The GT-2000 7 felt harsh and stiff underfoot—a true Asics’s fan’s Asics. This new shoe still feels responsive, but the touchdown is buttery smooth, thanks to a thick slab of lower-density foam under the heel. It serves to absorb impact forces as you roll through your stride. Once onto your forefoot , a layer of the company’s EVA-based FlyteFoam provides the rest of the cushioning until toe-off.
“My favorite feature about the shoe is the heel cushioning,” said one tester. “It provides enough to ease the impact, but does not make me feel slow.” However, the same tester said she thought the forefoot felt too harsh; RW Shoe Lab data confirmed her observation, with the GT-2000 8 registering significantly higher cushioning scores in the heel.The two-layer mesh upper is narrow at the midfoot and wide in the forefoot, letting your toes splay out while holding your arch in place.
With my history of lower-leg injuries, multiple physicians have told me I should be wearing stability shoes, and I ignore their advice because stability shoes tend to feel clunky and unnatural. The GT-2000 8 is different in that it barely feels like a stability shoe. With softer foam and fewer layers of it, the new shoe feels a bit more flexible and a lot more forgiving. Yet I still feel supported beneath my arch .
Despite the ample foam, the GT-2000 8 doesn’t quite feel soft; I’d call the ride comfortably responsive. The upper is fantastic, bucking the trend of floppy, single-layer knit and instead swaddling your foot in a substantial, dual-layer mesh. The anatomical cut renders a secure fit, and the upper is padded where it needs to be for absolute comfort. It could be lighter or more breathable, but it ventilates well enough and excels at its principle job of keeping you comfortable and sure-footed.
It’s not a shoe of superlatives. If you’re looking for lightness and soft, cloud-like foam, we review go-fast
Bought mine today. Felt good in the store but we will see how they perform on the road.