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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Asics 33-DFA Review}} The Asics 33-DFA is a shoe with huge promise. This is part of Asics move into "natural running", and the '33' in the name is due to the 33..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Asics 33-DFA Review}}
The Asics 33-DFA is a shoe with huge promise. This is part of Asics move into "natural running", and the '33' in the name is due to the 33 bones in the foot. There are a number of technologies that are aimed at promoting natural foot movement, and I'm happy to see Asics become aware of the move away from intrusive footwear. However, I'd rather see a simpler shoe without these technologies and the weight they incur. Which is really the Achilles' heel of the 33-DFA; it's too heavy. The 33-DFA comes in several ounces heavier than its competition, and for some reason actually feels heavier than it actually is. I've found myself weighing the 33-DFA several times because of this strange sense of being overly dense.
I've rated the 33-DFA 3 as "worth considering", as it's a big improvement over shoes like the [[Asics GT 2000]], but there are better shoes you should look at. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA bottom. Notice the deep 'X' grove that is Asics 'Deep FluidAxis' that gives the 33-DFA its name.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA inside. Looking at the midsole, the white foam is denser than the dark gray foam that is above it.]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. The main issue with the 33-DFA 3 its weight. I think the 33-DFA is worth considering, but I would avoid racing in it. As a training shoe, there might be benefits to the extra weight; rather like running in the [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] while wearing ankle weights ;}
* {{H:cushioning}}. The 33-DFA is reasonably well cushioned, but I'd expect more given its weight. The 33-DFA seems rather like it's made of overly dense foam, as I'm always surprised by its weight when I pick it up. It's actually the same weight as the [[Altra Instinct]], but for some reason it feels heavier. I find the cushioning is smooth and even, and it would be fine if the shoe were a few ounces lighter. I found the 33-DFA didn't have quite as much rebound/bounce/spring as the [[Saucony Kinvara]].
* {{H:drop}}. The 33-DFA is zero drop, which is great, especially from a major manufacturer. I love seeing low and zero drop become mainstream like this. However, I'm surprised the 33-DFA doesn't have better forefoot cushioning. Most low drop shoes have similar cushioning levels at either end, but the 33-DFA is quite a bit less cushioned in the front.
* {{H:structure}}. The 33-DFA uses two densities of foam, but it doesn't attempt to manipulate or interfere with your natural biomechanics as many dual density shoes do. Instead of putting the firmer foam on the inside of the heel to try to prevent foot pronation, the 33-DFA puts the denser foam under a layer of softer foam. In the pictures above, the dense foam is white and the dense foam a dark gray. The 'DFA' stands for 'Deep FluidAxis', where FluidAxis is the X shaped gap in the foam you can see in the pictures of the underside of the shoe. This X is intended to make the shoe flexible in the two axis of the X, again encouraging the natural movement of the ankle. Does it work? I couldn't tell any difference, but this type of technology can exert a subtle influence over many miles without you being aware of it. I can't say if it's good or bad, but at least the intention seems more reasonable than many shoe technologies I come across.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The 33-DFA has good flexibility, something that's helped by the gaps in the forefoot outsole and the groves in the midsole.
* {{H:outsole}}. There's a good layer of harder rubber outsole over the contact surfaces, giving the 33-DFA good wear characteristics. I found that the X shaped gap in the midsole did tend to act as a stone trap, though the position of the stones meant this did not cause me any major problems.
* {{H:shape}}. The Altra 33-DFA is intended to "mimic the shape of the human foot", and "allow the toes to splay", but sadly it doesn't. While Asics Natural33 Last might be slightly better than other Asics shoes, it's still not designed to fit the human foot, and I had to [[Shoe Modifications| cut open the toe box]] for my feet to move naturally. This is common to pretty much all running shoes, but it's a particular shame in a shoe that is intended to be more natural. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is unpadded in the forefoot, but has a small amount of padding in the rear. The material is a little thicker than I'd like for breathability, but no worse than most shoes. There are reinforcement overlays, but no seams, and the overlays are positioned so they're unlikely to cause issues. The ankle opening is nicely padded.
* {{H:tongue}}. The 33-DFA has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces, and it's moderately padded.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are slightly rounded, but they stayed tied.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The 33-DFA has no heel counter, which is another nice feature. I believe heel counters are useless at best, and the 33-DFA shows how little a shoe needs one.
{{FastBlr|asics/33-dfa-1328|1328|Asics 33-DFA}}
=Comparisons=
Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.
