“Ok, now how do I figure these things out?” I thought, as I pulled these innovative poppers out of the box. Obligatory “learning phase” drag combatted my usual new shoe excitement. But behold!

The new lacing system is super smooth to use:

Push in,
Turn,
Pull up.

That’s it! I knew it’d be easy (after reading the little tag), but this is exceptional. The snug custom fit is also better than I expected.

All together the fit (true-to-size, snug), heel-to-toe offset of 8mm, and lightweight comfort of this shoe made me look forward to hitting the roads in it.

My initial anticipation to run in these was followed by a bit of a learning phase on-the-go, to figure out how far to twist the dial.

A tight turn pulls the medial DynaPanel in, to offer support, yet this causes pressure on the top of the foot from the thin laces.

The (slight) discomfort isn’t as noticeable during the run, and the dial is easily adjustable mid or post run, to get the desired fit and feel.

Asics Dynamis – Lateral Side

Asics Dynamis General Info

Dynamis jumps into the neutral-stability running shoe market as one of the first road-running shoes featuring BOA lacing and jumps to the top of the competition in this category by its ease of use and exceptional sole unit.

Dynamis competes closely with New Balance’s Fuel Core Sonic which entered the market this past July, a shoe which places the BOA lacing on the lateral aspect of the shoe.

Dynamis appears to offer a touch more breathability and stability while offering similar responsiveness and comfort of fit.

The lace placement off to the side of the Fuel Core Sonic likely alleviates the slight pressure from the laces that I noticed with Dynamis.

ASICS own GT-1000, GT-2000, GT-3000, Gel-Nimbus and Gel-Kayano compete with Dynamis, the decision between going to come down to cost (the GT shoes win out), fit preference (GT-3000 wins with the heel and snug toe box), stability (Kayano is top notch here, GT-3000 wins for late-stage overpronation), and ease of use (Dynamis is a clear champ).

We also see BOA lacing entering the running shoe market on ASICS GEL-FujiRado which debuted last June in the trail shoe department.

UA’s Speed Tire Ascent Mid and Fat Tire 2 are two additional new trail shoes that utilize the innovative lacing system.

Beyond the lacing system, I notice a similarity of fit and lightweight function between Dynamis and UA’s Europa, with Dynamis offering a bit more stability and durability, yet Europa coming out ahead with a more snug-fitting heel.

Asics Dynamis Sole Unit

Dynamis boasts ASICS’ premier midsole foam, FlyteFoam®, which is 55% lighter than industry standard and is made of highly resilient fibers which bounce back to their original shape in the space of each stride.

Asics Dynamis – Sole

A medial plastic shank along and under the arch helps to prevent collapse or twist of the shoe. Guidance Line® technology runs through a durable rubber outsole.

It’s thin (suited for road), but with just shy of 100 miles on the shoe, I’m noticing very little in wear pattern: the light, superficial pattern is worn off in places, but the deeper outsole grooves appear in tact.

Asics Dynamis Upper Info

ASICS was able to strike a great balance between support and featherweight freedom in the Dynamis upper.

Asics Dynamis – Toe

The light logo overlay over the lateral aspect gives the touch of structure that I appreciate along this aspect, over the otherwise soft, breathable synthetic knit.

Weight is added where structure is most needed, with a rock solid internal heel counter to hold the heel upright and in DynaPanels to support the medial arch.

Asics Dynamis – Heel

DynaPanels are thick overlays that the shoe’s BOA laces run through, that snug up when the dial is turned and help to combat arch collapse.

Although not as successful at this as a higher arch in the shoe would be, it is worth noting and worth the additional weight that they add to the shoe.

And last but not least, we have the BOA laces! These truly set the Dynamis apart in ease of use:

Slide foot in;
Turn dial to tighten;
Pull dial up to release.

Overall the laces offer a pleasant feel and streamlined look by eliminating excess laces flopping around on top of the shoe. BOA guarantees the dial and laces for the life of the shoe and will send replacement if necessary.

Asics Dynamis Conclusions

Dynamis brings exciting change to a saturated shoe market. The lightweight durability and ease of use of the new Dynamis make it a shoe that’s hard to beat.

If ASICS can tighten up the heel fit and elimiante top-of-foot pressure, the next version of this shoe will earn 5 stars from this reviewer. Let us know what your take is!

We purchased a pair of Asics Dynamis from runningwarehouse using our own money. This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.