From DS-Trainer to Adidas Boston 7

For the record, I am aiming for 2:40-2:45 this year...

I've run in both shoes and much prefer the Boston Boost.

Both shoes have the same drop (10mm) and are a similar weight (Boston Boost is less than an ounce heavier). Boston Boost is by far more comfortable and cushioned.

Two things to consider as you make the switch:

1) ASICS tend to run both narrow and short, so you may end up with an adidas shoe that is a half size or a full size lower than your ASICS (I wear 9.5 US in adidas and 10 US in ASICS).

2) The DS Trainer is a mild stability shoe with some a medial post to help guidance. The Boston Boost is a completely neutral shoe with no posting and no guidance. So if you have some issues with mild over-pronation (which is what the DS Trainer was made for), then you may run into trouble with a neutral shoe like the Boston Boost.

Thanks for the solid advice!

I know the DS-Trainer is a stability shoe and I am an over-pronator but for a race I am willing to take the risk... I purchased the Brooks Levitate (also neutral shoe) a few weeks ago for my long runs and I am fine until now.

But if you know a mild-stability shoe similar to the Boston then I am allways interested!

Zeeuwseloper wrote:

But if you know a mild-stability shoe similar to the Boston then I am allways interested!

You could try the Tempo, which has a touch of stability. I have not run in the current version, but the consensus of people who have is that they aren't as good as the Boston. I also have heard the torsion system Adidas uses provides a hint of stability to the Boston. Personally, I love the Boston and wear it for everything except speed work and races of half marathon or below. In my opinion, it's the best (ie, longest lasting, most comfortable, most versatile) shoe for a competitive runner available today.

I’ve run in both the Boston and tempo, think of the tempo as a cross between the adios and the Boston for cushioning and responsive due to employing the torsion system of the adios in the Boston midsole, though there is slight more Eva in the forefoot than the Boston too, upper is closer to the adios than Boston. I’ve run a marathon in the Boston to just over 3 hours and and generally I got forefoot soreness in the last few miles, a sub 3 you should be fine, I’m too heavy and slow for the adios but the tempo might be ok if you have good running form

Sorry for the late reply but there was something wrong with my account.

Thanks for the tip about the Tempo's. I did some research and I think they maybe an even better choice for me then the Boston because of the light support they give. I only doubt if they have enough cushioning, but if they have more then the DS Trainer I should be fine I think.

I personally liked the Boston 6 better than the 7 but the differences are so subtle only someone really picky would notice.

Definitely give the Bostons a try but I'd encourage you to go a step further and after you've trained in them for awhile, try a long-run in the Adios

The Adios might feel a tiny bit more harsh but they are definitely faster for me, by several seconds per mile.

And the "lockdown" in the Adios is amazing, just so perfect but still comfortable wearing for hours.

Just wouldn't train in the Adios, it's definitely a race-day shoe.

I chose the Boston Boost for a marathon because people said it had better forefoot cushioning than the Adios. Although that is correct, my feet were very beat up afterward (started hurting at mile 17).

I would choose the zoom fly if I could do it again. Watch out for Achilles tendon issues though.

Stability shoes might not be needed in the race pace. When you run faster you overpronate less. Running might also make legs stronger, i.e. one might have needed overpronation shoes in the past but not anymore. I have stopped wearing stability shoes. I used to overpronate a lot, nowadays not so much anymore and if I wear neutral shoes that are not too flexible, I am fine.

Zeeuwseloper wrote:

Thanks for the tip about the Tempo's. I did some research and I think they maybe an even better choice for me then the Boston because of the light support they give. I only doubt if they have enough cushioning, but if they have more then the DS Trainer I should be fine I think.

I haven't had Tempo Boosts but I had a pair of Tempo 5s few years ago. I think it had plenty of cushioning. I wore it for one marathon and afterwards as a training shoe. The only thing that I didn't like was the kind of a weak upper. It got torn maybe because I ran many long runs in rain and probably that was too much for the material. I also felt that there was maybe too much arch support in the beginning but after 100 km it was fine. Didn't have issues with that anymore.

I had to size up to an 11.5 US with the Adios Boost 2. For most shoes I wear an 11. Do think I'm right in thinking that in the Boston an 11 would be okay? (Ordering online.) Thanks in advance.

I just bought a pair of Tempo 9's, and I'm planning to break them in tomorrow. It'll be a 4 mile tempo with easy miles before and after on a mix of dirt trails and roads — so I should have a sense of how they perform as "do-it-all" shoe.

I'll leave a review here tomorrow!

Like you, I've run in Asics for a long time (the GT-2000 series for 10 years, then Kayanos). I'm just now starting to experiment with other brands and shoe types.

Zeeuwseloper wrote:

My DS-Trainer is UK 8.

Asics 8uk = Adidas 9uk

Cheaterfly 4%..,join the bandwagon with all the elites

The Boston is fairly stable, but the narrow base may not be the best if you have pronation-related issues.

Consider the Mizuno Wave Shadow 2. Better-fitting upper than the Boston, wider platform, and very stable thanks to the Wave plate.

More cushioned, too.

Mizuno fanboy wrote:

The Boston is fairly stable, but the narrow base may not be the best if you have pronation-related issues.

Consider the Mizuno Wave Shadow 2. Better-fitting upper than the Boston, wider platform, and very stable thanks to the Wave plate.

Not really sure what you mean when you say "stable" in this comment.

Stability, in running shoes, is a technical term referencing whether or not the show is built for people who over-pronate and to which degree they overpronate.

In that sense, neither the Boston or the Wave Shadow have any stability as they are both neutral shoes. The "wave plate" in neutral Mizuno shoes (Shadow, Rider, Enigma, etc.) does not provide stability but rather increases the surface area of the plate within the midsole to disperse energy, which translates to the foot as cushioning. The wave plate in stability Mizuno shoes does this as well, but also includes higher wave peaks on the medial side, which is their version of "posting" the shoe in order to minimize inward roll through the running process.

The Wave plate, together with the firmer foam, supportive upper, and wider platform, make most neutral Mizuno shoes inherently more stable than your average neutral trainer. The part played by the plate is to provide torsional rigidity and some amount of support and guide your foot through transition. Why firmer foam, wider platform, and supportive upper contribute to stability needs no explanation.

Even if technically not a stability shoe, some neutral shoes provide enough support for people with some stability issues. Notice I say stability issues, not pronation. The whole overpronation paradigm is bull.

Zeeuwseloper: I ran in the Tempo 9s today for the first time.

Re your concern about them not having enough cushion: They're actually cushier than the DS Trainers. As someone who is used to the Kayanos (cushion queens), I felt the Tempos were more than adequate on the comfort front.

However, I did have some issues with the shoes cramming my pinkie toes — and I order a half size up. If you decide to try these out, keep in mind that they definitely run small. I'd probably order a full size larger than what you typically wear in the DS Trainer. (I'm an 8.5 in Asics, and a 9 in the Tempos feels a tad too small).

While comfortable, the shoe also didn't blow me away. As of late, I've been running my tempos in the Nike Pegasus 35 — and overall, I prefer them to the Tempos. They just lacked a certain snappiness I expected with a shoe designed for faster stuff. Not sure if I'll be keeping them.