Australian Triathlete — December 2017

52 | AustrAliAn triAthlete

teCh talk

R OAd test

ASICS® DynAFlyte ™ 2

A lightweight, neutral trainer

Women Men

Weight: 204g* 250g**

Heel Height: 19mm 25mm

Forefoot Height: 11mm 17mm

Heel Drop: 8mm 8mm

Note: this is said to be a lower heel drop -

http://www.gearinstitute.com/getschooled/item/

what-is-heel-drop

AsICs® dynAFLyTe ™ 2

WoMen’s And Men’s

$220 AUD

http://www.asics.com/au

T

his time last year we reviewed

the Asics DynaFlyte. It was an

entirely new shoe, from the

ground up, for Asics and one,

which, we felt, was a big step forward.

Fast-forward twelve months, and we

are reviewing the DynaFlyte 2. A year on,

has there been a significant change in the

DynaFlyte? Well first off, we absolutely

loved version one, so much so that it really

became our go-to trainer for most sessions.

Having said that it’s always a nervous time

when you test the new version of a product

you have loved in the past.

As seems to be the case with most

shoes we test nowadays, upon opening

the box, we were greeted with a pristine

pair of black runners. Our test model were

black with a white heal cup, which is quite

striking. You can also get black with an

electric blue heal cup, which looks

seriously cool.

Let’s get into the difference between

version one and two - in short, there isn’t a

lot of difference, but what they have done

are definite improvements. Basically, the

upper has been changed. It’s still a seamless

mesh upper, but now it somehow feels like

it moulds to your foot better and supports

you through the stride in a better way.

Also, the toecap is softer and internal now,

rather than external, which is nicer

aesthetically more than anything. The

other noticeable thing about the upper is

that it breaths better. Over a number of runs

varying from five to 15km, it was noticeable

that the shoes were cooler than the first

edition. These are all quite nice little

improvements without detracting what we

loved about the original DynaFlyte.

Looking at the sole, and as far as we

can tell there is no change here. Everything

looks and feels the same as the original.

They still use the FoamFlyte technology

from the first edition, which is apparently

55% lighter than the EVA foam previously

used. And the shoe is light, - very light at

250g, which is about 20g lighter than the

last model. As the sole hasn’t noticeably

changed, we can presume this is down to

the redesigned upper.

One of the great things about the

DynaFlytes are the inners - silky smooth,

and one of the most comfortable shoes to

run in without socks. We were very relieved

to find that the latest version has retained

that feature, making it close to the perfect

triathlon shoe.

Well, we couldn’t just look at this pair

of shoes - we had to take them out for a

few kilometres. Having put about five

weeks of running into the DynaFlyte 2’s it’s

really just like being reacquainted with an

old friend. Everything is pretty familiar.

While the overall fit is slightly changed, for

the better, the run itself is pretty much the

same. It’s like running on clouds. Your foot

never moves in this shoe, with the great

heal cup that seems to mould to, and

hold, your foot with just the right amount

of firmness to the light mesh upper that

provides support but allows your foot to

spread naturally. Couple that with a sole

that both absorbs a great deal of shock

and gives a little back, the DynaFlyte can

pretty much handle any distance or

session. Our longest run was only 15km

this time around but was fine, whether the

session was a speed session or and long

slow run. If you like to run the same shoe

for racing and training, then this is a

fantastic option.

Overall, the DynaFlyte 2 is another well

thought out shoe from Asics and builds

on the reputation of the first edition. So, if

you are in the market for a good,

lightweight, neutral trainer, jump into a

pair of these.

Men’s

(*original DynaFlyte™ = 221g)

(**original DynaFlyte™ = 270g)

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