mzungo product review: ASICS GEL-DS Trainer 15

This week one of the most famous and prestigious running shoes arrived at the mzungo headquarter Americas: the latest ASICS GEL-DS Trainer. We know only few long time runners or triathletes who have never set foot in a DS Trainer.

After running in clunky kicks for years, I remember the revelation when putting on my first DS Trainer: it was in Taupo a few days before the 2000 Ironman New Zealand. Back then, it must have been the fourth version or so of the DS Trainer.

From thereon, I continued buying the updates for a few years. What used to be my racing shoe, slowly became my to go-to shoe for daily training. It must have been in 2006 or so, when the DS Trainer and I fell out of love. I had moved on and now spend my runs with slimmer and lighter kicks.

It may well have been partly her fault given that she turned a little beefier while she matured. Call me superficial but when it comes to running shoes, weight does matter. Of course, she continued adding all these fancy new features. But they somewhat didn't do it for me. I wanted her skinny as in the old days. While I could clearly see that I wasn't alone with that sentiment, there were many new potential lovers lining up and ready to take over.

Now that we haven't seen each other for quite some time, I was of course curious how she was doing these days. It felt a bit like a college reunion. Our friends at ASICS sent me her bio before the party:

"While the GEL-DS Trainer® 14 stayed true to this concept, the shoe was essentially re-invented with new tooling elements and a progressive upper construction. The response from fans of the shoe was universally positive. “Why mess with success?” we say. So for 2010, the series will stay the course with only minimal tweaks and some new lightweight materials."

"Lightweight materials" - intriguing. Is she back to her old self?

"What’s New?
Those in the ‘Please don’t change this shoe!” crowd will be happy to hear that the GEL-DS Trainer® 15 will carry over the tooling elements from the prior model. This set-up is a reprise of the near-perfect blend of old specs and new materials. Specifically, the tooling specs (tooling height and base width) match those of the series’ most popular model, the GEL-DS Trainer® 7."

Aaah, the 7. Now we're talking. She is re-inventing herself. The old trick. Gotta love women.


"The Space Trusstic System® improves on the shoe’s midfoot stability and includes the Gender Specific Space Trusstic System® on the women’s model. The forefoot features the DuoSole® outsole that gives the shoe its name; made from with a combination of blown rubber and Wet Grip®. Wet Grip® is partially comprised of organic material (rice husks) and provides a soft, traction oriented road feel along with improved durability. In addition, platform comfort is ensured by a combination of one-density memory foam sockliner and Solyte® 55 lasting material."

Admittedly, I am a bit drowsy after all these fancy ® words. However, "Wet Grip" definitely caught my attention. In the good old days she used to have this sweet forefoot sole that had a tremendous grip. On the track it felt almost like wearing spikes.

"The upper is all-new but maintains the fit features that runner’s loved on the GEL-DS Trainer® 14. This includes a return to the lasting used on the DS Trainer® 7 for a true-to-size fit. The new design maintains an open vamp with minimal overlays to ensure a great fit, while the heel collar heights have been lowered 2mm to prevent irritation. The lacing system follows an anatomically correct path from the top of the instep to the big toe, the integral concept behind ASICS proprietary Asymmetrical Lacing Design. Gilled Mesh on the quarter-panels returns as well. This unique mesh actually pulls air inside the upper during the swing phase of gait, keeping the foot cooler and more comfortable."

Ok. Noted.

"Those that feel uppers don’t contribute to the overall ride of the shoe should think again. Great care was taken on this update to employ lightweight upper materials, an effort that resulted in a half ounce drop in weight to 10.1 oz. This is a remarkable weight for a support shoe and contributes in a big way to the road feel and overall performance. Just another reason why fans of the series will love this update."

She lost some weight. I like that. The fact that she's still on the slightly heavy side - my current shoes weigh half that - is a bit disappointing but she might move into the right direction.

"With the carry-over tooling, this update will to have the responsive but plush road feel that runners love about the GEL-DS Trainer® 14. The Wet Grip® outsole provides a quick, tacky road feel and adds to the overall platform comfort. The upper fits true-to-size and will feel more open through the toe box, while the heel will feel more ‘locked in’. Like the previous version, it is important to remember that this shoe is built on a modified racing last, so the fit will remain relatively narrow."

When I took her out of the box, she indeed felt and looked a bit chubbier than I had hoped. Mind you though, I have been fooling around with skinny race flats mostly recently. Also, at first glance, her looks didn't really blow me away.
However, the moment I started twisting and turning her around, I got it. The lime green parts are very trendy indeed. ASICS clearly is a step ahead of NIKE with hitting the right tone of this colour.

Things improved further when I had a look at the "Wet Grip". Yes! This is it!
Almost, at least, as only roughly half of the forefoot is covered with it unlike in the distant past. But hey, ASICS seems to acknowledge what was good and maybe they bring more of that back?

Also, the sole seems very durable. This is appreciated as former DS Trainers have suffered in this area.

When I put her on, I knew instantly that the past would not (and maybe could not) be brought back to the present. A very structured ride is not what I am looking for. That said, the more mature DS Trainers will indeed look VERY attractive to the Kayano and 2100er devotees. Meanwhile, the old DS Trainers' sprit will be kept alive in the Speedstars and Banditos. But who knows what the future will really bring? Women never fail to surprise and impress.

mzungo.org says:
If you can't ever imagine running in a racing flat but you don't want to run the marathon in your Kayanos either, check her out. She might give you that distinct race day feel while always caring for you at the same time.
And you racing flat fanatics out there, who secretly crave a shoulder to lean on from time to time: the ASICS GEL-DS Trainer 15 brings enough lifetime experience to show you things you may have thought never existed.
Get it on Eastbay - free shipping!