Forums >Gears and Wears>Asics versus Saucony... GO!
Certifiably Insane
OK, funny story on Asics. I'm not knocking them, because I've run in them almost excusively for about 15 years. I'm very hard on shoes, and they hold up better for me than most anything else I've run in. The last few pairs of Gel-11XX and GT-XXXX's I've had just haven't felt right, though. It feels like they changed something, and I just can't stride comfortably in them any more.
Anyway, I'm working on a custom shoe project, and removed the midsole from one of my old pairs of Asics. Was I surprised. The 'Gel' they make such a big deal out of was, well, much less impressive than I was expecting. You know the soft, plastic-like thing in the midsole facing the back of the shoe? I though that was the edge of the gel section. Wrong. It was just a thin reflector. The actual 'Gel' in this shoe amounted to a small pack about the size of two quarters side-by-side, and about as thick as one! It's in the top of the misole right under where your heel would be. I put it on the desk, alongside a piece of midsole about the same thickness, to compare the cushioning. It did almost nothing. In my opinion, leaving that little compartment empty would have done more for the cushioning. I can post pics if anyone doesn't believe me or if you want to see it.
Now, again, I'm not knocking Asics. I've loved them for years, and I really enjoyed the Saucony Pro Grids I just wore out, so I don't really have brand preference between the two. And, in their defense, these were an old pair of Asics that I tore apart. Maybe they have greatly improved their Gel system by now, or it's different in the higher-priced models. It was just a whole lot different than what I expected to find.
Not true... Mizunos are just as common as any other brand around here (Kingston, Ottawa etc.).
I stand corrected....we are farther south than you are (Hamilton, Toronto, Waterloo, etc) so that may have something to do with it.
Sulphur Springs 50km-- Ancaster, ON-- May 28, 2022
Tally in the Valley 12 hours-- Dundas, ON -- July 30, 2022 (Support SickKids Toronto)
Stokely Creek-- 56km-- Sault Ste. Marie, ON-- Sept. 24, 2022
she runs like a girl
I find this to be true as well - in the Brantford area at least. Most places that do sell Mizunos are discount stores that sell very old models. Mizunos are available,but usually only at speciality running stores. However I do find that Pearl Izumis are few and far between around here. I have never seen a pair for sale in my home town