asics craftsmanship?

ive been running in asics for 3 yrs now and ive had no such problems, probably just a defective pair

Wow, that sounds like you got a terrible pair of normally excellent shoes. I'd return them. One question, when you say "a few hundred miles" do you mean more like 300 or more like 700?

around 400

I had some Landreaths that did the same thing.

maybe you're too much of a fat ass to be running in a lightweight trainer

If you got 400 miles on a pair of shoes, STFU and buy another pair you whiner.

We all want lighter, more comfortable and breathable shoes, and then we complain when the lighter and more breathable substance is not as durable. That stuff is not designed to last for 700 miles. You want that kind of durability, get a pair of Air Jordans.

i have put 1000 miles plus on several different pairs and types of asics and have had no problem with the shoes...my knees hurt like hell after a while but i guess that would be my fault, not the shoes...sounds like u just got a rare bad pair.

Not to hijack the thread, but what do people think of the current crop of asics.

Specifically do people like these:

DS Trainer X

DS Trainer XI

DS Trainer 12

Gel Speedstar

Gel Speedstar II

Gel Flash DS

What's your favorite? I'm in the market for a pair. Any pair to watch out for? Any pair suck? Any pair great?

Not a slow miler wrote:

have had no problem with the shoes...my knees hurt like hell after a while but i guess that would be my fault, not the shoes....

What an idiot.

You should buy a pair of Saucony or Mizuno or even Brooks, Asics are overhyped and not living up to their inflated reputation.

HHH wrote:

You should buy a pair of Saucony or Mizuno or even Brooks, Asics are overhyped and not living up to their inflated reputation.

terrible advice, never go by the brand, replace you shoes every 300-500 miles to be on the safe side. been running for 14 years and have NEVER been injured.

HHH wrote:

You should buy a pair of Saucony or Mizuno or even Brooks, Asics are overhyped and not living up to their inflated reputation.

Well, I ran in asics for over 10 years, but not lately. Just wondering if they are still similar to the asics of 5 years ago.

I don't think I'd try any of those brands to be honest. I'm sure they have some good models, but I wouldn't really know what to buy outside of Adidas, Nike and Asics.

Go down to your local running specialty shop and show them the shoes. Explain what kind of milage you have been doing and have them fit test you with the other brands.

I suggest having shoes from multiple vendors as year to year and season to season companies have good and bad runs of shoes. Because the major shoe guys produce quarterly runs you are both more likely to get a small run of bad shoes as well as not even notice as most runners will only buy 3-4 pair a year and they are spread over multiple shoe cycles.

I would also suggest checking out Mizuno, Brooks and Saucony. They have surpassed Nike and Adidas in the market place and are really putting out some great products. More often then not you will find that your local Running Spec shop will have multiple pairs from all of these vendors and only 2-3 from Nike and Adidas. As for Asics they have been the industry leader for the past 10 years and do make a great product. However over the last year or so they have begun to put out some insane product much like the Big 2 used to "Nike & Adidas" shoes costing $120 plus dollars or more. Im affraid they are taking on more and more of the traits of the big two and as such will begin to slip over the next few years. As for Mizuno, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance, Puma and several others smaller bit players in the industry. Mizuno and Brooks have been getting the most press over the last few years and have really made quite a push to keep the edge in there brands.

Probably more then you wanted but still good information.

asdfasdf wrote:terrible advice, never go by the brand, replace you shoes every 300-500 miles to be on the safe side. been running for 14 years and have NEVER been injured.

So which part was the terrible advice, Mr All Knowing Shoe Guy? I suggested 3 other quality brands apart from Asics to try. I work in the industry and can tell you that Asics is losing more and more market share each week because the other brands have passed them in quality. Yes, you should change your shoes every 300-500 miles but that is very individual. Runners who are light on their feet and rotate their shoes can get more life out of them than a heavier runner who wears the same shoe for every run.

As for Nike, they are too busy focusing on marketing and fancy gagets instead of producing quality shoes.

400 miles might be nearing the end of the shoe's lifecycle. The DS is in the "lightweight trainer" category, so perhaps this is just what you will get out of any lighter weight shoes. Or try a comparable model such as the Brooks Axiom, Mizuno Elixir or NB 902. I don't think mileage varies too much from shoe to shoe.

Watch out! Saucony has a new 165$ shoe coming out within the next quarter!

I've yet to see it, but they're pushing it!

The Kensei is going up to 185$, and the big thing about nike/adidas is their pull over all sports. Asics holds true with just running, wrestling and volleyball.

I've worn asics exclusively for the last 5 years (been running over a decade) They are by far the most reliable in terms of quality and longevity, though i did love the original nike pegasus. Sounds like you just got a faulty model or something? I would urge you to try several different shoes, find what suits you. The likelyhood is you'll find asics are about the best.

good advice on trying on different brands. Each brand fits slightly differently, and certain ones will just fit your foot best. Also accurate advice on the length of shoes life, 400 miles pretty much does it. The upper may still be in tact, but the midsole eva compresses and you lose cushion and support. However, I will beg to differ on your info about asics losing market share...I'm in the business too...all the industry facts shoe asics gaining market share..not losing it..infact several articles have come out in the trade journals commenting on that exact issue...asics is gaining popularity. sales, and market share...not losing it.

as far as the original poster...probably a shoe with some workmanship issues, but asics does not usually have those problems ( no..I dont work for asics)