GEAR CHECK is another semi-regular-when-I'm-feeling-it series like the WORKOUT OF THE WEEK and various race recaps. There's a ton of different products out there marketed towards runners, so I wanted to highlight some of the things that I use and what I think about them. It might also be telling the stuff I don't use, but that's a whole 'nother topic.
The Asics DS-Trainer is my shoe. I've been running in various versions of this for nearly the past eight years, with the exception of one lost year while I was wearing the Saucony Guide as part of their Hurricane program. This is my review of the shoe, but it's going to be a little different that most shoe reviews: I'm not going to talk about manufacturer specs or product details or anything like that (if you want those, go to the manufacturer website); instead, I'm going to talk about how it fits, how it feels, and who it's for. In my opinion, that's the truly important stuff, anyway.
How does it fit?
This shoe fits snug. It's snug in the heel cup, snug through the midfoot, and then snug in the forefoot towards your toes. I love that in a shoe; a lot of people don't. Fair warning.
Actually, the fit of this shoes has changed over the years (I actually think most all Asics have followed this same blueprint). The biggest difference is that it's not as curved a shoe as it used to be. In layman's terms, a curved shoe has a lot of arch support (even though shoes don't really have arch support...but again, a topic for another day) whereas a straight shoe doesn't have as supportive a fit. Generally speaking, people with high arches gravitate towards curved shoes while people with low or flat arches gravitate towards straighter shoes. The DS-Trainer used to be an extremely curved shoe, which was one of the things I loved about it. Over the past four years, it's gradually become straighter. While this is probably a smart move on the part of Asics (it opens the shoe up to a larger potential customer base), it's something that can alienate loyal fans of the shoe. I fell in love with the very curved earlier versions of the DS-Trainer, and this one just doesn't quite have that some snug fit.
How does it feel (aka, how does it ride)?
The DS-Trainer is a performance shoe, so it rides slightly different than most daily trainers. Asics puts a little pocket of Gel in the heel of the shoe giving it just a touch of softness, but for the most part it's a pretty firm ride throughout. I'd say it's mildly soft under the heel, but firm and responsive through the mid- and forefoot. That's what a performance shoe should be: you don't want to sink into the ground, you want to spring off it; firm cushioning is the best bet for that feeling.
One of the things I have noticed about this shoe compared to previous versions is that it feels more 'slappy.' When I run in this one, no matter the pace or whether I'm heel-, mid-, or forefoot striking (a function of speed), my foot seems to slap the ground. It's a very stiff feeling that I'm not really loving right now.
The other thing worth noting is that for the fourth straight year, this shoe has been made with a radically different upper. Three years ago Asics moved this model to a seamless upper (the first of their running shoes to go seamless, I think), but each year they've used a different material. This year's upper is the lightest by far, but I've also seen some durability issues in the heel collar and heat-bonded seams. In my previous pair I wore a hole in the padding on the heel collar, which is something I've never done in any shoe I've ever owned. Not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it is worth noting. With such drastic changes year and year, this is clearly the shoe that has become Asics' "guinea pig shoe," which is fairly frustrating.
Who is it for?
This is a fast shoe, so it's for someone who wants to run fast. There's a mild amount of stability, so it's great for someone who wants a touch of support without anything too crazy. That said, it's not so much stability that it's going to force your foot to do anything, so it's also a great option for the neutral runner looking for a performance shoe. In my opinion, this should be a go-to shoes for the high school and college runner...it has enough durability to log plenty of miles (I've run 100 mile weeks and 20 mile long runs in these), but it's also light and aggressive enough to get you through any hard and fast interval session. That kind of versatility in one shoe is hard to find.
For the non-competitive runners, this would be a great secondary shoe option. Think of it as a speed work, tempo run, or race day shoe. Something light and quick to get you feeling fast, but still cushioned and supportive enough to save your legs from getting too beat up. Because of that mild (very mild) stability, it's the perfect option for someone who normally wears a stability shoe but is looking for something a little lighter and quicker to work into their schedule.
Overall thoughts?
I like this shoe, but I don't love it. The move to a slightly straighter fit, while probably beneficial for most people, is a departure from the curved fit I fell in love with in earlier versions of the shoe. It also suffers from an overly stiff feel, which gives it a slappy ride and a rough transition. That said, the versatility of this shoe is nearly unmatched; I can think of only a few others that share the same combination of light weight, cushion, speed, and support. At the end of the day, this is a shoe that begs to go fast, and as such it is most comfortable the more you pick up the pace. Treat it like the speedy trainer that it is and you won't be disappointed.
Want to try the shoe on and get a feel for yourself? You can find it here. I mean, well, you can find it lots of other places too, but you should really go there first.
