Miscellany: ASICS GT-2130 running shoes

Compared to other athletic shoe companies that sell products in the United States, ASICS keeps a low profile. They sell most of their shoes in Japan and Europe, so you don't see quite the same volume of glitzy TV commercials from ASICS as you do from Nike or Reebok. Even the meaning of the company name, "A sound mind in a sound body," seems out of place in an athletic market where burly slogans like "Just do it" and "Is it in you?" sell products.

It's probably ASICS' low profile that caused me to pass them by in previous trips for shoes. I broke the streak, though, and bought my first pair of ASICS about six months ago - a pair of GT-2130s. These are "stability" running shoes, offering mild to moderate support for overpronators like me. I found them on sale at Sports Authority, and after six months of regular use as both a running shoe and an everyday sneaker, I feel like I'm qualified to talk about them.

First of all, the GT-2130s are pretty comfortable shoes. The gel cushioning is immediately noticeable when you put them on for the first time, though I suppose some people might not like the "padded" feel. The shoe breathes well and responds okay to inclement weather; I even ran with them a few miles in a rainstorm with no major problems.

I find the toebox a little too roomy, and the frontsole and heel are too wide for my feet. The GT-2130 is also fairly heavy compared to my last pair of running shoes. the Nike Air Zoom. Overall, though, I'm pleased with how the shoes have held up (that grey-striped section of the sole is rigid and tough) and would buy ASICS products in the future.