ASICS - Fuji Lite 4

My personal thoughts about the three. I am far from being an expert and these are just my impressions :-) - Fuji Lite 4: my favourite when it comes to shorter runs. Snappy, light and fun shoe, with great feeling on the foot. I think their limit is probably (for me) around 15/20k runs. - Trabuco 12: It's the shoes that "convinced" me to move from Hoka to Asics. Light, very well-rounded shoe, with the right amount of cushioning. However, it lacked in my opinion a bit of stability (especially on the arches) and is quite "flat". Often I ended up hoping it would give me some more energy in return. I absolutely loved the sole. The drop, in my opinion, is right on point. - Trabuco 13: Honestly, it feels like a brand new shoe rather than an evolution of the 12. I feel the whole geometry of the shoe has changed, while keeping the same drop. It is a glove, with a more comfortable toe box, great feeling on the foot overall and tremendous improvement on the two things that I felt the 12 missed the most, stability and energy return. All this while keeping a great cushioning. They also changed the geometry of the sole, making it slightly more flat at the center. Very impressed with them. Overall, I am very satisfied of all three and they are in my rotation. As someone said in the comments, I am absolutely impressed by the durability overall: coming from Hokas, where the sole was gone super quickly (disappointingly), it is a huge improvement. I ran the entire summer of 2024 in the Trabuco 12 and the lugs are still in great conditions. I am a fan of Vibram soles, and probably the Asics' is the only proprietary sole at the same level but (at least in my experience) with a much much better durability. I also tried the Trabuco Max 2 and hated them to the guts (😅) but I am planning to try the new Trabuco Max 4 at some point. However, I think the Trabuco 13 are the sweet spot between comfort and performance.

I moved from the Peregrine to the Fuji lite 4 and won’t go back any time soon. The grip and feel are similar, but the mid sole of the Asics are nicer and the comfort unmatched. I couldn’t be happy with the Fuji Lite.

Yeah, i guess it can be considered a skyrace for the first 35km or so. Im usually not confortable for long outings in "less cushioned" shoes. I use for speed days Fuji lite 4, but for going more than 3 hours I prefer more cushion.

I also have quite flat and wide feet, give a try to Asics options. Be careful with trabuco 13s upper, it breaks really quick, I would go for 12s. - I use a soft pair for recovery days and long not technical runs. I have being using hierro since V5, but V9 is not wide enough and V8 is not technical enough. I'm using Nike Zegama 2 now. - For high intensity and short fast runs Asics fujilite. Technical or not, they are great shoes. Im on a v4 pair. - mid to long technical runs Asics trabuco 13, I would go with the 12s because of upper issues, but Asics sent me a replacement so I'm with them. - mid to long not highly technical runs merrel agility peak 5. I just throw them with 700km. I'll take another pair soon probably. I have a mafate speed 4 pair, intended to use them for long technical outings in replacemt of trabucos, but they are too narrow and I'm not confortable longer that 2 or 3 hours with them. They are a nice shoe if they fit you

Depending on the terrain and how technical they are. Asics fujilite, if there is not much mud are my go to for fast shorthis runs. Light, fun, roomy and easy to run in them.

I had same problem with speedgoat 6 wide and Topo mtn racer 3, among other lot of shoes. Mafate speed 4s are a little wider/more volume than the speedgoats if you want to try hoka. I dont run on them more than 3 hours because they still feel narrow to me and cant size up more. Shoes that fit me well and could work for runnable with some technical sections: Asics trabuco 13s: My do it all shoe. From runnable to really technical, the upper gets ripped of easy. Not tall, not too soft but still cuishioned. I have run on them 10+ hours race in very technical high altitude terrain. Asics fujilite: If you are not heavy they could work. I use them for shorter racers and high intensity workouts. Very confortable, but dont have a rockplate and you could feel too much ground if the terrain is rocky. Merrel agility peak 5: Easy running and can handle some technical sections. Dont know if the 6 fits in the same way. Nike Zegama 2: Confortable for easy to moderate terrain. Too soft for really technical stuff in my opinion. Fits nice. Sportiva Akasha 2 and tomir 2: Maybe not the best for the runnable sections, but nice on the technical ones. They are roomy and confortable. I havent tried them but thinking of getting a pair of mount to coast T1 for this years big objetives. They are supposed to be roomy and confortable for long races.

