Asics Gel-Venture 9 has an exciting upper. It exudes protection and comfort by just looking at it. Asics made slight adjustments in the upper to make it more accommodating and protective than the previous version. For instance, the previous version runs narrow, but in Gel Venture 9, the toe box is slightly broader and more structured. Someone looking for casual wear, an all-day walking shoe with regular cushioning and support features. Venture 9 has supportive features for those with rolling ankles.

Trying on trail runners is more than just slipping on a pair of shoes and calling it good. If you’re going to be relying on ASICS shoes to protect and support your feet while trail running, you want them to be more than good–you want them to be perfect.There is an important change in the upper, whereby Asics updated the upper design by making it more streamlined and reducing the overlays to make it more breathable than the previous version. The reduction of overlays has made Asics Venture 9 lighter than Asics Venture 8. Try them on in the afternoon: throughout the day, your feet swell. So, to get the most accurate fit, it’s best to try new shoes on after they’ve swelled sometime in the afternoon. This was my first time in trail running shoes from Asics, so I was excited to try out the fit. Everything tightened up well, and the first thing I noticed was solid outsole design ready for trails.

Avoid using them as everyday shoes. You can preserve the outsole by not wearing your trail runners all the time. Even when it was 50F (10C) out, I still saw sweat collecting inside the shoe, especially on this foam fabric.

It doesn’t provide runners with that soft squishy feel like EVA foam but instead provides targeted support and energy return where you need it most. The previous model of the Gel Venture featured a near identical outsole, similar midsole, and upgraded upper. The midsole changes were mostly aesthetic without much of an effect on function. Amplifoam is a midsole technology that is designed to dampen vibration and absorb the impacts that come with trail running. Compared to mother midsole foams, Amplifoam is slightly lower (or lighter) in density, meaning it feels super cushy.