Regular readers of SJAL will know that I’m a big fan of ASICS trainers. You might find it ludicrous to spend more than £50 on a pair of running shoes, but if those shoes are going to see you through 4 months of training and a marathon without wearing away or causing an injury, then you’d expect to pay a little more wouldn’t you?

At around £90 a pair of ASICS Gel DS 14′s are near the top end of the ASICS Gel range. To a layman the technical specs of these trainers won’t mean much; they are fitted with a space trustic, gilled mesh, solyte, durasponge and an impact guidance system. Maybe if ASICS hadn’t spent all that money registering patents the trainers might have come cheaper?

The DS 14′s are built for the mild over-pronator and (if you get the size right) fit like an absolute glove. If you have claustrophobic feet then go for half a size bigger than usual or choose another model. They are incredibly light when on and even to hold and I like the design. The version for women shows a little less black and a little more pink. These shoes boast a gender specific space trustic (changing the shape of the space around the arch of the foot) which accommodates the over-pronation more likely to be found with the female running style. Apparently it’s due to the larger hips…

As an over-pronator you’d expect to find plenty of (durasponge) cushioning with these trainers, but the DS 14′s also have a harder material on the outside edge of the foot, which normally tends to wear faster with an over-pronating style. This apparently grips better in the wet too.

Overall, the trainers perform very well, look great and are very comfortable. But for £90 I might have expected to see a little more extravagance with the design (possibly a flamboyantly designed heel or some titanium flugelbinders). Never mind…

Sir Win A Lot

Fancy winning a pair of these bad boys*? Thanks to the people at Fitness Footwear, Sir Jog A Lot is offering the chance to win a pair of ASICS Gel DS 14′s, worth £90, to one lucky reader and all you have to do is answer this question:

Which trainers did SJAL buy to train in and eventually run the London Marathon 2009?

A. ASICS Gel Foundation 8

B. ASICS Gel Speedstar 3

C. ASICS Gel 1140

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.
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