Nike Lunarglide + 2 Review
by Run Medic
5/4/11
Although Nike has made the Lunar midsole material stiffer and more responsive since the material's debut a few years ago, the Nike Lunarglide + 2 has a nice, soft feel without being too soft. The Lunar foam was quite responsive, springy and supportive, and turned out to be tremendously durable in the long run (oh, what a pun!). I enjoyed the excellent stability, but some people tell me that they thought it could use some more. To this, I say it probably is just a personal preference issue, and that trying the shoe on in the store before buying will alleviate any questions about the stability.
The Lunarglide + 2 has exactly the same midsole as the Lunarglide + 1, but the fit of the upper has definitely been improved, thanks to the new criss-crossing Flywire design. The Flywire does a great job locking the foot in place, without it being too tight or "cramped." I thought the upper was sufficiently supportive, but I have had people who tried the shoe comment on the lack of support in the forefoot. I suspect this is because the toebox is a bit too wide, and people incorrectly latch onto that, thinking it is a support issue.
I usually am not fond of pronounced heel cups in running shoes, but the Nike did it right here. The heel is nice and narrow, but seems to conform to anyone's heel (a good thing). I have had people with larger heels and smaller heels tell me the heel cup was perfect, so I guess there is something special about this cup.
I occasionally have trouble with the tongues of Nike running shoes, as they tend to bunch up on me when I go for a long run. To my relief, the tongue used in the Lunarglide + 2 is almost perfect and does not bunch up at all. My only problem is that it is too long. I feel that there is too much material above the Nike logo patch, and this bothered me when I wore low-cut or no-show socks. Wearing higher socks eliminated the problem, but I should be able to comfortably wear low-cut socks on a hot day worrying about chaffing.
Although the Lunarglide + 2 quite light, weighing in at 11.1 ounces, it feels unbalanced due to the lightness of the upper. This made me feel that the midsole was a little bit clunky, even though I knew it was not. This trainer turned out to be quite versatile, because people with arches of all sizes have complemented the Lunarglide + 2. It retails for $100.
5/4/11
Although Nike has made the Lunar midsole material stiffer and more responsive since the material's debut a few years ago, the Nike Lunarglide + 2 has a nice, soft feel without being too soft. The Lunar foam was quite responsive, springy and supportive, and turned out to be tremendously durable in the long run (oh, what a pun!). I enjoyed the excellent stability, but some people tell me that they thought it could use some more. To this, I say it probably is just a personal preference issue, and that trying the shoe on in the store before buying will alleviate any questions about the stability.
The Lunarglide + 2 has exactly the same midsole as the Lunarglide + 1, but the fit of the upper has definitely been improved, thanks to the new criss-crossing Flywire design. The Flywire does a great job locking the foot in place, without it being too tight or "cramped." I thought the upper was sufficiently supportive, but I have had people who tried the shoe comment on the lack of support in the forefoot. I suspect this is because the toebox is a bit too wide, and people incorrectly latch onto that, thinking it is a support issue.
I usually am not fond of pronounced heel cups in running shoes, but the Nike did it right here. The heel is nice and narrow, but seems to conform to anyone's heel (a good thing). I have had people with larger heels and smaller heels tell me the heel cup was perfect, so I guess there is something special about this cup.
I occasionally have trouble with the tongues of Nike running shoes, as they tend to bunch up on me when I go for a long run. To my relief, the tongue used in the Lunarglide + 2 is almost perfect and does not bunch up at all. My only problem is that it is too long. I feel that there is too much material above the Nike logo patch, and this bothered me when I wore low-cut or no-show socks. Wearing higher socks eliminated the problem, but I should be able to comfortably wear low-cut socks on a hot day worrying about chaffing.
Although the Lunarglide + 2 quite light, weighing in at 11.1 ounces, it feels unbalanced due to the lightness of the upper. This made me feel that the midsole was a little bit clunky, even though I knew it was not. This trainer turned out to be quite versatile, because people with arches of all sizes have complemented the Lunarglide + 2. It retails for $100.
Asics Gel-Pulse 3 Review
by Run Medic
5/3/11
Before I begin this review, I would like to preface it by saying that I tend to look for a shoe with a lighter, more minimal feel, while still having some cushioning, support, etc. To get an idea of what I am talking about, my ideal shoe would be somewhere between the Nike Lunarglide and the Vibram Five Fingers. For this reason, I sometimes steer away from Asics shoes.
