SAUCONY OMNI ISO 2
PRICE: $130 | TYPE: Road
WEIGHT: 11.0 oz (M), 9.0 oz (W) | DROP: 8 mmIs stability dead? Dying?
Are more subtle fea-
tures, like the guide
rails that Brooks uses,
the next best thing?
Until shoe designers,
biomechanists, and
runners settle on an
answer, some shoe com-
panies, like Saucony,
are sticking to the old
formula with a medial
post because they know
some runners want and
need extra support.
The Omni is a stability
trainer in the truest
sense. Like the previous
version, it has a f lexible
outsole with a lot of
rubber for dependable
traction, an ISOFit
upper that adapts to
your foot, and multi-
layer cushioning for a abuse.”—A.F.STABLE
Asics’s marquee sta-
bility shoe gets a few
modest updates. The
new shoe is engineered
to be softer without
sacrificing stability; our
testers said the cush-
ioning felt substantial
but firm. The Flyte-
Foam Propel material
beneath the footbed is
an EVA-rubber blend
that provides rebound,
and the visible gel in
the heel is reshaped
but still reduces the
impact forces as you
land, just like the previ-
ous versions. A plastic
truss supports a high-
density-foam medial
post beneath your arch,
which delivers effective
stability but isn’t over-powering. The upper
features a new pattern
for the engineered mesh
and added reinforce-
ment to the external
heel counter; a diagonal
support now secures
the heel bone. The foam
padding in the ankle
collar is extra plush,
and padding in the top
of the tongue prevents
tight lacing from put-
ting too much pressure
on the ankle. The
Kayano isn’t as livelyslack.—D.R.ASICS GEL-KAYANO 26
PRICE: $160 | TYPE: Road
WEIGHT: 11.0 oz (M), 9.2 oz (W) | DROP: 10 mmCHEVRON-SHAPED
GROOVES HELP
THE FOREFOOT
BEND EASIER.54 RUNNERSWORLD.COM