Asics GT 2000 4

This is my second pair of running shoes from Asics. I liked the first pair I had which made me repurchase these shoes in 2016.

The GT 2000-4 is the fourth version of the popular GT 2000 series from Asics. I wrote this review in January 2019 and had used the shoe a lot of miles these years.

Design

At first glance, one sees that the shoe has the classic side patterns for Asics. It also appears that it is a solid shoe with good shock absorption. 

Outsole

The outsole has a good grip that is suitable for varied running. The guidance line that runs all the way from toes to heel helps to distribute the pressure to your foot when striking the ground or pushing off.

My shoes are a little bit worn out on the picture, but it still works well on gravel and asphalt despite the worn outsole.

Midsole

The midsole is a twin-layer structure made of lightweight Solyte™ and high bounce SpEVA™. The cushioning properties of Solyte™ absorb impact when striking the ground, while the rebound qualities of SpEVA™ enhance movement into the next step.

Upper

It has a very durable mesh, and under that a liner, this upper has worked well for me in temperatures between -10˚C-30˚C and has never felt that I was freezing or sweating excessively despite cold or hot weather.

Fit

I have quite a normal width on my feet, and these shoes are perfect in size. Good space in the toe box and no rubbing against the foot at all. Also used my usual size in shoes, and they were good in length also.

Durability

The picture above says it all because of the durability of my GT 2000-4.  It's the absolute best I have experienced from all the shoes I have owned.  It had now logged 2087.2 km and stopped using them when I bought new shoes a few days ago.

I usually want my shoes to be able to withstand about 150 km (900 miles) of running which is a very high distance for shoes and so far, this is the only one who passed the distance.

As you can see in the picture below, the sole starts to get rather worn but cushioning and fit are still quite good. Although I notice that it has lost a lot of cushioning since it was new when testing my new shoes and compared them against each other.

I will keep the shoes and use for my daily walking or bike rides to work and back until the sole gives up completely.

And look at the shoe on all my pictures in this review, they are taken after 2087 km of running, looks like new almost on the upper.

Comfort

The shoes have a very good comfort with good shock absorption, and I have used them on all kinds of surfaces. I run on asphalt, gravel, forest paths, trails, ice, and snow. It was slightly slippery on ice but snow and terrain work just fine.

Despite worn outsoles, I ran 14 km with them on the snowy ground, and it was not slippery, just some when I crossed some icy spots I slipped a little.

It’s a perfect daily shoe, and it works for intervals, races, and long runs even if I might choose lighter shoes for short races.

Thumbs up

• Durable
• Versatile
• Stable

Thumbs down

• Nothing

Conclusion

Asics GT 2000-4 is a shoe that delivers more than I expected when I bought them, it has good shock absorption, good fit and can be used for both competition and recovery and short or long runs. This is definitely a shoe I recommend if you want a versatile shoe with very good durability.

The ASICS GT 2000-4 inspires confidence.

When looking at these shoes, you can see the quality construction in every area from materials, stitching, padding and reflective strips.

This shoe has been a long time in the evolutionary process, changing a little every year and getting better with each new version.

Breathability

These are the shoes you pack when space is limited to only one pair. I ran in Tanzania for 3 weeks in January.

Around and around the orphanage not wanting to stray too far, on earth ground almost to fine dust by civilization dating way, way back in time and yet these shoes are still sure-footed on every surface and vented well for the African summertime heat.

I often look forward to upgrading my present shoes for an even better experience but with the Asics GT 2000, there seems to be no place to go from here. The ASICS GT 2000 shoes are much better than the GT 1000 while being just as good as the much more expensive Kayano.

A bit stiff, a little heavy, but at the end of a half marathon I am still standing and walking around without obvious distress or looking like something awful just happened to me.

The GT 2000 is well suited for 148 pounders like myself to perhaps anyone well over 200 pounds

In preparation for the recent half marathon, I replaced the standard inserts with the more cushioned inserts from an older pair of ASICS Nimbus, changing the GT2000-4 into something more of a cruiser or long-distance model.

Safety

Due to a lack of reflective material on so many shoes these days, I usually use 3M reflective material and reflective laces.

The standard ASICS shoelaces are more stretchy and better suited for an actual race. Nothing is more important than safety when running in the darkness!

Bottomline

A clean, good looking and well-designed workhorse of a shoe that is perhaps the best designed go-to shoe for most types of runners.

The Asics GT models are great shoes but not as quiet as the Asics Nimbus or Flux models. These are an excellent value even at the full retail price.
Changes are so subtle each year than last year's model could be the best deal of the year!