That being said, I thought the Asics Gel Pulse 3 was a nice addition to the more traditionally structured (lots of cushioning, support, stability) Asics roster. While still having that plush-pillowy soft Asics feel, I did not find it too clunky or mushy, a problem I had with pretty much every model of the Gel-Nimbus series. I was surprised by the use of a SpEVA midsole material, because I became so accustomed to Asics' use of SoLyte, which I felt was sometimes too mushy. The SpEVA worked great for the shoe, because it did not feel too mushy, as it was than SoLyte. The use of SpEVA appears to have increased the durability of the midsole cushioning, but I am not 100% sure. Something I found interesting was that Asics decided to make the midsole thicker than usual in the forefoot, so the heel-to-toe drop-off was far more marginal than in other popular trainers they make. I liked this because the decreased drop-off made it easier to continue my normal gait, which includes me landing on my midfoot. When the heel-to-toe drop-off is to large, as in so many other Asics shoes, the heel is dramatically thicker than the forefoot, thus changing my gait and turning me into a heel-striker, which I find uncomfortable.
I absolutely loved the overlays and lacing pattern of the Gel-Pulse 3. They worked together to give my foot a nearly perfectly snug fit. I often have trouble with the fit of a shoe, and I thought the Gel-Pulse 3 was outstanding in this area. Something I did not like about the fit, however, was the part of the upper that wraps around the Achilles Tendon. I don't know what the official name for that is, but it prevented my heel from fitting right in the heel cup. This made the shoe feel a little bit floppy and loose back there, which was awkward since the forefoot area was so perfectly fitted. Of course, this is probably just me, since I hear so much positive feedback when Asics includes that in a shoe.
I may be a little off the mark on this one, but I was also a little uncomfortable with how Asics formulated the midsole. As a moderate supinator, I found that the Gel-Pulse 3's midsole seems to be constructed specifically for overpronators and neutral runners. Over course, this did not end up being a problem, it just took some getting used to. Another thing that took getting used to was the surpisingly high arch of the Gel-Pulse 3.
I was somewhat impressed at how light this trainer was. It is listed at 11.2 ounces, but because of how the weight is balanced, it felt more like it weighed around 10 ounces. I know this difference sounds marginal, but it makes a big difference for me, because I like shoes to feel like they are 10 ounces or lighter.
The Asics Gel-Pulse 3 is a surprisingly good trainer for its entry-level price. It retails for around $90.
5/3/11
Before I begin this review, I would like to preface it by saying that I tend to look for a shoe with a lighter, more minimal feel, while still having some cushioning, support, etc. To get an idea of what I am talking about, my ideal shoe would be somewhere between the Nike Lunarglide and the Vibram Five Fingers. For this reason, I sometimes steer away from Asics shoes.
That being said, I thought the Asics Gel Pulse 3 was a nice addition to the more traditionally structured (lots of cushioning, support, stability) Asics roster. While still having that plush-pillowy soft Asics feel, I did not find it too clunky or mushy, a problem I had with pretty much every model of the Gel-Nimbus series. I was surprised by the use of a SpEVA midsole material, because I became so accustomed to Asics' use of SoLyte, which I felt was sometimes too mushy. The SpEVA worked great for the shoe, because it did not feel too mushy, as it was than SoLyte. The use of SpEVA appears to have increased the durability of the midsole cushioning, but I am not 100% sure. Something I found interesting was that Asics decided to make the midsole thicker than usual in the forefoot, so the heel-to-toe drop-off was far more marginal than in other popular trainers they make. I liked this because the decreased drop-off made it easier to continue my normal gait, which includes me landing on my midfoot. When the heel-to-toe drop-off is to large, as in so many other Asics shoes, the heel is dramatically thicker than the forefoot, thus changing my gait and turning me into a heel-striker, which I find uncomfortable.
I absolutely loved the overlays and lacing pattern of the Gel-Pulse 3. They worked together to give my foot a nearly perfectly snug fit. I often have trouble with the fit of a shoe, and I thought the Gel-Pulse 3 was outstanding in this area. Something I did not like about the fit, however, was the part of the upper that wraps around the Achilles Tendon. I don't know what the official name for that is, but it prevented my heel from fitting right in the heel cup. This made the shoe feel a little bit floppy and loose back there, which was awkward since the forefoot area was so perfectly fitted. Of course, this is probably just me, since I hear so much positive feedback when Asics includes that in a shoe.
I may be a little off the mark on this one, but I was also a little uncomfortable with how Asics formulated the midsole. As a moderate supinator, I found that the Gel-Pulse 3's midsole seems to be constructed specifically for overpronators and neutral runners. Over course, this did not end up being a problem, it just took some getting used to. Another thing that took getting used to was the surpisingly high arch of the Gel-Pulse 3.
I was somewhat impressed at how light this trainer was. It is listed at 11.2 ounces, but because of how the weight is balanced, it felt more like it weighed around 10 ounces. I know this difference sounds marginal, but it makes a big difference for me, because I like shoes to feel like they are 10 ounces or lighter.
The Asics Gel-Pulse 3 is a surprisingly good trainer for its entry-level price. It retails for around $90.
