3568]

@@q20a08 If what I've said is enough to label me as a bootlicker for Saucony I think we're not on the same page or something, because that doesn't seem right. It's my view that Cory answered the question perfectly. Do I think it was the best, most suited nomenclature for the model? No. I don't really think it was a good idea at all, just because it is confusing for consumers. But also I feel like people were giving them way more hate for it than what's justified. I felt like posting my reply repeatedly to different comments was necessary just to get my reply to peoples' inboxes because not everyone comes back to the video and reads all of the comments periodically

[@q20a08]

@@falchion3568 Yes, definitely not same page. His "perfect" answer being that, as long as Kinvara can be argued to be a "weak sauce" inoffensive version of any major current trend, then it's remained wholly consistent, throughout. That just doesn't reek of genuine. A perfect Sergey Lavrov explanation to most uncompensated listeners.

[@tsubakichan]

I disagree that they were forced to use the Kinvara name. Endorphin meant nothing before Saucony launched it, and the lineup is still fairly young at iteration #3. The Sinister is brand new and has a new name. "Kinvara Pro" alienates the Kinvara runner - and let's be honest - just because YOU don't run in them doesn't mean you can speak for Kinvara lovers, because they are a niche but passionate group. The low to the ground, natural feeling shoe shares a name with a World Athletics disqualifying carbon plated shoe with a rocker? Insulting. And it will also alienate new runners who likely won't find cohesion between the Kinvara 14 and Kinvara Pro, nor the Kinvara Pro and the Endorphin Pro. If anything I'm the Saucony fanboy and this is a huge misfire.

[@thespecialone7632]

it's called kinvara because back or rubber on the outsole

[@leendeen8745]

…did you mean pack of blubber on the outsole?

[@2klatte]

This thing is not a Kinvara when it no longer has a 4mm drop. What a fail.

[@pisderata]

They should do a 0mm drop...

[@falchion3568]

If you want 0 drop go to Altra. I personally wish Saucony would quit messing around with new models and focus on making their important models better / cheaper

[@falchion3568]

I feel like he answered the question perfectly. It's inherits the Kinvara name because Kinvara is all about making an accessible and trendy shoe. Before it was minimalism, and now that "maximalism" is trendy, the Kinvara Pro reflects that