If I Switched To Asics from Nike

that should have read "Skylon or Elite's"

Additional Info:

I see the biggest wear on my shoes at the outside part of the heel and on the ball of my foot.

if you like the Peg, you'd fall into the neutral trainer category, and the Nimbus is their top of the line model, the Cumulus is one step down (and from what i hear, just as good a shoe) and then there is the Landreth and the Speedstar.

Nimbus and Landreth have the new midsole material, Solyte

the other 2 use Speva (EVA)

the weight of the Nimbus and the Cumulus is about the same (12 oz. plus in 9's), the Landreth is a little lighter and the Speedstar lighter still.

i used to do marathons in the Skylon and i've done my last 5 in the Speedstar. nice wide and soft forefoot, very porous upper. fairly low heel - which i really like.

i also loved the old gel-lytes - great series of shoes for a while

i think the equivalent of the Elite would be the DS-Trainer, which offers some stability (but not too much)

hope that helps a little

the Speedstar is the replacement for the Verdict/Flash disasters (although a few folks liked the Flash) which replaced the gel-lytes

From the sounds of it, it seems like you are pretty biomechanically neutral. If you have not had any injuries or other issues using the pegasus for all these years, going with one of Asics' neutral cushioning line would work well. That said, it would't be a bad idea to go to a reputable local running specialty store and have them watch you walk to make sure.

Their neutral shoes start with the Cumulus ($85), the next step up is the Nimbus (120), and their super high end neutral shoe is the Kinsei they just came out with for $165. Doing 80-100 mpw, I would start with the Nimbus, as it's designed to last longer and is softer.

Don't switch from Nike to Asics. If it's not broken......

the nimbus is very similar to the pegasus but it depends what version you are talking about. i think the nimbus now is closest to the 2002 pegasus.

ds trainer is unlike anything nike has out but is a good shoe. lightweight with some moderate posting.

speedstar might as well be a flat as it is considerably lighter than the ds trainer and about the same weight as some flats. it might be closest to the nike marathoner.

not sure about the kinsei....the have gel on the outside and cost a lot. my buddy runs in a pair and likes them ok i guess.

you could always go with the kayano's. it's a good shoe for just about anyone and i've never met anyone who did not like running in it.

zatogold wrote:

Don't switch from Nike to Asics. If it's not broken......

It breaking my wallet. My Nike's wear out too darn fast. Good shoe but after a just 300 miles they are DONE. Heck that is not even a month worth of training.

Back in college I got 500+ miles (easy) off of my Gel Lytes.

Do it.

Running shoes are like cars. American brands have the look and the image. The Japanese brands run the best. You want to look cool or run fast?

Just got new Kayanos, looking to get the Ohana flats.

http://www.asicsamerica.com/product.asp?PRODUCT_ID=240007097&TITLE_CATEGORY_ID=250001179&BACK_CATEGORY_ID=250001173

5'4" 123# neutral w/ slight underpronation of right foot.

Most of my miles are in the Speedstar now (8.5 oz / size 8). Before that I ran in the Flash (9oz) for marathon/tempo runs and ran my 1st marathon in them. I still have a pair of th Flash that I use occasionally.

For races and faster intervals/tempo work I run in the Brooks T4 (6.5 oz) Great shoe, I ran my 2nd marathon (as well as 3 marathon pace long runs) in the T4 and it went great. I did use a fresh pair (12 miles on them) for the race.

I also have some Wave Rider 9 (10oz) which are ok.

Why limit yourself to one brand?

common complaint about the recent Pegs - very poor durability.

interesting suggestion about the Kayano, it might work for you as well. i use them for long runs (only) even though i don't need the stability. i find them very comfortable and durable.

look around the web and you can find decent deals on older models - esp the Kayano. i've never paid full retail for them, and i don't mind running in last year's model.

a new version of the Nimbus comes out in June and will be available for sale in Boston at the marathon expo. you should be able to find some deals on the current model by this summer.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Now that I have a better idea which models to look at I'll take a trip to the local running store to try some on.

Thanks again!

I haven't run in Asics in a while; can't help you there. Between intense dislike of a pair of Gel Magic a few years back and a general disagreement with their apparent philosophy of more more more (more technology, more shoe...), I seem to have developed the same sort of irrational loathing of Asics that many people have for Nike.