==Altra 33-DFA and Asics Gel Hyper Speed==
The [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] provides about the same cushioning as the 33-DFA, but weighs 4.7oz less, which is a huge difference. This makes the Hyper Speed a far better shoe than the 33-DFA, though I like the zero drop nature of the 33-DFA, it's not enough to compensate for the weight.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 top]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 outside]]
|}
{{FastBlr|asics/gel-hyperspeed-6-192|192|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6}}
==Altra 33-DFA and Hoka Clifton==
The [[Hoka Clifton]] is a wonderful shoe and the 33-DFA really can't compete. The Clifton has massively more cushioning, but lighter than the 33-DFA. While Asics claim their AmpliFoam midsole "provides soft cushioning constructed at a lower density", it doesn't come close to the Hoka foam.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 top]]
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 inside]]
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 outside]]
|}
{{FastBlr|hoka-one-one/clifton-2-1062|1062|Hoka Clifton 2}}
==Altra 33-DFA and Saucony Kinvara==
The [[Saucony Kinvara]] is one of the most popular and best transitional shoes, and is an obvious competitor for the 33-DFA. The Asics is zero drop while the Saucony has just 3mm, but counterintuitively it's the Saucony that has similar cushioning in the forefoot and heel. While both shoes have about the same cushioning at the heel, the Saucony is much better in the forefoot. Yet again we see the 33-DFA coming in too heavy against its competition; the Kinvara is 2oz lighter. That could be more than a minute off your marathon time.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 top]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 outside]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 bottom]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 inside]]
|}
{{FastBlr|saucony/kinvara-6-952|952|Saucony Kinvara 6}}
==Asics 33-DFA and Asics GT 2000==
I tend to compare shoes against my benchmark "normal running shoe", the [[Asics GT 2000]]. Perhaps here we can find the shoe that Asics was thinking they were improving on. The GT 2000 is heavier than the 33-DFA, and a lot less cushioned in the heel. The GT 2000 includes structures that attempt to interfere with your biomechanics rather than encourage natural foot movement. At least in the company of the GT 2000 it looks like a huge leap forward.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 top]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 outside]]
|}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
The Asics 33-DFA is a shoe with huge promise. This is part of Asics move into "natural running", and the '33' in the name is due to the 33 bones in the foot. There are a number of technologies that are aimed at promoting natural foot movement, and I'm happy to see Asics become aware of the move away from intrusive footwear. However, I'd rather see a simpler shoe without these technologies and the weight they incur. Which is really the Achilles' heel of the 33-DFA; it's too heavy. The 33-DFA comes in several ounces heavier than its competition, and for some reason actually feels heavier than it actually is. I've found myself weighing the 33-DFA several times because of this strange sense of being overly dense.
I've rated the 33-DFA 3 as "worth considering", as it's a big improvement over shoes like the [[Asics GT 2000]], but there are better shoes you should look at. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA bottom. Notice the deep 'X' grove that is Asics 'Deep FluidAxis' that gives the 33-DFA its name.]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA inside. Looking at the midsole, the white foam is denser than the dark gray foam that is above it.]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. The main issue with the 33-DFA 3 its weight. I think the 33-DFA is worth considering, but I would avoid racing in it. As a training shoe, there might be benefits to the extra weight; rather like running in the [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] while wearing ankle weights ;}
* {{H:cushioning}}. The 33-DFA is reasonably well cushioned, but I'd expect more given its weight. The 33-DFA seems rather like it's made of overly dense foam, as I'm always surprised by its weight when I pick it up. It's actually the same weight as the [[Altra Instinct]], but for some reason it feels heavier. I find the cushioning is smooth and even, and it would be fine if the shoe were a few ounces lighter. I found the 33-DFA didn't have quite as much rebound/bounce/spring as the [[Saucony Kinvara]].
* {{H:drop}}. The 33-DFA is zero drop, which is great, especially from a major manufacturer. I love seeing low and zero drop become mainstream like this. However, I'm surprised the 33-DFA doesn't have better forefoot cushioning. Most low drop shoes have similar cushioning levels at either end, but the 33-DFA is quite a bit less cushioned in the front.
