ASICS GT-2000 15  Review

The shoe has good forefoot energy return, helped by the FF BLAST MAX bounce pod present in this area, which returns a meaningful amount of energy at push-off. Still, this makes the ride feel quite dynamic for daily miles, but don't expect a very propulsive ride either.

The heel energy return is decent. The foam recycles enough energy to keep heel strikes from feeling completely flat, but it doesn't produce a notably lively or propulsive sensation.

The heel is firm and becomes even firmer under higher loads. This provides good stability for most runners, though it also means the shoe doesn't feel silky soft when landing.

The forefoot of this shoe is super firm. It strongly resists deformation, which can improve stability, but at the expense of softness.

The fully-gusseted tongue helps secure the midfoot and contributes to the shoe's stability. There's no plate, resulting in a natural underfoot feel, although the shoes' motion-control features tame that sensation.

The impact absorption is good under lighter and moderate loads and remains decent at the highest load, providing dependable protection for most runners using the shoe for their daily miles. It's quite cushioned for a stability shoe, but don't expect the same plush sensation of modern trainers like the ASICS NOVABLAST 6.

Forefoot cushioning is decent overall. Impact absorption is great at lower loads, but it can start to bottom out if you put down a lot of forces, so heavier runners or those running at fast paces won't experience the same cushioned sensation.

The forefoot cushioning decreases quite a lot in our simulated 50K long-run test. As is typical, energy absorption decreases at every 10 km checkpoint, and while that decline becomes more gradual after the first 15K, it never stops, so it feels a lot harsher by the end of a long run than when starting out. To put that into perspective, some other ASICS shoes (such as the ASICS MEGABLAST and the ASICS SUPERBLAST 3) retain way more of their absorption capabilities as the distance increases, making them more suited to long runs.

The heel compression depth is mediocre. The foam compresses only modestly, supporting the shoe's stable character but limiting bounce under the heel.

The forefoot compression is quite shallow. Although the foam returns energy quite well, it doesn't compress and decompress deeply enough to create a truly bouncy or dynamic sensation underfoot.

The forefoot doesn't feel very energetic as it snaps back. A lot of the energy stored while bending the shoe is lost as it straightens, limiting efficiency and producing a less propulsive toe-off.

The forefoot of this shoe is moderately stiff. The shoe bends quite easily, so it doesn't feel very rigid or snappy when you toe off. That said, it feels more flexible than the previous ASICS GT-2000 14.

The forefoot rocker has a decent geometry. The rocker starts quite early, though it's not very angled, which prevents it from delivering a particularly pronounced rolling sensation.

The rocker is moderately stiff. There's enough curvature to provide some guided rollover, but the rocker flattens relatively easily which limits the mechanical assistance it actually provides.

The shoe has quite a tall stack at both the heel and forefoot, placing plenty of material between the runner and the ground. The heel sits noticeably higher than the forefoot, creating a traditional high-drop geometry.

The heel rocker geometry is okay. Its good angle assists transitions, but overall, the effect is quite modest.

The exceptionally low toe box leaves very little vertical clearance, so runners with high-volume feet might experience pressure despite the otherwise true-to-size fit.