Thomas: I have never been a big ASICS fan. Their shoes are typically too over-designed and bulky for my tastes. The gel cushioning and plastic features add unnecessary weight to their shoes. I might be on my way to changing my mind about ASICS after trying the RoadHawk FF. It isn’t like any ASICS shoe I have tried before, and I love it.
The upper fits great, it is so good you won’t think about it at all. It has an engineered mesh toebox and flat welded overlays that provide the structure for the midfoot and heel counter. A soft collar around the ankle, a simple heel counter, and attached tongue add to the comfort of the shoe. It doesn’t hurt that the RoadHawk is good looking. Buy your regular running shoe size for the best fit.
The RoadHawk FF has a one piece “FlyteFoam” midsole that is stable and firm, but the perfect kind of firm. The shoe has cushioning, but you don’t feel like you are losing energy as you go through your stride. There is plenty of rubber on the outsole too. The more I wore the RoadHawk FF the more I liked the FlyteFoam, it breaks down in the right places.
This is an everyday trainer that you can also use for speed days. The RoadHawk FF weighs 8.75 oz. for a size 10.5. For a shoe that you can use for all your training, that is light. The RoadHawk FF retails for a very affordable $100. This trainer is a great value, especially for how versatile the shoe is.
Meaghan: I can’t believe I’m about to write this, but… ASICS made a good-looking, well-performing shoe. The Roadhawk FF is a lightweight trainer in ASICS FlyteFoam series. It’s different than other ASICS I’ve worn. Most notably, there’s no horrendous plastic overlays or stiff support and outsole like I found with most (looking at you, Kayano).
The upper is simple, sleek and breathable. The lightweight design and material of the upper pairs well with the highly cushioned (yet super light) midsole and outsole. The FlyteFoam midsole is on the firmer side, but it gives the shoes a nice spring. I found it easy to pick up the pace, but I prefer the Roadhawk for every day, easy running. Much of the outsole is covered in rubber so you’re sure to get some good miles out of them. At 6.8oz for a women’s 7.5 you can’t really complain about the weight.
Thomas: This might be a first with ASICS, but I don’t have anything negative to say about this shoe. This is a good one. The only bad thing is that I have more shoes to review so after 35 miles I have to put these aside and try out other shoes.
Meaghan: I’m reaching a bit here, but I found the RoadHawk FF to be slightly narrow. I could use (almost always) a slightly wider toebox.
Thomas: This one is a winner. I highly recommend the RoadHawk FF, it is in the top 10 of shoes I have reviewed for 2017. You can compare the RoadHawk FF to Saucony Kinvara 8, Brooks Launch, Nike Pegasus, and the Salming Speed 5. If I had to have one shoe to do all my training in, the RoadHawk FF would be on my short list. At a price point of $100, this shoe is hard to beat.
Meaghan: The ASICS RoadHawk FF is a really great everyday trainer. I even think some runners will consider this shoe for race day, specifically the marathon. This is a highly cushioned shoe that ASICS kept under 7oz. for a women’s 7.5. Pretty awesome. If you’ve been an ASICS fan for years, I don’t know what you’ll think of this shoe (because I don’t understand you). But, if you’re not an ASICS fan, give these guys a whirl.
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Feel fast, responsive and comfortable on a run with these shoes