ASICS EVORIDE Performance Review

What You Need To Know

• Weighs 9.45 oz./268g for a US M10.5
• Third shoe in the RIDE series of rockered models
• Operates as a daily trainer, but is primed to go faster
• Like a custom-built bike doing 103, the EVORIDE kickstarts our heart

THOMAS: Rockers. Everyone loves them. From grandparents sipping sweet tea in the summertime on the covered front porch, to the fangirls lined up outside of Tower Records for a meet and greet with Motley Crue. Followed by a “meet and greet” on the tour bus. Followed by a “meet and greet” at the doctor’s office. Oh, it’s 2020 and rock ‘n’ roll is dead? Cool, we’ll move on.

We’re also fans of rockers, especially in shoes, and especially if your foot-strike takes advantage of it.

All that to say, the ASICS EVORIDE is the third shoe to come from ASICS in their Ride Series, a trifecta of rockers. Things kicked off last summer with the lively-yet-heavy (and expensive) METARIDE, before rolling out the more reasonable and more useful GLIDERIDE. And now we have the EVORIDE. Of the Ride Series, the EVORIDE is the closest to a traditional trainer.

All take advantage of the Rolling Motion Last. The Rolling Motion Last promotes a forward lean and high toe spring. You’re probably thinking ‘WTF is all this jargon and what does it mean?’ Allow us to be your Duolingo translator: the midsole/outsole is designed to roll through your stride smoothly with less shock to your legs.

Let’s see how it holds up on the run.

ASICS EVORIDE (Women)

The Good

THOMAS: So far this is my favorite shoe to come out of the Ride Series from ASICS. For a daily trainer, the EVORIDE is light and fast feeling. Like a Porsche Boxter driving on a track with a 35 mph speed limit, It’s one of those shoes that is hard to go slow in. It wants to open up, and indeed it does, when elevated slightly faster than your easy pace. Some of my runs in the shoe went from easy miles to tempo runs by accident. 

The first thing you will notice about the shoe when you try it on is the pivot point right behind the toes. The pivot helps the EVORIDE feel fast because your foot spends less time on the ground before you toe-off. The last shoe that had a similar feel was Newton Running shoes with the forefoot lugs. ASICS achieves the fast feeling without the addition of lugs, which is a plus. Weighing 9.45 oz./268g for a US M10.5, the EVORIDE is a great weight for a daily trainer, and it indeed feels light and speedy on the foot. The weight, combined with the pivot point, gives that feeling of speed I mentioned above.

The mesh upper is simple, there really isn’t any fluff to it. The lateral and medial support comes from the ASICS logo which does its job keeping the foot locked down over the midsole. The unattached tongue is generously padded and stays in place thanks to the flat laces. What would we do with a skinny tongue from ASICS? We may never find out, as ASICS is never one to skimp on comfort in the upper, which is evident throughout, from the tongue to the ankle collar.

Other than that, the upper is no-frills and fits on the narrow side of the spectrum and runs true to size. Having a narrow foot, I appreciate the fit. It also helps the EVORIDE feel more like a tempo shoe rather than a sluggish daily trainer. It is one of the better fitting uppers I have reviewed lately.

The midsole feels firm. After a few runs, the FlyteFoam softened a mild amount. This is a shoe for runners who like a firmer, faster feel and a lower drop (5mm to be exact). The spec sheet listed GEL technology in the heel. As I am not a heel striker (not that there is anything wrong with that) I did not feel any encapsulated GEL in the heel. The rubber on the outsole is concentrated on the forefoot and adds to the feel of speed coming off the toes. Lots of grip and rip. After a bit of exposed foam, there is more rubber on the heel area where you’d tend to get more wear.

MEAGHAN: The first thing I noticed about the ASICS EVORIDE was the rocker geometry. I have always been a fan of this design (found in most HOKA models). It gives the shoe a smooth transition and tends to keep the legs in motion. ASICS calls this their GUIDESOLE technology, and it debuted in the METARIDE (ASICS $250 shoe that Thomas reviewed last year). This has been paired with Flytefoam, a light but fairly firm foam. It has a little bounce to it, but not a ton. It does seem to soften up with more miles.

The upper is pretty basic. In a good way. The simple open mesh has minimal overlays and breathes well. The lacing system keeps the foot locked down, and the padded collar and tongue add to the overall comfort.

ASICS kept these shoes light! My W7.5 came in at 7.3 oz.

The Bad

THOMAS: My guess is there will be some that complain the shoe is too narrow and may be too firm. Other than that, this is a solid trainer.

MEAGHAN: As Thomas noted, the shoes are a bit narrow. My toes felt a wee bit cramped in them. Also, this shoe takes a little wear-in. It really felt stiff the first few times I took them out. I also tried them on tired legs, which isn’t what I would recommend. Good for easy days, maybe not full-on recovery days. Don’t fight the rocker.

ASICS EVORIDE Conclusion

THOMAS: This shoe wants to roll. You can compare the EVORIDE to New Balance Vazee Pursuit, Saucony Kinvara 11, Skechers Razor 3, the original ASICS Roadhawk, adidas Boston BOOST, and Nike Zoomfly 3. It’s a lightweight trainer that can bridge the gap of daily trainer to speed trainer.

MEAGHAN: I like the ASICS EVORIDE. I don’t love it, but I like it. If the toebox was a little wider, and the Flytefoam a little softer, it would be just about perfect. I love the rocker design and the general feel of these shoes out on the road. They seem to propel you forward and your easy runs often end up a little faster than normal. If you’re looking for a light neutral trainer, that’s on the firmer side, give these a try.

You can pick up the ASICS EVORIDE at Running Warehouse (featuring free 2-day shipping and 90-day returns) by using the link below.