Tuesday, August 10, 2010

My (dear) ASICS

What is more important then a good fitting pair of running sneakers? When I find a pair I LOVE then I buy several pair...just in case. I take very good care of my running gear and meticulously log my miles on each pair (on DailyMile.com), use them ONLY for running~never any cross training or daily wear. I alternate pairs between long runs, short runs, speed work, hills etc.

Last year I when I started running more and more I went from running in Asics GT 2140's to Kayano 15's and it was a great match for me. They kept my feet comfortable and happy...but there was one small problem. Not with the fit or function but with the overall construction of the body of the shoe. They kept falling apart on me!

The 2140's ripped all along the outside of the toes (where there is a lot of mesh) then one pair of K15's ripped all on the toe box...then the second pair ripped in the same spot! The stitching was coming out. None of the K15's even had many miles on them (definitely under 300) and one pair ripped the first week I had them.
Fast forward to Mother's Day~hubby and Lola got me a very generous GC to The Maine Running Company!! Since I had never been "fitted" for running shoes I was very excited to use this GC right away. Well lo and behold, guess which shoes are "perfect" for me?? Asics Kayano 16's! I was pretty happy that I had picked a good shoe all on my own. So, I got a new pair of running sneaks and some other "treats"~I was a very very happy Mom!!

The joy was short lived.
A measly 63 miles later the Kayano 16's were coming apart. The lining on BOTH shoes was lifting right out! I placed a call to the pro's at The Maine Running Company and I was assured that I could bring them in for an exchange if they were defective. Sure enough! I brought my training log from Dailymile in with me and they were perplexed as to how the shoe could be falling apart so quickly!






They replaced the blue pair with a pair of purple 16's.




After whining to the Running Moms group on CafeMom about all my troubles with my beloved Asics, another Mama suggested that I contact Asics directly. So I did just that. I fired off a lengthy email to them detailing my dilemma.
The response? Sorry you had a problem. Send us your shoes and we will see if they are defective or just worn out.

worn out?? ummmm, yeah. I understand what a beating shoes can take when you run a lot but seriously...at $140/pr I expect them to last AT LEAST 300 miles.

So I sent out my shoes (the newest pair of Kayano 15's) last week. I am down to one pair of good running shoes now (the purple k16's) and I have "retired" one pair of the 15's.

I will wait to see what happens. Stay tuned!

5 comments:

Greg Strosaker said...

I've been fortunate not to have those types of problems with any shoes, it will be interesting to see how Asics responds. 300 miles should be the minimum that a shoe like the Kayano should last (I'd maybe accept less for a performance racer type).

Unknown said...

I do wear shoes out ... but then I weigh a lot more then you do Jen. Never had a defective pair but it sure does sound like you do. Glad to read that MRC treated you right ... lets hope Asics does as well.

Jim

Anonymous said...

I do not use ASICS anymore. I got injured with a pair of them. I did not pick them myself. Got assistance from a running store. ASICS makes bad running shoes. Period.

Lindsey said...

I'm not sure which Asics my friend has, but hers are coming apart as well. She's put 69 miles on them.

mommaof3ontherun said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. It's nice to "meet" you. That really stinks about your shoes. I hope the company makes it right. I would expect a minimum of 300 miles!