Well you sound like a guy with a asics gel shoes scientific background, so maybe you can explain to the punters on this blog just how dificult it would be, if not impossible to design a meaningful study to ask that scientific question. If i put mY ASICS hat on, I would LOVE to do that study really, really interested in the answer, good or bad for the ASICS brand but how do i or you control all the variables this study would throw up."
Before I get too terribly long winded, I immediately felt comfortable in the Kinvaras (this is NOT a product comparison between Saucony, Brooks, and ASICS). I also felt an almost immediate change in my gait and foot strike- from being a heel striker to becoming a midfoot/forefoot striker. I still asics gel venture 6 mens would alternate between the Brooks Adrenalines and ASICS 2150's for my longer runs (anything over 8 miles). In March, I felt some of the worst pain I've ever felt from running- worse than my bought of ITBS. I felt like my my fibula near asics gel torrance the ankle of my right leg was destroyed.
I bought a pair of Saucony Kenvara 2 in size 11 yesterday (that's about a half size bigger than I normally wear). They don't come in wide widths, none of the minimalist shoes they had seemed to (I'm wearing a EEEE in my Asics). The guy at the running store said that I do pronate a bit, but that doesn't mean it's a problem and it doesn't mean I'm benifiting from the support shoes. He advised me to keep asics gt 2000 6 womens an open mind while transitioning and perhaps even try using my superfeet inserts in the Kenvaras during the transition. The thing he seemed to stress the most was to only run no more that 10% of my weekly miles in the Kenvaras at first.
As a minimalist runner myself, I feel sometimes almost bad about selling heavily cushioned motion control shoes for lightweight people with only slight overpronation, but if someone comes to store and says "My doctor/physiotherapist told me to get a shoe with a lot of cushion and pronation support", who am I to tell that he's wrong? Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Then I just sell the Asics Kayanos or Mizuno Nirvanas and hope for the best. And mention, that we also sell Vibram FiveFingers, which may help strengthen the feet. (They are becoming really popular in Finland, actually they are our best selling product at the moment.)
Why else would Bartold be looking at websites called Zero Drop'? asics gt 2000 4 women's I run minimal because it works for me. We do not need to sell a product like Asics does. I do not believe that the water shoe manufacturer thought about my 15 mile jaunts while designing them. Therefore, Bartold's presence on this site and Zero Drop' should be taken as a compliment my minimal runners that the major shoe manufacturers take us a serious threat to their philosophy: a clear win. A reader on Zero Drop' asks Bartold why he can run barefoot with his double axes neurological vertigo but cannot take a step in Asics without falling over.