Asics GEL DS-Trainer 19 review

Recently I got a pair of the Asics GEL DS-Trainers 19  from  Asics. Here is my review of them after getting a few runs in them.


Review:

It is definitely more narrow than the 18's. I originally tried on the 19 in an 11.5 and the shoe absolutely did not fit my foot (I have kind of a rectangular foot with a wide flat arch). My arches spilled over and my pinky toes wanted to escape the shoe. I moved up a half size to a 12 and the shoes fit a lot better. The length of the shoe in the size 12 is great. I have enough room in the toe box and it does not feel to big on me. The cushioning on the shoe is nice and soft. It has a great first feel and easy to break in. People who like heel support will enjoy how that feels in the shoe.

I ran in it with two different socks (Nike Elite Cushioned socks and Icebreaker ski socks) and it affected how the shoes fit a little. The first couple of times I ran in them, I ran with the Nike socks. The shoes felt a little tight to walk around in, but I did not notice that when I ran. With the Icebreaker socks, which are thinner, the shoes felt looser and lighter, but still comfortable. The seamless soft upper is also something that is nice. It feels like there is a soft pad right above my toes.

The stability feels great. I can tell it is there without making the shoe feel too heavy. The new Dynamic DuoMax system works really well with the shoe.The shoes felt great while running. They are so lightweight that I hardly even notice them when I ran in them. It is definitely a shoe I can consistently enjoy. They say comfort equals better performance and I have gotten in some of my best runs of the winter in while running them.

I think one of the key selling points will be its weight. Those looking for mild stability at a lighter weight will enjoy the shoe (Ravenna 4 and New Balance 860v4 weigh 10.8 oz; Saucony guide 10oz). The narrowness of the shoe will be one of its best selling points, but it will also frustrate others. I definitely understand why they went in the narrower direction.

Overall

I love the way the shoe feels on my feet. It made me a little nervous that I tried on an 11.5 and it did not fit. Thankfully I could try on the size 12 and they fit great.

Does anybody else run in this shoe? What do you think of it?