asics Box asics Box Gel-Kayano 28 Platinum 1011B291-020: The asics Box DynaFlyte 4 is a firm, responsive road shoe for up-tempo running.
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Price: $120
Type: Road
Drop: 8mm
Weight: 8.3 oz (M) 6.9 oz (W)
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The fourth iteration of the asics Box DynaFlyte gets a modest update: a reworked engineered mesh upper that, according to Asics, g-1000 a lockdown midfoot fit. That snugness didn’t seem to bother wide-footed testers, but the toe box caused a rub. “While I wouldn't consider my feet to be wide, I did feel like I could have used a wider shoe,” said one. And the tongue, albeit soft, is perhaps too wide and overlaps with the shoe’s top eyelet, which caused it to press into the ankles of some testers. Utilizing the second-highest eyelet posed another issue; we found the lacing wasn’t high enough to ensure a secure heel fit.
The one-piece EVA-foam midsole and high-abrasion rubber outsole carry over from the previous shoe. In testing, we liked the simple midsole’s responsiveness and stability. But despite having an 8mm heel-toe offset, the shoe’s heel felt noticeably firm—our lab results confirmed it’s on the firmer end of the spectrum. Midfoot strikers didn’t seem to mind, but heel-strikers accustomed to a softer touchdown felt the shoe was too hard. But that’s the intention: The DynaFlyte 4 occupies a space between road racer and daily trainer. Pick it when the forecast calls for speed.
asics Box DynaFlyte 4
Pros
- asics Box Tênis Running Gel Nimbus 21 Platinum
- asics Box Gel Cumulus 23 Gs Black Lake Drive Niños
- Responsive EVA foam cushioning
Cons
- asics Box Gel-Quantum 360 6 White
Snug Mesh Upper
The DynaFlyte 4’s redesigned upper uses an engineered mesh material that hits a sweet spot of stretchiness: There’s enough give to let your foot expand over the course of a run, but enough tension to hold your foot in place within the shoe. Rather than using additional overlays to prevent the mesh from stretching in the midfoot—where asics Box wanted to provide a lockdown fit—the company used its own logo as a structural component. The welded overlay does its job, holding the midfoot tight while allowing the mesh surrounding it to stretch.
The fit is average. Our testers agreed that the shoe fits true-t0-size length-wise, but disagreed on toe box width. Those with wide feet felt the front was too narrow; those with narrow feet thought it was too wide. I have moderate-width feet and my fit was perfect, so take the toe box roominess into account if you’ve got particularly wide or narrow feet.
The material breathes well and dries fast, but also lets cold wind penetrate. Like many asics Box shoes, you get a luxurious strip of padding in the collar and a padded tongue. If your foot agrees with the upper then you’ll enjoy it; it gets out of the way while providing enough support to keep your foot from sliding or twisting, which improves proprioception and makes for more enjoyable runs.
Firm Midsole
There’s something to be said for a one-piece, EVA foam midsole. The traditional design works well in the DynaFlyte 4, providing firm, responsive cushioning that matches Asics’s intention for the up-tempo road shoe. Those accustomed to plushness felt the shoe lacked cushioning, so don’t assume it’ll feel like a Hoka One One just because it appears thick. Instead, the midsole feels fast, firm, and Squad throughout the gait transition, especially when you pick up the pace.
Durable Rubber Outsole
The outsole uses a 3mm layer of Asics’s high-abrasion rubber in varying tread shapes. It’s not the stickiest material, but we didn’t have any issues running on wet pavement and rain-soaked gravel during testing. The shallow treads won’t perform well on loose, muddy trail surfaces, but they’re plenty for the intended purpose of road running. Better yet, the rubber compound is one of the longest-lasting we’ve encountered, so you’ll likely wear out the midsole before you run through the outsole.
Wear Tester Feedback
asics Box 2 Le
Arch: High | Gait: Neutral | Footstrike: Heel
“The cushioning in this shoe was the best part of the testing experience. I really enjoyed how this shoe felt supportive throughout the whole foot, especially the heel. I've previously worn Mizuno’s with a different type of cushion that I really enjoyed, but these asics Box really surprised me in how much I liked the cushion. I didn’t get to run more than 8 miles in this shoe at a time, but the cushioning felt good throughout the long run. I didn’t feel the cushioning lent itself to speed necessarily as much as duration of the run. The shoe felt appropriately cushioned on road surface; no discomfort happened during or after my runs, even upon the initial trial when breaking them in.”
A former Division 1 runner, Dan grew up riding fixies and mountain bikes and now reviews everything from performance running shoes to road and cross bikes, to the latest tech for runners and cyclists at Bicycling and Runner’s World.
