They make the Kilkenny in both spiked and spikeless versions. If there are no spots to screw the spikes in, then you have the spikeless version. How well they will work depends on courses and conditions – spikes will work better in mud and on loose surfaces.

All of those will fit narrower than the Kinvara, so be aware of that.
Kilkenny does not fit me well, others are better. A4 will be most
similar to the Kinvara. Also take a look at the Merrell Trail Glove
and the New Balance Minimus options.

Pete

On Monday, February 28, 2011, Disqus

Love this site- lots of great info. I have Kinvaras soon retiring (feel to bulky after lots of time in VFF TrekSports). I am looking at Mach 12, A4 and Kilkenny for options for longer runs, half and full and 50k.

I fit a 8.5 with some extra room (length) in Kinvara. Any sizing suggestions for Kilkenny, A4, and mach 12?

Thanks.

I’ve been wearing Saucony Shay XC flats almost exclusively for about a year.I’ve run in them on gravel, on pavement, on trails, and raced a half marathon.

On gravel: They are great. I might caution people who are not used to gravel about trying these on gravel. When I first moved to the country, I would get stone bruises through even heavily cushioned trainers. Now, I do not get a stone bruise from gravel roads even if I strike a stone with the arch of the Shays which is only protected by the mesh upper. (I feel pain — sometimes a sharp pain, but it has no lingering effects.) I do most of my running on gravel and these are currently my favorite shoe for that purpose.

On Paved roads: I need to experiment again with longer runs on paved roads. Generally, I do about 1/3 of my running during the work week on pavement running to and from work. They work fine for that. Last spring, I had some issues when I was doing long runs on paved trails with friends. But, those issues may well have been more due to trying to increase mileage and/or intensity too quickly rather than due to the shoes. It may also be the case that I needed to spend more time running in the Shays before running such distances on roads.

On trails: The Shays worked well for a couple of trail runs where I was running more tentatively over the rocks since I was new to trail running. But, when I started getting confident and moving more quickly, I stepped on a large rock on the unprotected arch and incurred a deep bruise that troubled me for a week or two. I have since retired them from trail running.

Racing: At the time I bought the Shays, I also purchased a pair of Adizero Pro flats (which I also like). My first race after that purchase was a winter half marathon that covers four miles of gravel. I’d been training on gravel in the Shays for about 1.5 months and decided to wear those for the half marathon rather than the Adidas flats because of that gravel portion which was also likely to be snowy/icy. They worked great and I would have run in they Shays again this year if I had run that race. In general, however, I think that it is worthwhile to have a road flat for road races. The Shays seem durable enough on pavement, but I feel that the road flats provide better traction on pavement. I wouldn’t race in the Shays unless there’s a good portion of the course that will be on something other than pavement (such as miles 9-12 of a half marathon).

Overall I like running in the Shays. After I wore out the first pair, I purchased two more and I have been alternating between the two each day.

Miranda, If you purchased the XC spikes for winter running. I would be interested to hear how it went. We don’t get as much winter in Kansas, but I had considered getting the Spiked version of the Shays for that and for the occasional XC race.

Great stuff all around here. I’ve logged 100’s of miles on a couple of sets of Asics Piranhas, but I’m looking for a cheaper replacement. I think I’ll give the two spikeless flats you suggest a try. The price is right.

Don’t see why it wouldn’t work, especially if you are a forefoot
runner. I’d just be wary of using them on roads with the spikes.
Yaktrax work well.
Pete

Pete

Actually, they do crowd the small toe a bit. It would be nice if the forefoot were a bit roomier. That seems to be a common problem with spikes and some racing flats. I do have a narrow foot, so I actually appreciate the narrowness through the mid-foot. It would be nice if they allowed room for toes.

Thanks for the reply! I wore out two pairs of Yaktrax last winter, which is why I’m digging around for other possibilities. Thanks again, Pete.

Thanks for all the useful reviews and commentaries on the various shoes. Based on your suggestion I bought the Brooks Mach XI. I have run in them twice (about 4 miles each time) and found them to be light and fast. I am thinking about using them for a 10K road race. Any thoughts about whether that would be a good idea? I have run my most recent road races (from 10K to marathon distances) in Asics Gel Speedstar, but am looking for something with a lower profile. Many thanks for any feedback you can provide. Best regards, Nils (in DC area)