The ASICS GlideRide is probably the closest I will get to a super shoe this year and it is one that is becoming a bit of an enigma for me. As I go over 200 miles in them, they are showing a bit of a split personality.

The first 175 miles or so, I was in love with the GlideRides. They were doing everything that I wanted from my easy and long run shoes, my 100 mile review was very positive. My feet felt good in them and I didn’t worry about how they would feel on a run, I could just run.

Upper/Fit

The size 8.0 is my true to fit size and has worked for me. Although they are the tiniest bit snug for my right foot, it wasn’t uncomfortably snug, just enough to remind that anything more than that and it wouldn’t be great. If I was to get another pair I would try on an a size 8.5 just to see what the differences are before I got them.

The upper on the GlideRides are probably the best one I have worn this year or maybe even the past couple of years. One of the things that I like the most is that the heel cup has that positive ASICS thunk and you know your heels are locked in.

Outsole

While the outsole is okay, it is not a true multipurpose outsole and I had issues when I had to run in snowy or muddy conditions with the GlideRides. The grip does not have a great grip due to the lugs being too shallow and close together. Yes, they are primarily a road shoe, so this was not really surprising and on roads or wet tar, I had very few problems. Although on the dirt roads that I run a lot due to the stack height in the heel, running on the rockier sections could be a bit of an adventure.

On dry or groomed trails they would do okay, but any technical or wet trail/dirt roads I would want different shoes on. Wear on the outsole was about what I expect at 200 miles and have plenty of tread left to get past 400 miles.

Ride/Feel

The cushioning was great and the while the rocker in the forefoot took a little getting used, it didn’t cause any issues after the first couple of miles. The ride, heel-to-toe transitions were all great and the cushioning was that Goldilocks feel of “just right” for me.

Running in the GlideRides was what I wanted from a pair of daily trainers.

If I had written this review at around 175 miles, the GlideRides would have been the top contender for my running shoe of the year honors.

The Bad?

Unfortunately, around that mileage the GlideRides my ankles started to bother me. Initially, I put it off to just my old basketball injuries to my ankles finally catching up with me and the dirt road down-back being in rough shape, but when I gave the GlideRides some time off and ran in other shoes, my ankles stopped bothering and then when I started running in them again, they began to act up again.

hmmmmmm 1 + 1 = sometimes equals 2

Also the ankle discomfort/pain is eerily similar to the issue that I had back in 2017 after running for a couple of months in running shoes that also had a very aggressive front rocker. It took almost 3 months to get back to running normal for me and I do not want to go through that ordeal again.

Some Research

For the past week I have done a little digging around the Internet, the ASICS website and went back to the Doctors of Running review of the GlideRide, which was one of the reviews that I read multiple times before getting them.

When I went to the ASICS product site for the GlideRides this is what it said:

The GLIDERIDE™ shoe helps you run longer while expending less energy. GUIDESOLE™ technology in the sole is the key function in the GLIDERIDE™ shoe. Improved cushioning, which is a result of FLYTEFOAM® technology and GEL® technology cushioning also helps reduce the overall load on the foot. The stiff forefoot and dynamically curved sole increase running efficiency by reducing the movement of the ankle joint. Additionally, the shoe’s center of mass is closer to the heel, so it’s easier to swing the foot forward. The rolling motion you feel in this shoe actually propels the foot forward for increased efficiency by reducing the forward movement of the ankle. This lets you run farther with less effort. The GLIDERIDE™ shoe with GUIDESOLE™ technology lets you conserve energy for efficient runs.

QUOTED FROM ASICS.COM HTTPS://WWW.ASICS.COM/US/EN-US/GLIDERIDE/P/ANA_1011B060-001.HTML?WIDTH=STANDARD

Supposedly the reduction in the movement of the ankle should be a good thing for someone who’s physical therapist claimed that I had ankles that were as flexible as 2 2x4s nailed together. Evidently, my running form is a cluster and now I am paying the price for it.

Now I am not saying that the GlideRides are the only cause for my ankles bothering, as an aging runner you get used to various aches and pains from abusing…err injuries you have had happen to your body in the past. However, it seems that lately when I run in them the ankles bother a lot more than when running in other running shoes this year.

When I went back and reread some of my log entries, I have also been complaining that I am fighting the shoes more and more versus being able to just run in them.

Lately the GlideRides almost feel as though they are guiding me to run with a particular gait to be the most efficient in those shoes, which doesn’t quite match what my body prefers, which includes a definite toe-off which is more difficult in a running shoes with an aggressively rockered forefoot and I have a feeling that is at least part of the issue I am having.

The Reality is that

I like the fit, feel and the way the GlideRides performed for me up until I had about 175 miles on them. Then I began to have ankle issues, which initially was more of a distraction and didn’t really stop me from running in them. Unfortunately, the discomfort levels are continuing to increase when I do run in them.

My personal running style with a hard toe-off, combined with the aggressive forefoot rocker of the GlideRide, the ankles had enough of the gait guidance and everything finally caught up to me. Well, they caught up with my ankles.

This does suck, because the GlideRides were exactly what I was looking for in a daily trainer, recovery and long run shoe. Great fitting, comfortable easy riding and didn’t encourage me to run faster on those days. They would never be speed demons due to the weight, but at the same time the GlideRides are a nice feeling running shoe that did everything that I wanted, until the ankle issues cropped up.

Which means for some reason or other the GlideRides are not the correct shoe for me and the way I run. Yes, it sucks, because I know without a doubt there is at least another 200 miles of running left in them, but if I cannot run comfortably in them – then I will not.

For now, I am going to put them in the shoe rack in the back of the garage, wait a month or two and then bring them back out to try again. Hopefully, whatever is going on between them and my ankles has resolved itself and they can return to my shoe rotation, because I do like them a LOT.

If they continue to bother me they will go away and someone else will get a chance to use them for the next 200 miles that are left in them.

The really sad thing is that they are a great shoe and I have a feeling it is just a me problem with the ankles and the GlideRides not working with my gait.

Back to the drawing board and I am still searching for that great daily trainer that just works well for me.