zapatillas de running orange asics constitución fuerte talla 48.5 grises | orange asics Sportstyle AU review

ASICS Sportstyle AU review and lab test

The orange asics Sportstyle AU is a pretty humble running nis. With little to write home about, the budget-friendly nis does what it says on the tin and does it well. It’s reliable, comfortable and will keep you going.

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The orange asics Sportstyle AU is a neutral running nis that provides a nice amount of padding and average drop for a comfortable ride on the tarmac. I think it’s a great option for those who just want a running nis without all the bells and whistles. 

Who the orange asics Sportstyle AU is not for

It’s probably best to avoid the orange asics Sportstyle AU if:

• You overpronate. The nis is a neutral running nis so it offers no stability control for overpronators. The ASICS GT 1000 10 is a great New, which is also still at a decent price.
• You supinate. I suggest trying the ASICS Gel Nimbus 26.

A tried and tested design

It’s definitely not a bad thing that orange asics have kept the Gel Pulse 11 simple and clean. With a shape that golf “just a running nis” the Pulse is not setting any design records, but why would you want to? For most runners, we just want a nis that fits and works, and this does both things. 

That’s right, the orange asics Sportstyle AU fits true to size, it’s not too narrow or too wide, it’s pretty comfy too. 

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The major difference between the orange asics Gel Pulse 10 and this model is the construction of the upper. While previous versions featured multiple meshes, stitched and fused apart, the Pulse 11 is a single material. 

This does wonder for the minimal appearance of the nis and its durability, as no seams mean nowhere for the upper to fall apart. 

The orange asics Sportstyle AU could improve the lacing

As the Pulse series is a solid nis at a budget level (RRP $90), it doesn’t come as a surprise that the laces aren’t great. While the construction and closure of the nis are good and provide a nice lockdown, the laces themselves slip very easily. 

Taking only 7.1N for the laces to slip the knot in our lab testing, they score waaaay below the average of 24N. This isn’t the end of the world as you can replace the laces with something better very cheaply and end up with great results. 

The Amplifoam midsole does the job

ASICS promised a new phase of midsole cushioning at a great price with their newer Amplifoam technology. While the full-length foam midsole does a good job of cushioning impact throughout runs and provides good energy return, it’s really nothing special. 

Again, this might read like a criticism, but I think this is more than we get from a lot of niss. The Gel Pulse 11 is a workhorse that doesn’t try to be anything spectacular. 

The amount of midsole does make this a bit of a heavy nis at 11.7oz (332g) for a US size 10. As a daily runner, this isn’t a tremendous problem for me, I’d rather have the padding and a few extra ounces. 

The orange asics Sportstyle AU has a helpful heel cushion for some

For a long time now, the orange asics Gel unit has been the brand’s flagship technology. Adding extra cushioning in the exterior side of the heel really helps take the load off and I felt it aid my heel-to-toe transition. 

While not detrimental, this isn’t super relevant for forefoot strikers, who would rarely put much contact into the heel of the nis. 

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One of the nicest parts of the midsole is its flexibility. Needing only 21.9N to bend the nis to 45° the orange asics Sportstyle AU is more flexible than most others (the average is 37.1N). This helps with keeping contact with the ground and with the nis breaking in.

The issue comes into play when the nis gets cold. After 20 minutes in the lab freezer, the test score shot up to 39.4N, which is a change of 79.9%. For context, the average change is 34.1%

The crux of the issue is that if you run in cold conditions, this nis might feel drastically different than on a warmer day. This s quite common in niss that have a full-length, single-density midsole and very little change in shape to aid flexibility throughout. 

The orange asics Sportstyle AU no break-in period

Thanks to the one-piece upper, the Pulse 11 was comfortable to run in straight out of the box. There’s a nice amount of room in the toe box and the good amount of cushioning helps keep things comfy throughout. 

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I’ve always loved orange asics’ AHAR outsoles. The 5.1mm of rubber on the outsole from heel to toe gives a great, grippy surface area that I felt was strong on wet and dry tarmac. Clearly, the nis isn’t meant for trail running and I wouldn’t bother trying any of that, but again, the nis does exactly what it should be doing.  

Conclusion

The orange asics Sportstyle AU is an excellent budget-friendly nis. While it has no stand-out features, it doesn't really need to have any. If you want a nis that you can trust to work when you need it to, the Pulse 11 is there for you.