A few weeks ago, my mom, aunt, and I held a yard sale to try and minimize the amount of stuff we had. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for nice things, mementos, and what not… but if there’s one thing that drives me nuts, it’s clutter. And the one area that was definitely becoming cluttered was my shoe shelf.

It’s one thing if you’re an elite runner, and you have a wall room of fame with every shoe you’ve ever run in, every medal you’ve ever won, and race photos from floor to ceiling. (Spirit of a Marathon…? Anyone??) But when you’re a “normal” runner, who goes through 3 to 4 pairs of shoes annually, and has been running since the age of 12, you probably don’t need to hold on to all of them. Yeah… I had a lot of shoes to clear out.

It’s wasn’t like an episode of Hoarders… a bunch of them I’ve donated to shoe reuse programs to get a discount on the new shoes. A particular two pairs had been thrown directly in the trash after mud-runs. One [semi-clean] expired pair is kept for walking, and another [not-as-clean] expired pair is kept for mowing the lawn. Just one pair – my very first ever pair of “real” running shoes – is being kept for memories sake. But all the rest of those still usable / no holes / not suitable for running / but still in decent shape running shoes? Time to move on.

Asics 21??s, a la 2008

Now I really wish I had taken a picture… There were probably 10 pairs of miniature Asics. One pair of New Balance, one pair of Nike, and two different Adidas. All with different colors, from different seasons, and different memories. As I set each pair, with their little $1 or $2 price tag, out on the driveway, I got to take a jog down memory lane…

• my first half marathon
• my first marathon
• my PR marathon – the shoes I FORGOT at home the day before the marathon
• the XC seasons I took All-City
• the XC season that Asics were back-ordered, and I had to get an emergency different brand shoe the day before a meet…
• … which shortly thereafter led to my first stress fracture
• the shoes I was wearing when I found out about my hip fracture, and took that “last fateful run“
• the shoes I was wearing for what will very likely be my last full marathon
• my first triathlon
• Ragnar Relay
• the shoes I ran in when I studied in Spain
• the shoes I ran in all over Puerto Rico

(Out with the old, in with the new. (L) Asics DS Trainer 14… 2009. (R) Asics 2140s I think… 2010.)

Luckily, I have lots of photos to remind me of these [mostly] wonderful moments… so by getting rid of the shoes I’m only sharing a little bit of what I love with someone else. On the second day of the sale, a neighbor lady stopped by who works with Mano a Mano – a non-profit organization that partners with Bolivian communities to improve health and well-being. Of all the shoes that were still left, I was more than happy to donate them to Mano a Mano to help support their mission. (We were also able to give a few winter jackets, and I got to unload TWO pairs of crutches, a walking boot, an air cast, and a wrist splint. Wooohh!!) It made me feel really good at the end of the day to know what we donated was going to be put to good use.

So now that the athletic-shoe stash has gone from 20+ to less than I can count on one hand… what am I running in?

You probably have heard by now – I have Asics tattooed on my heart. (Metaphor mom… don’t worry. No new ink.) Matter of fact… do an Asics search on my blog and you’ll get three full pages of results. For a long time, I ran in the 21xx series. But after becoming a little more efficient, and a little faster, I decided it was a touch too much shoe. I moved over to the DS Trainer, which I loved. And still do! (I mean… you care about something for so long, it’s not like I just have an “off switch” and can forget about you overnight.) But finally – after so many years – I think I’ve found “the one”…

Asics DS Sky Speed

(Not to be confused with the Hyper Speed, which is pretty sweet racing flat.)

The Asics Sky Speed is a neutral shoe, and considered a “race-inspired” training flat. The women’s SS weighs in at 7.9 oz, while the men’s weighs in at 9.8 oz. (Hahaa… big-footed suckas!!) ((Kidding. Totally kidding.))

The Asics DS Sky Speed is in the same family as the DS trainer, and shares many common features. Both the SS and the DST have the Impact Guidance System (I.G.S.®), Guidance Line™, Propulsion Trusstic®, Gender Specific Space Trusstic System®, Biomorphic Fit ® upper, and asymmetrical lacing.

The biggest differences between the two shoes are that while the DST has a touch of support, the SS is neutral. The SS is more flexible. The SS is slightly lighter than the DST (0.6 oz difference for las mujeres, 0.2 oz difference for los hombres). And the upper on the SS is more minimal. (More minimal…? It’s less.) Put simply, the SS is essentially the old (around version 14) DST, without a medial post.

To summarize my thoughts on the Sky Speed: I love it. I love the way it hugs my foot through the midsole. I love the minimal-ness of the upper, because really, what does the upper do for you anyways besides add unnecessary weight? For my style of running, I think it provides just the right “amount of shoe” under my foot.

If you a wide foot, or need an extra-roomy toe box, I would say this shoe is not for you. If you are looking for a shoe as minimal as the NB Minimus, or even the Brooks Green Silence, then I think you’d say the SS is “too much.”

HOWEVER… if you are looking for a comfy, neutral, flexible, light weight trainer (and you like neon), then you have a winner!!

Reader Qs:

• Have you found that one true love – the shoe that has always worked for you, time and time again?
• Do you bounce around from brand to brand? Or have one brand for flats, one for trainers, one for spikes, etc.? Or are you loyal to one brand and one brand only?
• What shoe are you currently running in? What do you think about it?
• I have not tried the Asics Speed Star… but if anyone else has, I would really love to hear your take on it!! How does it compare to the DST or the SS?  (I know… DS Trainer, DS Sky Speed, Hyper Speed, and Speed Star. All very confusing/very clever.)

That’s all I got for you today! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer (except for the 18 readers I have in Australia, 8 in Malaysia, 5 in Singapore, all the rest in the southern hemisphere who are currently enjoying WINTER. Jeeez I love Google Analytics!!) and enjoying life.

-E

p.s. If you’re at all interested in donating, volunteering, or simply learning more about Mano a Mano, please check out their website HERE!

p.s.s. Legal disclaimer!! This post was in no way compensated for, persuaded by, or influenced by Asics America. All reviews and opinions in this post are based on my own experiences with the above mentioned shoes, which were purchased at my own expense.