ASICS Women's GT-2000 13 Running Shoe, 8.5, Concrete/Watershed Rose

Why it's worth it

The GT-2000 13 carries ASICS' 3D Guidance System, PureGEL heel cushioning and FF BLAST PLUS foam for noticeably less than the Kayano. It's lighter on your feet and still gives you real arch and rearfoot support.

If money is the constraint, this is where we'd spend it. The GT-2000 13 shares the same design language as the Kayano — guidance structure through the midfoot, PureGEL under the heel, FF BLAST PLUS foam on top — in a lighter, simpler package. You give up the most sophisticated version of each technology, not the technology itself.

Owners repeatedly describe it as lighter than other athletic shoes without feeling flimsy, and people whose podiatrists sent them shopping for a supportive running shoe land here often. High arches get consistent praise, and ASICS is one of the few brands that still makes narrow widths, which is genuinely hard to find if your foot is slim.

From our review of 8 running shoes for plantar fasciitis, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +If money is the constraint, this is where we'd spend it
• +Owners repeatedly describe it as lighter than other athletic shoes without feeling flimsy, and people whose podiatrists sent…
• +The 3D Guidance System is a step down from the Kayano's 4D version, but for mild to moderate pronation that gap barely registers…
• +The upper uses at least 50% recycled content and the sockliner is solution-dyed, which cuts water use and emissions in…

What to know

• –The support has limits
• –Sizing runs small. Multiple owners say to go up a half size from your usual, so order with returns in mind
• –There's less cushioning here than in the Kayano, and if you're a heavier runner or you're logging long weekend miles, you'll…