I really like my ASICS Fuji Lites but also my Saucony Peregrines! Though I find myself reaching for the ASICS first (if they are dry)

Hello. I come from the same issue. I had major issues with Plantar Fasciitis after running in the Speedcross and S/Lab Speed for many years. My first shoe was the Hoka Speedgoat Evo. That was an epic shoe, but sold out everywhere so quickly I only ever ran in one pair. Since then I’ve tried many similar shoes, looking for great grip, soft and bouncy ride, but good stability as I over-pronate, plus I recently developed osteoarthritisin my big toes. So, I really rate the following: - Hoka Mafate Speed 4. Good all rounder - Salomon S/lab genesis. A little narrow and unstable but speedy and shed mud quickly - La Sportiva Prodigeo Pro - great foam and good grip, lightweight. - Saucony Xodus Ultra - 1 and 3 are pretty good, ignore the 2. - Hoka Tecton X 3 - my go-to race shoe for hard packed trails and gravel I like the Speedgoat, Catamount, Fuji Lite, Ultra Glide too but they all have compromises that the shoes above don’t have in the same way.

Best cheap trail shoe I’ve run in was the ASICS Fujilite - great simple and fun, and I usually find a pair going for €75-90…

Hello - I would say that the Prodigio Pro will feel a bit too squishy for general walking around. I walk the dogs in a pair of Salomon GTX Thundercross. They’re stable enough, comfy, and waterproof. The Ultraglide are also a good option. I’ve also had numerous Inov8 Roclite, Trailfly which are also good for hiking if you like zero drop. Hoka are also comfy if you stay clear of the racing shoes - Challenger ATR or Speedgoat. I also like the ASICS Fujilite for walking. I’d suggest avoiding the S/Lab Genesis, Tecton X3, Mafate 5, Prodigio Pro, Nike Trail Ultra, or anything with a PEBA Foam or really pronounced rocker. They will be too squishy, unstable and wobbly underfoot.

Asics Fuji Lites have worked well for me and are pretty affordable.

Hi. I live in Japan and I have big feet so my options are limited. My first ever shoes were the asics Fujilite. I bought them because they fitted the best for the limited options I could get (I fully agree with everyone’s opinion that the best shoes for you are the ones that fit the best). They worked well but after a while I started running further and I felt that I needed more cushioning so I went with the ASICS Gel Trabuco 12 and I loved them, good cushioning for long runs. A few weeks ago I bought the Trabuco 13 for this race but after 2 runs a small hole was appearing and the outsole in the toe area was coming of so I didn’t have any confidence in them for my race so I kept with my Trabuco 12. All I can say is that I used the Trabuco 12 and love them and they held up very well in almost 10 hours of non stop running.

I've done it, but... My Asics marathon shoes were Novablast 3s. They aren't grippy enough on wet trails. If the trail is dry and rough, your fine. Otherwise I'll reconsider. Don't do it on wet muddy trails. In warm dry conditions, go for it. I've found out that shoes that will let you run a marathon without problems are also great for some trail walking, even with some light (max 10 kg) backpack. Just watch your ankles if your not used to trails. Note: I also did it on my Asics Fuji trail runners and they are way more capable in terms of grip. They're also a bit more sturdy which made it perfect for long distance walking for me. If you have the option, trail runners are the way to go. Note 2: I've got myself a pair of Lowa Maddox Pro mid now, because of grip and slight ankle support. They still feel much like trail runners, so for me it's the right entry point into boots without overdoing it. If you were to start boots, don't immediately go all out Salomon Quest or other heavy ones.

Appreciate the Altra Olympus 6 rec! And I definitely plan to try any of these on, just trying to start with a long list -- haven't hiked enough in trail runners yet to know my preferences. I know that Asics trail running shoes feel great even on 20+ mile days for me, but I find that they wear out quite quickly and imagine this might be why I see them recommended less on here.