What replaced the Saucony Kinvara 12?
Updated July 30, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
The Kinvara 13 replaced the Kinvara 12 in February 2022. A new mono-mesh upper made it the lightest Kinvara yet, reviewers called it the best one, and the price took its first bump to $120.
At a glance
- The Kinvara 13 is 0.3 oz lighter
- Drop is unchanged at 4 mm
- New midsole foam
- List price up $10
Every spec side by side, with the reason behind each change: Kinvara 12 vs 13.
Stay on your shoe, or switch?
Refined, same shoeThe 13 cut weight with a mono-mesh upper and changed nothing else, which for this line is exactly the assignment. Reviewers called it the best Kinvara yet and a simple shoe done well. If you want the classic low formula at its peak, this is the version.
Stick with the Kinvara 12 if
- The 12's regular mesh outlasts the 13's featherweight upper
- You can still find the 12 well under $100
Old stock is gone; see alternatives below.
Move to the Kinvara 13 if
- You want the lightest, most slipper-like version of the classic Kinvara
- The 12's free-floating tongue slid around on you
Where the Saucony Kinvara is now
Four generations separate the Saucony Kinvara 12 from the Kinvara 16 (2025), so the gap is wider than any single update suggests:
- The Kinvara 16 is 0.5 oz lighter
- Drop is unchanged at 4 mm
- New midsole foam
- List price up $20
What loyalists said about the update
The fan favorite of the modern run. Doctors of Running graded it highly across four reviewers and called it the best Kinvara yet, and Believe in the Run titled its review Times Change, The Kinvara Doesn't, which is the highest compliment this fan base gives.
Still want the original?
Buy remaining Kinvara 12 stock
Sizes running outDiscontinued at retail. Amazon carries what remains, so treat an in-stock size as a closing window, and expect prices to swing.
Men's stock is gone.
Women's: Check remaining stockAvailability last checked Jul 30, 2026.
Ready to move on?
Beyond the Kinvara 13, these come closest to what the Kinvara 12 did.
- 8.9 oz
- 8 mm drop
- 38 mm heel
- $145 list
Nothing else in Saucony's lineup rides like a Kinvara, so the Ride is the practical next stop: the same brand's neutral daily with more foam and more protection for similar money. Expect more shoe and less ground feel.
Against your Saucony Kinvara 12: 1.4 oz heavier, 9.5 mm more heel stack, 4 mm more drop, $35 more at list.
- 10.1 oz
- 10 mm drop
- 37 mm heel
- $145 list
The Pegasus is the traditional-trainer cross-shop: firmer and heavier than a Kinvara but still snappy, with a jump in drop from 4 mm to 10 mm that changes how the shoe meets the ground.
Against your Saucony Kinvara 12: 2.6 oz heavier, 8.5 mm more heel stack, 6 mm more drop, $35 more at list.
Questions runners ask
- Is the Saucony Kinvara 12 still available?
- Partially. Women's sizes still turn up on Amazon, but men's stock is gone. If your size shows up, decide quickly; discontinued stock only shrinks.
- Is the Kinvara 13 a downgrade from the Saucony Kinvara 12?
- No. Most runners rate the Kinvara 13 as the same shoe done slightly better. The changes are real but none of them alter what the shoe is.
- How much lighter is the Kinvara 13?
- 0.3 oz lighter in a men's US 9: 7.2 oz against the Saucony Kinvara 12's 7.5 oz.
- Is the Saucony Kinvara still made?
- Yes. The current version is the Saucony Kinvara 16, released in 2025, 4 versions on from the Saucony Kinvara 12.
- What is the closest current alternative to the Saucony Kinvara 12?
- The Saucony Ride 19. Nothing else in Saucony's lineup rides like a Kinvara, so the Ride is the practical next stop: the same brand's neutral daily with more foam and more protection for similar money. Expect more shoe and less ground feel.