Over the last few years, my mid-long distance race shoe has been the Asics Gel Nimbus. As the fall marathon season approaches, I decided to break conformity and find a lighter/faster distance shoe. I read a lot of good things about the Speedstar-4’s, and decided to buy a pair as Runningwarehouse.com had the Speedstar’s on sale for $64.97; $20 cheaper than MSRP.

To accurately get a feel for the shoe at the appropriate distance, I took them out for 10 miles this morning. Instantly, I could tell the shoes were much lighter 9.0 oz (size 10) yet very soft on landing. Since these shoes were so cushiony, it felt as if I was bouncing around…after a few miles I was able to adjust my stride back to a more bio-mechanically-efficient gait. This was expected as there is less support built into performance shoes.

The toe box was very roomy, allowing for good flexibility through mid-stance and propulsion phase. With all the open mesh, your feet stay cool and dry. Asymmetrical lacing contours to your foot shape, allowing for a snug fit. Asics did go a great job on color scheme. Flame/Black with the distinctive Asics logo in silver, these shoes also have a black stripes with specs on color as a finishing touch.

Final words: The Speedstar’s are for a limited group of runners. If you suffer from overpronation beware, as these shoes will not give you the motion control you need. Additionally, the Speedstar is a very soft shoe, be prepared to feel the road.  They will not replace my everyday Gel Nimbus as trainers, as there is just not enough support.

Go.