ShoeGeometry

ASICS Magic Speed 5 vs Saucony Kinvara 16

Two popular shoes in the same category, compared on measured geometry. Each cell carries a provenance badge; open a shoe for sources.

heel boneASICS Magic Speed 5: heel 36 mm, forefoot 29 mm (drop 7 mm); toe rocker 36 % of length, radius 37 % of length; heel bevel 9 % of length, 22 mm high at the back, ending behind the heel bone (only the back edge is rounded).ASICS Magic Speed 5: toe rocker 36 % of lengthSaucony Kinvara 16: heel 28 mm, forefoot 24 mm (drop 4 mm); toe rocker 34 % of length, radius 44 % of length; heel bevel 12 % of length, 20 mm high at the back, ending about under the heel bone.Saucony Kinvara 16: toe rocker 34 % of length
  • ASICS Magic Speed 536/29 mm · toe rocker 36 % · heel bevel 9 %
  • Saucony Kinvara 1628/24 mm · toe rocker 34 % · heel bevel 12 %
Illustrative profiles, not photographs: drawn from published stack heights and photo estimates of the unloaded shoes on a common length (300 mm), heels aligned, toe to the left; dots mark where each toe rocker starts; the dotted vertical line is under the heel bone (12 % of length), so a heel curve reaching past it is a bevel in front of the heel bone. Dotted lines use typical values where a shoe has no measurement. Exact values are in the table below.

Which suits you

If you wantPickBecause
A smoother roll at toe-offASICS Magic Speed 535.7 vs 34.1 % toe rocker; 44.4 vs 36.4 mm toe tip
More cushioning under the heelASICS Magic Speed 536 vs 28 mm heel stack
More under the forefootASICS Magic Speed 529 vs 24 mm forefoot stack
A lower dropSaucony Kinvara 167 vs 4 mm drop
A stiffer, snappier forefootAbout the same27 vs 21 /100 stiffness
A wider base under the forefootSaucony Kinvara 16110.1 vs 113.8 mm forefoot base
Less weightASICS Magic Speed 5196 vs 207 g

From the values below, with differences inside measurement noise shown as about the same. This describes the shoes, not what is right for your feet; comfort in the first few runs decides.

MetricASICS Magic Speed 5
Tempo · Road
Saucony Kinvara 16
Tempo · Road
Heel-to-toe drop7 mmStated4 mmStated
Heel stack36 mmStated28 mmStated
Forefoot stack29 mmStated24 mmStated
Weight196 gStated207 gStated
Toe rocker36 %est.34 %est.
Rocker radius37 %est.44 %est.
Rocker rise angle30 degest.25 degest.
Rocker angle at toe61 degest.57 degest.
Toe tip over ground44 mmest.36 mm*est.
Visible rocker lift onset77.9 %est.78.9 %est.
Toe spring (relative)20.5 %est.15.8 %est.
Heel bevel length9.1 %est.12.1 %*est.
Heel bevel height22 mm*est.20 mm*est.
Midsole width (forefoot)110.1 mmMeasured113.8 mmMeasured
Midsole width (heel)78.1 mmMeasured86.5 mmMeasured
Toe box shape—73 %*est.
Interior forefoot width95.1 mmMeasured94 mmMeasured
Toebox width71.9 mmMeasured70.8 mmMeasured
Longitudinal stiffness27Derived21Derived
Midsole firmness25Derived—
PlateCarbon plateNo plate
Primary foamFF Leap top / FF Blast Plus bottomPWRRUN
List price$180$130

Key differences

  • ASICS Magic Speed 5's heel-to-toe drop is 7 mm, 3 mm higher than Saucony Kinvara 16's 4 mm.
  • ASICS Magic Speed 5's heel stack is 36 mm, 8 mm thicker than Saucony Kinvara 16's 28 mm.
  • ASICS Magic Speed 5's forefoot stack is 29 mm, 5 mm thicker than Saucony Kinvara 16's 24 mm.
  • ASICS Magic Speed 5's weight is 196 g, 11 g lighter than Saucony Kinvara 16's 207 g.
  • Toe rocker is about the same: 36 % of length for ASICS Magic Speed 5, 34 % of length for Saucony Kinvara 16.

Read more about both shoes

We measure the shape. For how they feel over many miles, and for lab tests of cushioning, grip and fit:

ASICS Magic Speed 5

Saucony Kinvara 16

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ASICS Magic Speed 5 details · Saucony Kinvara 16 details · Add more shoes