But for lightweight neutral trainers, if you have a reasonably high arch you might wanna check out Fila. Their Flow Redemption is *very* cushioned for the weight and slightly lower profile than most trainers. Not enough mileage on 'em yet to assess durability but they're going very strong, as they should be, at a few hundred miles. I've had great luck with their flat, the Corsa Sette (2007 model is Corsa Otto). It feels great to run in, and also, for me, has terrific durability (>300 miles) for the light weight (6.8 oz). Probably my favorite shoe overall. Volante looks interesting too, and recommended by some.

FWIW I'm 5'9", 140, economical, 90's lately, also like Nike flats and LWT (Hayward, Air Span).

agreed on that. the redemption is a really smooth shoe. if you are relatively lightweight and economical mechanically, you should be able to run many, many miles in them. and the volante is to be recommended for sure. very nice shoe.

hi. i'm approximately the same size as you, currently down to 50-60 miles/wk. sometimes go up to 70/wk every now and then. i used to do the same thing as you, pegasus and skylon. made a switch a few yrs. ago. ran in the landreth(worked ok, still liked the 'old' pegasus better, felt 'clunky') and the ds-trainers. loved the ds-trainers, but wore out really quickly. ended up going with nb 833's for a while but tired of them as they seemed to be 'wasted' quite quickly as well. by chance, tried the mizuno precision(6 and 7) and found them to be perfect for me. use them for mileage and tempo runs. have had my precisions hold up for 4-500 miles. i rotate 2 prs. at a time. fwiw still use nike mayfly's on the odd occasion i hop into a race these days. good luck.

giancarlo wrote: the volante is to be recommended for sure. very nice shoe.

How's the sizing on the Volante? I find both the Redemption and the Corsa Sette run a half size large for me: I almost always wear 8.5 in running shoes, but I'm better off in 8 in the Corsa Sette (and probably would be, or maybe even 7.5, in the Redemption - 8.5 is huge). Is the Volante similar in size?

yeah, the volante is sized differently. but i don't know about the new version yet. both my redemption and volante are the same size, and the volante fits a lot shorter.

Thanks for all the responses.

Update:

I went and tried on Asics shoes today and here is what I've gone with to start:

Cumulus for easy and long runs - I just liked the cushioned feel of these while not being too heavy. Similar to the Pegasus.

DS Trainer for uptempo work - nice firm feel, snug fit and light weight - I wanted to take off when I tried them on.

We'll wear these for a few weeks and decide if any changes are necessary.

I thought I'd also mention that I wen up and half size. Size 9 in Asics vs. 8.5 in Nike. Anyone else have this size difference between the brands?

I tried on a pair of Brooks Glycerin in a size 9 but it was too big. I think 8.5 would have been perfect in Brooks.

Hello, Mr. Marathon.

I echo your comments on the durability of the Nike brand. Such a disappointment. I, too, have taken on Asics in some form after years of running in the swoosh. The DS Trainer, especially the 06 orange and white version, is about the best shoe I have run within the last 3 years. Very easy to make the switch to. The newer version is a huge disappointment. They raised the heel up, added some significant arch support and really goofed the upper in my opinion. It's a drastic change from the 06 ds trainer for sure.

I have not been as happy with the Trainers. I have actually gone back to Nike's new Zoom Elite 3 for my everyday running. They added some weight to the shoes, so they are not (as) light anymore. The shoes are a nice trainer with some descent responsive feedback and good cushion throughout. I wore the Cumulus, Nimbus from Asics and had to go through the early miles of them feeling very "pillow" like and unresponsive. It was only after they got some mileage on them, roughly 100-125 that they started to feel like a shoe that you could enjoy running in. We share similar height, weight; I have one foot that has started to break down, moderate pronation, hence the need for some light support.

Good luck with your transition. I wish you success. Do not be suprised to find your durability in the Asics to be on par with your Nikes in the end. Shoe companies have spring and fall updates for a reason. They know the shoes will be shot by then, so they change the cosmetics and anticipate your needing some new kicks.

Best Wishes,

Ronald Mexico, Esq.