ASICS Men's Gel Venture 5 Running Shoe

I've been happily running in various ASICS running shoes for over 20 years, like the DS-1000 & 2000, Gel-Kahana, and DS-Trainer (my fave, but too expensive for my needs these days). I'm an 8-1/2 in street shoes but have always sized a half size up with my ASICS shoes, to a 9-D, and the fit has usually been perfect. The only exceptions, interestingly my two most recent pairs of ASICS, were the Gel-Kahana, which was just a tad too large, and the DS-1000, which was a bit too narrow.It was time for a new pair and I'd read good things about the Gel-Venture, so I ordered a pair of 9-Ds from Amazon (after trying them on in a local store to make sure the size was right). But when I got them, I could immediately tell that they were too narrow, and they actually hurt one foot that's slightly bigger than the other. I thought that maybe my feet had swelled due to the heat wave we've been having here, and waited a few more days to try them again, but no difference. Same thing several days later.So I'm going to be sending them back for a refund. Pity, as I really liked the shoes otherwise, and I do mostly trail running these days. However, when I saw that the same model, but in a wider 9-4E, had just jumped down in price here, I decided to order those and try them out. I get them in a couple of days. Hopefully, they'll fit much better and I'll keep them. Sadly, they're not available in my preferred color scheme, but I guess you can't have everything!I'll post an update when I get the new pair and try them on. Bottom line, though, some ASICS shoes appear to run even smaller and/or narrower than they usually do. Perhaps my feet have just gotten bigger. But I had the same exact problem with a pair of DS-1000's that I bought last year, so who knows.UPDATE: I ended up ordering a wide pair and they turned out to be too wide. And by the time they arrived, the first pair was now fitting me just fine. I think I know what the problem was. It's been incredibly hot and humid here in the northeast all summer, and I found out that such weather can make feet swell. That was almost certainly the case with me. Once it cooled down a bit and I tried them on again, they fit perfectly. I returned the second, wide pair, and tried running in the original, standard width pair.They had slightly less arch support than I'm used to, but then they're listed as Neutral, not Stability shoes, so that makes sense. It took a little getting used to, but now I like running in them, on paved and unpaved surfaces (grass, trails, dirt paths, etc.) I wouldn't call these hard-core trail shoes, for long trail runs on poorly maintained trails with roots, rocks, streams, etc. But for casual off-road running they're more than adequate. Plus they're light and cushiony enough for paved surface running. They're also good for walking around.Ironically, they're actually a bit too large sometimes, when I'm wearing very thin socks, so I insert an old pair of orthotics to make them fit properly. With thicker socks I don't need the orthotics. I'm wondering how they'll perform when it starts to get cooler, over fallen leaves, snow, ice, etc., when traction is important. But, overall, I like them so far.

I just finished a three mile run in these shoes. I started running competitively in 1969 (the days when people in cars would yell at you or throw empty cans at you because it was almost unheard of to see someone running in the street) and went from Adidas to Asics in the late 70”s after running the 1977 Boston Marathon in Asics Tigers. I ran the ’75 and ’76 in Adidas flats, it was a world of difference. Since then I have bought two pairs of Asics at a time because styles always change. I liked the shoe because it is wider than other flats and I am EEE. Having said that I wear shoes skin tight with no socks, always have since the days of kangaroo hide spikes that molded to your foot. I would buy Asics size 10 when my street shoe is 11 and they were always a perfect fit and width. I ordered these new shoes in 10 and length wise they are perfect, like a glove but I ordered a width for the first time with this brand. The EEE width fits me but the next width down would probably be a better fit for those of you who also run with skin tight shoes; my foot now moves a little in the shoe. There is one more concern and that is with regard to the padding. I run toe/heel as I started life running the 1500 and I am still on the balls of my feet first then heel and of course the faster I run the more up on my toes I get and these shoes feel like shoes with burned out padding right out of the box. I can feel the waffling as though there is nothing left of the padding under the balls of my feet. Everything is getting cheaper as profit margins are pushed and that is the case here as well. They are acceptable right now but we will see how far they go. I may wind up taping my feet as I did in the old days.

I've been a huge "venture" series fan (except for the 7 which in my opinion was terrible) and have 2 pairs of the Venture 6 that are great for off road except for the lack of the extra lace holes to lock the heel. Really like the 8 series as well for comfort and light weight.Since the 5 may no longer be with us as it has been around for several years now I thought I'd try them based on the positive reviews I've read. At first I thought they felt inflexible and heavy. After a good break in they just feel awesome and like they are built to last too.There are a couple of color combos that look cool without getting crazy. The others just look too "busy". I'd read they can be slippery on wet surfaces as compared to the outsole on the 6 or the 8 and that may be the case but I haven't experienced it.Really like the thicker, more durable laces (unlike the 7 and the 8) and they stay tied. It's a toss up between my Kahana 8s and these as the Kahanas seem to have a little wider, more stable platform and are at least as comfortable. When the Kahana 8s and the Venture 5s are discontinued it will be a sad day for trails everywhere.Get a pair of 5s while they last even if they are a little pricey now and harder to find. I'm a very normal size 11M and they are as close to a "perfect" shoe for me as I've found.Great job ASICS!

I use these Asics trainers for a daily 4 mile walk. Over a period of months I kept getting a cut on my right heel, I initially thought it was through friction and bought a variety of walking / running socks, and then today I saw this tear and felt the sharp plastic which had broken through the material. Never had this happen on any trainers I have previously purchased (Nike, Adidas, New Balance etc.).

I’ve been buying ASICS for years and found that the toe box in these specific runners are much tighter than usual for a supposedly WIDE fit.Going to be a long and painful break in period.Wore them once and put them on hold. Ouch!!

Comfortable and fits like a runner should. Great quality. A touch pricey, but you get what you pay for. As for longevity....time will tell. Great shoe!!

Bought these size 8.5 for my 13 yr old grandson who is 5'5" slim build slimish feet. He said these are the most comfortable sneakers he has ever worn. They look to me to be a bit wide but if they are comfortable that is the only thing that matters. I really hope that they last more than a couple of weeks like the last big name sneakers that were purchased.

Würde ich jederzeit wieder bestellen, tolle Farbtiefe, gute Verarbeitung ist zwar nicht ganz günstig aber Qualität hat halt seinen Preis