Good for the Road
This affordable neutral shoe had testers raving about its plush cushioning. It was easily the softest of our test but somehow found a way to impress everyone, from our heavier, slower runners to our faster, svelter ones. The reason: For all the shock absorption, the Gel-Pulse still has impressive rebound in both forefoot and rear, and a noticeably easy heel-to-toe transition we appreciated on both long training runs and shorter up-tempo efforts. Credit goes to ASICS’s Lite SpEVA foam, which felt more pillowy and livelier than standard EVA. “After a 4.5-mile descent, all the joints and muscles in my feet felt totally fresh,” said one tester. The upper is comfy and secure, but fits narrow feet best. 11.5 oz;