The Asics DS-Trainer is my shoe. I've been running in various versions of this for nearly the past eight years, with the exception of one lost year while I was wearing the Saucony Guide as part of their Hurricane program. This is my review of the shoe, but it's going to be a little different that most shoe reviews: I'm not going to talk about manufacturer specs or product details or anything like that (if you want those, go to the manufacturer website); instead, I'm going to talk about how it fits, how it feels, and who it's for. In my opinion, that's the truly important stuff, anyway.
 |
| My second pair of DS-Trainers with about 100 miles on them. |
How does it fit?
This shoe fits snug. It's snug in the heel cup, snug through the midfoot, and then snug in the forefoot towards your toes. I love that in a shoe; a lot of people don't. Fair warning.
Actually, the fit of this shoes has changed over the years (I actually think most all Asics have followed this same blueprint). The biggest difference is that it's not as curved a shoe as it used to be. In layman's terms, a curved shoe has a lot of arch support (even though shoes don't really have arch support...but again, a topic for another day) whereas a straight shoe doesn't have as supportive a fit. Generally speaking, people with high arches gravitate towards curved shoes while people with low or flat arches gravitate towards straighter shoes. The DS-Trainer used to be an extremely curved shoe, which was one of the things I loved about it. Over the past four years, it's gradually become straighter. While this is probably a smart move on the part of Asics (it opens the shoe up to a larger potential customer base), it's something that can alienate loyal fans of the shoe. I fell in love with the very curved earlier versions of the DS-Trainer, and this one just doesn't quite have that some snug fit.
How does it feel (aka, how does it ride)?
The DS-Trainer is a performance shoe, so it rides slightly different than most daily trainers. Asics puts a little pocket of Gel in the heel of the shoe giving it just a touch of softness, but for the most part it's a pretty firm ride throughout. I'd say it's mildly soft under the heel, but firm and responsive through the mid- and forefoot. That's what a performance shoe should be: you don't want to sink into the ground, you want to spring off it; firm cushioning is the best bet for that feeling.
One of the things I have noticed about this shoe compared to previous versions is that it feels more 'slappy.' When I run in this one, no matter the pace or whether I'm heel-, mid-, or forefoot striking (a function of speed), my foot seems to slap the ground. It's a very stiff feeling that I'm not really loving right now.
The other thing worth noting is that for the fourth straight year, this shoe has been made with a radically different upper. Three years ago Asics moved this model to a seamless upper (the first of their running shoes to go seamless, I think), but each year they've used a different material. This year's upper is the lightest by far, but I've also seen some durability issues in the heel collar and heat-bonded seams. In my previous pair I wore a hole in the padding on the heel collar, which is something I've never done in any shoe I've ever owned. Not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it is worth noting. With such drastic changes year and year, this is clearly the shoe that has become Asics' "guinea pig shoe," which is fairly frustrating.
Who is it for?
This is a fast shoe, so it's for someone who wants to run fast. There's a mild amount of stability, so it's great for someone who wants a touch of support without anything too crazy. That said, it's not so much stability that it's going to force your foot to do anything, so it's also a great option for the neutral runner looking for a performance shoe. In my opinion, this should be a go-to shoes for the high school and college runner...it has enough durability to log plenty of miles (I've run 100 mile weeks and 20 mile long runs in these), but it's also light and aggressive enough to get you through any hard and fast interval session. That kind of versatility in one shoe is hard to find.
For the non-competitive runners, this would be a great secondary shoe option. Think of it as a speed work, tempo run, or race day shoe. Something light and quick to get you feeling fast, but still cushioned and supportive enough to save your legs from getting too beat up. Because of that mild (very mild) stability, it's the perfect option for someone who normally wears a stability shoe but is looking for something a little lighter and quicker to work into their schedule.
Overall thoughts?
I like this shoe, but I don't love it. The move to a slightly straighter fit, while probably beneficial for most people, is a departure from the curved fit I fell in love with in earlier versions of the shoe. It also suffers from an overly stiff feel, which gives it a slappy ride and a rough transition. That said, the versatility of this shoe is nearly unmatched; I can think of only a few others that share the same combination of light weight, cushion, speed, and support. At the end of the day, this is a shoe that begs to go fast, and as such it is most comfortable the more you pick up the pace. Treat it like the speedy trainer that it is and you won't be disappointed.
Want to try the shoe on and get a feel for yourself? You can find it here. I mean, well, you can find it lots of other places too, but you should really go there first.
 |
| Women's DS-Trainer |
Wow, no one can be happier than me to read your Asics DS-Trainer 20 Review. I was very much interested in this pair but was not finding the unbiased review anywhere. Now my search is over and I am definitely going to buy this pair for my running sessions. I will buy Nike leggings too along with a black tank top for these sessions.
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