• Asics Gel Cumulus 13 Running Shoes

      by
      Bad CO
      Published on 07-03-2012 23:15  Number of Views: 4606  
      4 Comments Comments
      A few years ago I was all set for the London Marathon. I’d got my place sorted and having spent 4 months at Khandahar Airfield conducting some high altitude winter training I was probably fitter than I’ve ever been. On my return to the UK I was knocking minutes off my routes and then, out of nowhere, something went ping in my knee and running on it became incredibly painful.
      During my recovery I had my gait formally analysed for the first time and discovered that I under-pronate. Following a session of sticking my feet into a sort of playdough mould I ended up spending £150 on custom insoles which I could put into any pair of trainers. This brings me nicely to the Asics Gel Cumulus 13 T149N trainers that I’ve had for the last few weeks which are specifically designed to assist with correcting under-pronation.

      While researching these trainers I came across a rather natty tool on the Asics website which allows you to put in some details about your running requirements and then suggests some options. Reverse engineering this I discovered that the ASIC Gel Cumulus are considered suitable for males who weigh 11-13 stones and conduct long runs between 10-25 miles per week on hard surfaces. That is me, and probably most of the rest of the Army, in a nut shell so I was looking forward to finding out what they were like.

      I’ve now had them for about 3 weeks and, despite a nagging calf injury (hypochondriac moi?), have managed to do about 35 miles on mixed terrain wearing them. The bottom line is that I’ve been very impressed; they’re light, comfortable and the thick cushioning on the heel and forefoot means that they’re very comfortable for road running. I also genuinely felt that they helped with my under-pronation, even without my insoles.

      With High Abrasion Resistant Rubber on the sole it is also claimed that the shoes will prove more durable than normal. The standard life for a pair of trainers is 500 miles which is anything for 4-10 months for most people. Anything that extends this is therefore very much welcomed although I’ve not had the opportunity to put this to the test.

      They’re a traditional design which may seem quite high if you’re a fan of the barefoot experience. Personally I’m not so this isn’t a problem for me!

      These seem to be available online at about £60-80 which seems like a cracking price for a high quality trainer. I’d have no problems recommending the Asics Gel Cumulus 13 T149N trainers as an excellent option for most military PT sessions.


      Asics Gel Cumulus 13 Running Shoes kindly supplied by SportsShoes.com

      Comments 4 Comments
      1. A2_Matelot's Avatar
        A2_Matelot - 08-03-2012, 08:54
        Got to agree, I bought 3 pairs of the Cumulus 12 for a silly price in KAF a few years back and now rotate between the 12 and 13 depending on prices and availability. Being slightly over the weight Bad_CO suggests and having been even further over until I started running again I can vouch for the support and cushioning in these shoes plus all my old Achilles problems have not returned. Great shoes for the moderate runner and even though I've decided to use treadmills to save mu knees even further these shoes are still superb for support.

        SportsDirect - often have these in their sale as do sportsshoes.com
      1. tiny_lewis's Avatar
        tiny_lewis - 09-03-2012, 20:55
        Handily-timed review. I've bought a new pair of trainers, and they have crippled me. My personal bugbear with trainers, is that manufacturers change the range too often. You buy a pair, they suit you well, you need to replace them only to find they are no longer available. So it's back to hoping the new pair will be suitable. I've had great service from Hi-Techs (very surpised at that), and several incarnations of Nike Air.

        Typically, gone to buy a new pair and the range has changed. I couldn't find anything close to the old Nike Air's at all. So I bought a pair of Nike trainers for "road running". They felt a bit 'stiffer' than trainers have ever felt, much like a pair of new boots, so I walked in them for a bit to 'break' them in - a first for trainers, ime.

        And after four runs, my feet are in bits. Four runs in two weeks. Bear in mind I run 6-10 miles 5 days a week, my feet are not sensitive, or palm-olive soft. A blister almost 7cm long and 4cm wide on the instep of the left foot, and one the size of my thumb(!) on the fourth toe of right foot. I also found my front thigh muscles burning. Its the bloody trainers!

        But something else in the review piqued interest - under-pronation. I've noticed for a while now that I'm running "oddly", and didnt have a clue why. Somehow I've developed under-pronation!

        Thanks for the review. Having only seen ASICs as a brand on the shelve, they never really appeared on the radar. I'll have to have try a pair next week.
      1. KleenUpGuy's Avatar
        KleenUpGuy - 09-03-2012, 22:41
        Before buying any pair of runnign shoes i would always recommend getting your gate analysed, you may have had a bad experience with a brand because they are not suited to your gate and someone else who has a different gate may recommend a trainer which is not at all suited to you.
        There are a few runnign chains around the country which do gate analyse as a free part of the service before choosing your running shoe, they wont stop you on the running machine until you are both happy that you have the best runnign shoe for you, and this isn't some con to make you buy expensive trainers, in my experience the chain "up and running" have always worked to the budget I have to get the best trainers for the money i had; cant recommend them enough, especially if your in the Nottingham area.
      1. Brotherton Lad's Avatar
        Brotherton Lad - 09-03-2012, 22:48
        The trick with running shoes, tiny, is to buy several pairs of the ones that suit you and tuck 'em away (especially when they're last season's model and cheap). Just hope your feet don't change shape, though. 3 years of being usually bare-foot in Cyprus made mine spread out by half an inch.

        Actually, some say the smart thing to do is to use 2 pairs on alternate days or weeks, a bit like people used to rotate their tyres around a car.