Asics Gel Blur 33 Review
Style meets function in Asics’ latest, highly anticipated, running shoe release. The Gel Blur 33 is a lightweight and flexible shoe that can be worn for every day use whilst still providing enough protection and support to be used for low mileage training.
Named after the 33 bones in the human foot, the Gel Blur 33 was designed to flex in line with the foot as much as possible, whilst at the same time providing enough durability and cushioning to protect against the impact caused by running.
Asics Gel Blur33 Men's Red/Black
The shoe has four main elements which make up its unique concept. These are detailed in the Asics Gel Blur review below:
Cushioning
Cushioning is the bedrock of any running shoe worth its metal and the Gel Blur 33 is no exception. The heel of the shoe contains a wedge of gel cushioning which provides protection against the impact of running. Those of us that are prone to heel striking will benefit the most from this addition as the gel cushioning has been placed in the area of the shoe that receives the most impact.
Gel cushioning is more durable than air or foam, which means that the Gel Blur 33 has a longer life than other lightweight shoes. The last thing that you want if you are using the shoes for everyday wear is for their cushioning to become compressed and useless (as with foam cushioning), so Asics have made the right choice in choosing Gel as the cushioning of choice as you don’t have to let the gel recover after periods of extended wear.
Asics Gel Blur33 Mens Orange
The midsole of the shoe is what offers cushioning throughout the entire heel to toe movement and is an important part of any shoe. The midsole of the Gel Blur 33 has been decoupled from the heel to offer greater flexibility and cushioning that reacts to your individual gait. This de-coupled midsole also enhances the shoes movement and ensures a smoother ride whilst running.
Flexibility
Flexibility was at the forefront of the Asics Gel Blur 33’s design. Flexibility is important as not only does it improve the feel and fit of the shoe, but a flexible shoe also allows for a more efficient stride due to a smoother transition.
The Gel Blur 33 has been fitted with numerous flex grooves. These are the sections of tread on the sole of the shoe that can flex in line with your foot’s forward movement whilst at the same time offering support due to limited lateral movement.
Comfort
The Gel Blur 33 has been fitted with a “no stitch” upper construction (around the tongue of the shoe) for a “super soft” feel when wearing both for running and casually. Asics have previously moved the laces on some of their high end running shoes to the outer side of the upper in order to remove them from the area of the upper foot that flexes the most. As the Gel Blur 33 is a shoe that is meant for every day use, Asics have opted to keep the laces on the upper of the shoe (to make the shoe look as normal as possible) and have instead removed the potential for irritation by ensuring that the area is stitch free. The upper foot area has also been reinforced with a lightweight mesh that offers superior breathability and ventilation to reduce the potential for comfort destroying moisture to build up around the foot.
Lightweight
The key to a shoe that can be used for every day wear as well as running is ensuring that it is lightweight. The Gel Blur 33 is a cunning shoe as it pretends to be a causal shoe when it is actually a shoe engineered for running. Lightweight midsole materials and flexible mesh upper areas mean that you will forget that you are wearing a high performance running shoe.
Asics Gel Blur33 Womens Pink/Black
A size 9 men’s Gel Blur 33 weighs in at under 10oz and the women’s size 7 version is under 7oz. This is a saving of up to 2oz on some of Asics running shoes.
Colour Choices
No Asics Gel Blur 33 shoe review would be complete without taking about the design! Both the men’s and the woman’s Gel Blur 33’s are available in 5 different colours so there should be something to fit everyone’s taste, and all the shoes feature Asics’ patented spiders web design.
Asics Gel Blur 33 Review Summary
The Gel Blur is a running shoe disguised as a casual trainer. It packs some high end engineering such as gel cushioning, superior lightweight materials, a de-coupled sole and a stitch free upper section which make the shoe durable, lightweight, flexible and above all comfortable. At the same time the shoe has been designed to be worn casually. Asics have been producing premium casual trainers for decades now and so are not exactly strangers when it comes to creating aesthetically pleasing footwear!
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Almost certainly the key gear in exercising for marathons and identical distance jogging would be the shoes, considering that feet are your fundamental asset in training.
No photo of the sole grip/tread? Hello?
Are these supple like Nike ‘Free’ soles? And, thus, a DANGEROUS GIMMICK? Metatarsal breaker?
I need to get me a pair of these!
shoes is basically an important tool to have, to ensure comfort whenever you’ll use it in running or any other sports that needs a shoes. Shoes with no good fit can cause you plantar wart or a skin lesion that hurts so much. And shoes are even more sensitive when it comes to smelling feet.
feel great gel nice touch. like walking on marshmellows look good.
I own a pair of the Gel Blur 33′s and they are very comfortable for casual wear or low mileage. If you have been blessed with excellent foot structure and biomechanics, you may be able to wear these shoes for the “minimalist” experience.
On a side note, I don’t know where the information was obtained that the “33″ in these shoes was based on the number of bones in the foot. If for some remote reason this IS true, I can guarantee you that the marketing people at Asics were smoking something.
I’ve been performing surgery on the foot and ankle for over 20 years, and can ASSURE you that the foot has 26 bones (and two small sesamoid bones that aren’t counted in that 26).
Here goes:
Calcaneus
Talus
Navicular
Cuboid
Cuneiforms (3)
Metatarsals (5)
Proximal phalanx (5)
Middle phalanx (4) *the large toe/hallux does not have a middle phalanx
Distal phalanx (5)
That’s a grand total of 26
As soon as I posted the above comments, I realized that they didn’t name it the “33″ after the amount of bones in the foot, but DID name it after the amount of JOINTS in the foot.
I love the combination color its pink and black. very comfortable shoes to wear.It is remove the potential irritation. It is breathable Nd have ventilation. really nice shoes.