DS Trainer vs Elixir

I like the Elixir (I have only tried the Elixir 5)

I just got a pair of Saucony Mirage. I so enjoyed this shoe that I bought another pair after only 3 runs. You should consider it as a lightweight trainer option in the stability cat.

The Mirage is NOT a stability shoe, end of story.

DS trainer is a tad heavier, fits slightly roomier and wider, and is a little softer. Outsole is pretty durable.

Nevest version of the Elixir is very light, firmer than the DS, and fits snugger, especially mid and forefoot. Outsole is nice and grippy, but I'd have reservations about how long it will stay that way.

i haven't liked the DS trainer since maybe 2006 or 2007. since then it's not fit me well. the elixer is nice. i also like the NB 905 in that weight/category.

the mirage is a nice shoe(i have it and the kinvara) but i wouldn't call it a true stability. and consider it's a 4mm drop vs 10-12mm for the other shoes. i'm getting a pair of elixer 6 soon. i can run in either a mild stability shoe or more neutral shoes which gives me some nice options.

drivel wrote:

The Mirage is NOT a stability shoe, end of story.

DS trainer is a tad heavier, fits slightly roomier and wider, and is a little softer. Outsole is pretty durable.

Nevest version of the Elixir is very light, firmer than the DS, and fits snugger, especially mid and forefoot. Outsole is nice and grippy, but I'd have reservations about how long it will stay that way.

Hmm according to Saucony it fits into that category. Notice very 1st line in their description.

"RUN - Supportive Stability

Building on the success of the award winning Kinvara, Saucony invites the mild pronator into the minimalist category with the introduction of the ProGrid Mirage. The addition of a midfoot support bridge provides motion control, while still allowing the runner to enjoy the advantages of a minimalist shoe."

why would you say it is not?

I personally think it feels as supportive as the elixir, which by the way the new 6 is all of 0.2oz lighter than the 5, so not way lighter as you say.

I've run almost all of my non-race, non-track miles in the DS trainer for the past 3 years. However, Asics radically changed the new model (DS Trainer 16). It now has a sort of double layer around the ankle and upper laces. It is bulky and stiff.

I can't fathom why somebody thought this was a good idea. Maybe their shoe designers were bored. Maybe the 16 was designed during take your kid to work day.

I've been stocking up on DS Trainer 15's (currently have 2 boxes in my closet, and ordered 2 more after this thread reminded me of the problem with the new model). Once the 15s are sold out and worn out, I'll look for something new. Suggestions welcome.

(Also, as someone who loved the Bandito, I have never gotten used to the DS Racer - which is supposed to be very similar. Bring back the Bandito!)

Willy Mutwol wrote:

Hmm according to Saucony it fits into that category. Notice very 1st line in their description.

"RUN - Supportive Stability

Building on the success of the award winning Kinvara, Saucony invites the mild pronator into the minimalist category with the introduction of the ProGrid Mirage. The addition of a midfoot support bridge provides motion control, while still allowing the runner to enjoy the advantages of a minimalist shoe."

why would you say it is not?

Because I have run it and have had others run in it, and it isn't. I fit -lots- of people for running shoes. Anyone who isn't already neutral will not get any real support from these. I've watched north of a dozen people (who normally wear DS Trainers, Adidas Tempo, etc) in the Mirage, and it does nothing in the way of stability. Putting it in the same category as the DS Trainer/Elixir is misleading at best.

I am always torn between the DS Trainer and the Elixir. Like someone mentioned above though, the DS trainers changed a few years ago and they just don't feel as good now. I am now on my second pair of Elixirs and really like them. I do about half of my mileage in them. I do have a pair of NB 905s and, though a good shoe, they don't seem to ride as nice as the Elixir.

Is the sizing the same?

i'll let you know in a couple of days. been running in the elixir's since they were called the Mavericks. Getting my first pair of ds trainers in the mail tomorrow.

the elixir has gotten uglier with each successive generation. i generally don't care at all about what my shoes look like, but it's gotten to be pretty outrageously hideous. yellow and purple, really?

Any other feedback? It looks like the elixir may be more of what I am looking for. I am not a fan of soft, unresponsive shoes.

DSappointed wrote:

I've run almost all of my non-race, non-track miles in the DS trainer for the past 3 years. However, Asics radically changed the new model (DS Trainer 16). It now has a sort of double layer around the ankle and upper laces. It is bulky and stiff.

I can't fathom why somebody thought this was a good idea. Maybe their shoe designers were bored. Maybe the 16 was designed during take your kid to work day...)

I totally agree with you, one of the worst shoe updates ever, I don't understand sometimes why shoe companies have to update a shoe, if the shoe is great and there is nothing to update leave it alone.

To the OP, the Mirage is a nice shoe, has some stability, probably feels like a neutral to some runners for the minimal heel to forefoot drop. in the same category, NB905, Adizero Tempo, saucony tangent.

take a look at the mizuno musha, it's like a elixir but lighter. but it is still ugly.

I race in the musha 2. Do you do all of your training in the Musha?

I think the musha 2's are pretty ugly. However, I like the looks of the musha 3's. Matter of opinion i guess.

i now do most of my running in the musha3. occasionally, when i feel beat up i run in the elixir. or if it's muddy and i'm going up something steep i'll wear either elixir or the acsend (clunky but good grip).

As others mentioned the DS trainers seemed to change in the spring of

2007. They just stopped fitting right on me. Before that i swore by

them.

luckily someone in the shoe store recommended the elixir. i was

skeptical at first because of the plastic wave, but they turned out to

work great for me. So i have been wearing them for the past 4 years

now.

The latest 2011 spring model (is it elixir 7?) , i forgot which number

it is, is pretty good. When i first got it, it didn't feel quite

right. It seemed too roomy in the front and the heel seemed to come up

too far on my heel. It also seemed like it had a bit too much support

and my peroneal tendon got sore for the first couple days... but.... i

think things have now worked out after that first two weeks. i think

my feet had just adjusted too much to my worn out 2010's (elixir 6).

In any case i am a big fan of the elixir. They have a nice firm ride

and not too big of a heal to toe height difference. but my main reason for being slightly on the minimalist side of the spectrum is firmness of a shoe. there is nothing that messes up my

stride more than a shoe that feels like a pillow. and unnessary support can also get to my knees

so went out for a few runs in the ds trainers, after several years in the elixirs

the DSs are definitely more built up and wider. huge honking piece of plastic around the midsole and some serious dual density foam. i'd say it's halfway between the 2100s and the elixirs.

not awful, but definitely not what I was looking for. seem quite different than the ds trainers i've seen over the years.

2011 is the Elixir 6. They have changed the fit slightly so that your foot sits deeper in the shoe. This results in a more secure heel fit and better accommodates orthotics. However, some people may want to go down a half-size from what you would normally wear.

are you talking about the new DS 16 or last year's DS 15?

I can't speak about the Elixir but I do agree that the DS trainer was a fantastic shoe but some of the later models have just not fit as well and feel different, definitely less responsive. I kept buying them out of tradition but I might give the Elixir a try given the praise they seem to get on here.