In production · trail · Trail / Daily · $90
Budget trail workhorse with decent grip and long wear.
Built for trail, daily, at a target pace of 9:30–12:30 /mi on trail.
Asics tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 29 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 500 miles from the outsole, about $0.18 per mile at $90.
For the foams and plates Asics uses across its line, read the Asics brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
300 g / 10.6 oz
25 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
29 mm
7 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$90
70 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~500 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Asics line it is heavier than the brand's median (268 g / 9.5 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Under Armour Bandit Trail 3
300 g / 10.6 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Hybrid trail trainer for gravel paths and light singletrack.
New Balance Shando
295 g / 10.4 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Aggressive-lugged trail shoe with a hiking-boot attitude.
Nike Juniper Trail 3
305 g / 10.8 oz · 32 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $90
Budget trail shoe for door-to-trail and groomed paths.
Salomon Pulsar
289 g / 10.2 oz · 29 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $140
Do-it-all daily trail trainer on optiFOAM at a friendlier price.