Last month I purchased some new shoes. Many times I’ve mentioned that I’m an Asics girl, I’ve had the same shoes for the past 10 years. I branched out (a little) and tried a new series by Asics. I got advice from Second Sole that the GEL-DS Trainer 16 was a good racing flat. So I bit the bullet, paid a little more money than expected and figured I’d give it a shot.

So I put them to the test. First I took them for a run on the treadmill. They were way too clean to take out in the mud. Whoa! These shoes are so light. I definately didn’t expect to notice such a difference. I felt like I was able to run faster than before. I even pushed up the incline and had a big boost of confidence.

Second test was taking them out on the bike. I don’t have real biking shoes so I’ve been using my running shoes, which are pretty bulky. The shoes again were lightweight and stayed on the pedals just fine. I don’t plan on buying shoes for the bike for a while, so this is a great option to have in between.

Third test was taking these shoes to the street. I’ve hesitated on this just because I hate the first time shoes get dirty, but after that I’ll be the first to run through a puddle. I took them out Monday to do those easy miles I originally planned, but in the short time I had them on, I felt like they were great shoes to really take to the streets and race in.

Overall, I love these shoes. They’re so light I feel like I’m running barefoot. The laces are on a slight diagonal slant so it doesn’t put too much pressure on the top of my foot. They also have a weird cut out in the back of the shoe, but I think it helps to provide a little bit of support lower in the heel. They give enough support that my ankles are rolling around. Plus the comfort level is way up there. These shoes are an A+ in my book, so go check them out!