| Asics S4+ Yogiri |
 |
| £185 |
| BUY NOW FROM ASICS |
PLEASE NOTE: I paid for the Asics S4+ Yogiri trainers myself and was not gifted these trainers or paid by Asics to give a honest review. This page may contain affiliate links. Making a purchase via our affiliate link means I may receive a small share of the sale.
Hi, Im Chris. A 40 year old guy from Essex who started running about 2 years ago after being nagged into it by a mate!
I run 3 or 4 times a week and enjoy (I lightly use enjoy) distances up to and including half marathon.
I guess that I’d call myself a runner and I am currently focusing my training on a 50 miler in the peaks, however still running track sessions with my club, Colchester Harriers.
ASICS S4+ YOGIRI
I have recently been suffering with shin pain and was advised that a mild stability shoe may be of benefit. After loving some of the recent offerings from Asics I was excited to see that they had introduced the S4+ Yogiri to the UK market, so went out and picked up a pair.
The Yogiri is a full length carbon plated, mild Stability shoe that on first impressions appears very similar to the Metaspeed Edge/Sky +.
It is billed as being more stable and durable than most of the top tier race day shoes out there and does come with a slightly reduced comparable price of £180, which in the current climate of £200+ racers seems reasonable.
I wasn’t a fan of the white/light blue colour way when I looked online but it’s the only one currently available so I didn’t have a choice and went ahead and hit BUY!! When it arrived, I have to say that in the flesh it’s a lot nicer, has a real summery vibe to it.
The shoe has a 40mm stack height at the heel dropping to 34mm at the toe and with a touch of quick maths that gives a 6mm drop. Sizing is true to size and my UK size 12 came in at a respectable 291g.
THE HEEL
The heel cup is firm with a good level of padding, no ridges or changes in material within the inner part where the Achilles sits. I am prone to getting blisters on my heel (normally only my right one) but after about 30km in these they feel great with no rubbing or achilles discomfort.
The heel material used around the heel is certainly more substantial than that of the rest of the upper and this is where the stability comes from, along with a slightly wider base than the Metaspped series.
They slip on easily and the added strengthening around the heel area helps with this.
THE UPPER
The upper is made from a breathable mesh, again, almost identical to that found on the Metaspeed + but slightly less breathable.
The tongue is non gusseted and did move around and bunch up when getting the trainer on, however was easy enough to sort out, unlike the tongue on the Adidas pro 3’s that seemed to fold lower down and then was difficult to unfold. One thing that I dislike about the tongues on the current Asics race day shoes is the length of the tongue, they seem slightly too short.
I tend to lace my trainers up all the way to the last eyelet to try and lock my heel in place and when doing so they are tied right on the upper part of the unpadded tongue, which if done slightly too tight can cause some discomfort.
The laces are the premium ridged non slip laces found on all the top tier asics and I found them to be reliable and not come undone at all.
THE OUTSOLE
The outsole is made up of a a harder wearing, grippier rubber (ASICSGRIP) that covers the forefoot and curves round onto the heel, with an exposed area of foam in the centre.
The Black outsole covered the 30km well, there appears to be little wear on it and as there are no cut outs in the sole, I didn’t pick up any stones along the way which I liked.
I ran in dry conditions only and the Yogiri performed well but having ran in Asicsgrip in the wet I’ve not doubt it would also perform well.
THE MIDSOLE
The midsole comprises Asics highest performing FF Turbo + which is found in their other marathon racers and a layer of Flytfoam. I was expecting big things from this trainer but feel let down.
The ride is pretty harsh, no real pop to it and whilst it certainly does offer some stability, it is a really boring trainer to run in.
The ride really is firm, there is no obvious energy return from the full length carbon plate and stepping out of my Adidas Pro 4’s into these feels like I’m being punished for something I did I a past life.
Its far too firm to use for easy runs and not poppy enough to enjoy on faster efforts, maybe if I wanted a shoe purely for tempo runs, this could work, however I think there are better shoes out there that offer more versatility at the same price point.
CONCLUSION
I really wanted to love this shoe, I enjoyed the Superblast 2 and Sky Paris race day shoes but unfortunately the S4+ Yogiri has left me disappointed.
It likely ticks the stability box but it’s not a trainer I will be reaching for and the search continues for something that gives me more comfort and versatility along with that stability.
| Asics S4+ Yogiri |
|
|
| £185 |
| BUY NOW FROM ASICS |