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Phoenix Articles - Asics 1110

If you have never run with a stability shoe before it comes as a bit of a surprise. Having switched over from the neutral New Balance SL2 last based line to the Asics1100 line was a jump based on advice from my podiatrist. As a very fussy shoe purchaser it took a very long time to settle on the Asics 1110 – almost an hour and a half of sorting through different brands and taking quick jogs at Boutique Endurance on St. Denis in Montreal.

The real test of a shoe though is not in the store and that is always the problem. How will the shoe run over the course of an hour or hour and a half run? Will it run short coming down hills? Will the stability features change the way you run? Will the change in the feel of the heel well lead to problems? As a part time hypochondriac and full time worrier all these things concerned me.

Let’s start with the basics. Making a switch to the 1110 was a shock to my system. My knees ached the following day and that was after only a 12K run through the woods. What would happen on long runs? I decided to take them out again on a road workout logging another 14K on a virtually flat road run. The feel of a stability shoe is different from the fell of a neutral shoe. Cushioning is not an issue. The 1110 is not as puffy feeling as the New Balance 880/881 model (something which I like) but it still a comfortable cushioning – closer to New Balance than Saucony in terms of comfort. The mesh uppers are very flexible and have a good give while still holding your foot in place in the shoe. The difference in feel comes from the inward roll that many runners experience when the foot moves through a stride. That roll is corrected with this shoe and for anyone who has been running for a while you notice the difference almost immediately.

It took a while to get used to and lead to a situation where I alternated between my New Balance 881 for speed work, New Balance 880 for long runs and the Asics for shorter easy runs (no more than 16K) as my body got used to the shoe. Once your body has adapted to the change in shoe though there is absolutely nothing to say that is negative about these shoes. They are light weight, responsive, well cushioned and control mild pronation very well. At $149.00 they are a tad on the expensive side but it’s hard to find a good shoe that isn’t these days.