Monday, January 28, 2013

Product Review: Asics GT-2000 at OnlineShoes.com

Me at my local track taking the Asics GT-2000's for a spin
Recently I was contacted by Lindsey from OnlineShoes.com and asked to review a pair of Men's Asics GT-2000 running shoes.  As most of you know, I wear another brand almost exclusively, but I thought I would give it a shot and let her know what I thought about the shoes and the website.  Here's what I found ...

OnlineShoes.com is a well organized and easy to navigate shoe website.  Along with various styles of dress and casual shoes, they also offer an extensive range of men's and women's running shoes.  In fact, I was really surprised by just how many running shoe options were available.  When I logged on, I clicked on the ASICS link and found mostly shoe options, but also a few clothing and bag selections.  Next, I clicked on the MEN'S ASICS link, and immediately found that they had over 150 different Asics men's running shoes to choose from.  Finally, I selected the MEN'S ASICS GT-2000 link, which is what Lindsey was kind enough to send me ... a pair of size 12-1/2 Black/Onyx/White Asics GT-2000 running shoes.

I know many runners try to be loyal to their local mom & pop running stores, which I do as well when at all possible.  In many cases, they are a the fabric of the local running community. But in today's economy, when everyone is trying to stretch their dollar further and further, a nice option with a huge selection of the running shoes you're looking for is OnlineShoes.com.

From OnlineShoes.com Asics GT-2000 web page ...
The ASICS® GT-2000™ has been re-engineered and revitalized, without ever abandoning the qualities that have earned it 12 Runner's World awards in 14 years. This men's running shoe features a breathable, stretch mesh upper to ensure a chafe-free fit. Supportive synthetic overlays wrap the midfoot to provide a secure and comfortable fit, ready for the road. Mild to moderate overpronators will enjoy the stable ride provided by the DuoMax® Support System; the full-length Guidance Line® provides smooth transitions and increases efficiency. The ComforDry™ insole provides cushioning, prevents odor and maintains a cool, dry foot environment. Rearfoot and forefoot GEL® cushioning absorbs shock and enhances comfort; the lightweight DuraSponge® and ASICS® High Abrasion Rubber (AHAR) outsole of the ASICS® GT-2000™ running shoe provides unparalleled durability and traction.

Asics is one of the leading running shoe manufacturers world wide, but to be honest I've never had great luck with the way they fit my foot.  About 5 years ago, I had a fairly bad case of Morton's Neuroma.  Basically, it's a very painful severe inflammation of the nerve between the final two toes, and it almost ended my running career.  In many cases it's caused by wearing shoes that are too small or shoes that wedge your toes together.  Many women suffer from Morton's Neuroma from wearing pointy toe'd heels all day.  A lot of cowboy boot wearers are also frequent sufferers of the painful symptoms.

People that suffer from Morton's Neuroma find that wearing a running shoe that allows their toes to spread out and prevent the last two toes from rubbing together is typically the easiest fix.  But that has always been a challenge for me.   I've tried about 4 or 5 pairs of Asics in the past, and just never got any of them to work for the kind of mileage I log.   In fact, there's only one brand I've personally had any success with - but out of respect to the Asics I'm reviewing, I will not mention them here.

For my specific foot, I've always found the toe box area in Asics to be a little too narrow.  So when I took the Asics GT-2000's out of the box, I was expecting much of the same.  And unfortunately, I found this again to be true for the specific fit I need - just not enough room for my toes to spread out.  But I'm sure every runner has a very subjective view of every manufacturer's shoes.  Asics is obviously a great brand, I just can't seem to make them work on my feet.  But that being said, I really found the Asics GT-2000 to be a good, high quality, light weight (11.4 oz), stability shoe that I would easily recommend.

I threw on the Asics GT-2000's and headed to my local track where I do speed work to give them a go.  I found the shoes to be very responsive and with a good firm feel, and a nice fit around my heels and arches for support.  For a stability shoe, they felt very light, but yet supported my 185 lb. frame really well.   And even though they are a listed in the stability class, the Asics GT-2000 comes with plenty of cushioning to soften the blow of long runs.

Putting the Asics GT-2000's through a stair workout
With a lot of new shoes right out of the box, there can be some slipping which causes hot spots and ultimately blisters.  However, I was easily able to run 5 miles in the Asics GT-2000's and my feet felt great when I was finished.  There were no noticeable signs of slipping or siding around on my foot.  Everything stayed snug and well supported and felt like I could have easily gone several more miles without any trouble.

After that I took the Asics GT-2000's over to the bleachers and tried them out on a few stair repetitions.  I was happy to find exactly the same result as on the track.  They provided a nice stable workout with plenty of support, but also effective cushioning.   The bleachers where I do stair repetitions are metal, and can be a little slippery.  But I found the Asics GT-2000's gripped the slick metal framing and provided good traction as I made my way up and down.  At no point did I feel them slide or slip under neath my stride.

Individual fit for running shoes is very subjective and personal for each individual runner's needs.  It's been my experience that Asics would have to completely redesign their shoes with additional space in the toe box for them to work with my specific foot fit needs.  However, I found the Asics GT-2000 to be a really good shoe that will hold up to the rigorous mileage and training that a marathoner would put them through.  I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a good, light weight stability shoe. They retail for $114.95 on OnlineShoes.com.  And speaking of OnlineShoes.com, I was very pleasantly surprised with the ease of navigation and gigantic selection on their site.  I will definitely use them in the future!
... be great today!

10 comments:

  1. Ok Jim, I know this is your first stab at this but I'm confused how you can recommend the shoe but it needs to be completely re-designed? I'm also one that likes a wide toe box and believe it makes a big difference in the fit of the toe. So much more comfortable when your toes are able to spread out.

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  2. You got boring black? I love Asics but lately have discovered I like wider toe boxes. I must be getting old lady feet.

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  3. Fingers. Cannot. Type. Hands. Frozen. With. Horror.

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  4. Gracie - ha, please ... that was an HONEST review. Besides, I'm 44 years old and I can't help but notice my legs look goooooouuuuoooood!

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  5. I know this isn't a cooking blog but.....can those shoes be worn in the kitchen while fixing breakfast? Specifically pancakes.

    Why do you keep telling us you have big feet? Bragger.

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  6. Those are like the pic on the cover of that Jim Fixx book!

    I think those shoes look really cool. Sometimes Asics come in wide....Thanks for the tip about Online Shoes.

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  7. For some reason Asics doesn't work for my feet at all. I can't run anything in any of their shoes. It must be some strange foot shape from me or something.

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  8. I'm with Detroit Runner Jim - how do you recommend a shoe but say the toebox needs to be widended?

    The first real running shoe that I ever bought was the Asics 125 in 1995. I started wearing the 2000 series in maybe 2000 or so, and woe that model until 2008 or so. I think I started wearing it when it was the 2030 or so. Then in 2008 for whatever reason it seemed like they made the shoe too narrow in the toebox, and I had to find another shoe. Decided to go with Mizuno Wave Nirvana. So I was done with Asics, and haven't gone back. Bummer for Asics since I loved the shoe before then.

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  9. What I took out of this was that you didn't actually explain how you got that Morton's Neuroma. I'm thinking secret footwear fettish. Do the words Manolo Blahnik mean anything to you?

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  10. Worn the GT line for the past 12 years, get 300-400 miles no problem before significant wear. 1st pair of GT 2000, heel completely worn at 120 miles, 2nd pair, only 80 miles and worn down to the white. Have 2 pairs of GT 2160s with 380 miles and minimal wear on the heal. What happened??

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