* {{H:structure}}. The 33-DFA uses two densities of foam, but it doesn't attempt to manipulate or interfere with your natural biomechanics as many dual density shoes do. Instead of putting the firmer foam on the inside of the heel to try to prevent foot pronation, the 33-DFA puts the denser foam under a layer of softer foam. In the pictures above, the dense foam is white and the dense foam a dark gray. The 'DFA' stands for 'Deep FluidAxis', where FluidAxis is the X shaped gap in the foam you can see in the pictures of the underside of the shoe. This X is intended to make the shoe flexible in the two axis of the X, again encouraging the natural movement of the ankle. Does it work? I couldn't tell any difference, but this type of technology can exert a subtle influence over many miles without you being aware of it. I can't say if it's good or bad, but at least the intention seems more reasonable than many shoe technologies I come across.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The 33-DFA has good flexibility, something that's helped by the gaps in the forefoot outsole and the groves in the midsole.
* {{H:outsole}}. There's a good layer of harder rubber outsole over the contact surfaces, giving the 33-DFA good wear characteristics. I found that the X shaped gap in the midsole did tend to act as a stone trap, though the position of the stones meant this did not cause me any major problems.
* {{H:shape}}. The Altra 33-DFA is intended to "mimic the shape of the human foot", and "allow the toes to splay", but sadly it doesn't. While Asics Natural33 Last might be slightly better than other Asics shoes, it's still not designed to fit the human foot, and I had to [[Shoe Modifications| cut open the toe box]] for my feet to move naturally. This is common to pretty much all running shoes, but it's a particular shame in a shoe that is intended to be more natural. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is unpadded in the forefoot, but has a small amount of padding in the rear. The material is a little thicker than I'd like for breathability, but no worse than most shoes. There are reinforcement overlays, but no seams, and the overlays are positioned so they're unlikely to cause issues. The ankle opening is nicely padded.
* {{H:tongue}}. The 33-DFA has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces, and it's moderately padded.
* {{H:lacing}}. The laces are slightly rounded, but they stayed tied.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The 33-DFA has no heel counter, which is another nice feature. I believe heel counters are useless at best, and the 33-DFA shows how little a shoe needs one.
{{FastBlr|asics/33-dfa-1328|1328|Asics 33-DFA}}
=Comparisons=
Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.
==Altra 33-DFA and Asics Gel Hyper Speed==
The [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] provides about the same cushioning as the 33-DFA, but weighs 4.7oz less, which is a huge difference. This makes the Hyper Speed a far better shoe than the 33-DFA, though I like the zero drop nature of the 33-DFA, it's not enough to compensate for the weight.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 top]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-Gel-Hyper-Speed-6-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6 outside]]
|}
{{FastBlr|asics/gel-hyperspeed-6-192|192|Asics Gel Hyper Speed 6}}
==Altra 33-DFA and Hoka Clifton==
The [[Hoka Clifton]] is a wonderful shoe and the 33-DFA really can't compete. The Clifton has massively more cushioning, but lighter than the 33-DFA. While Asics claim their AmpliFoam midsole "provides soft cushioning constructed at a lower density", it doesn't come close to the Hoka foam.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 top]]
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 inside]]
|[[File:Hoka Clifton 2-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Hoka Clifton 2 outside]]
|}
{{FastBlr|hoka-one-one/clifton-2-1062|1062|Hoka Clifton 2}}
==Altra 33-DFA and Saucony Kinvara==
The [[Saucony Kinvara]] is one of the most popular and best transitional shoes, and is an obvious competitor for the 33-DFA. The Asics is zero drop while the Saucony has just 3mm, but counterintuitively it's the Saucony that has similar cushioning in the forefoot and heel. While both shoes have about the same cushioning at the heel, the Saucony is much better in the forefoot. Yet again we see the 33-DFA coming in too heavy against its competition; the Kinvara is 2oz lighter. That could be more than a minute off your marathon time.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 top]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 outside]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 bottom]]
|[[File:Saucony Kinvara 6-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Saucony Kinvara 6 inside]]
|}
{{FastBlr|saucony/kinvara-6-952|952|Saucony Kinvara 6}}
==Asics 33-DFA and Asics GT 2000==
I tend to compare shoes against my benchmark "normal running shoe", the [[Asics GT 2000]]. Perhaps here we can find the shoe that Asics was thinking they were improving on. The GT 2000 is heavier than the 33-DFA, and a lot less cushioned in the heel. The GT 2000 includes structures that attempt to interfere with your biomechanics rather than encourage natural foot movement. At least in the company of the GT 2000 it looks like a huge leap forward.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-top.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA top]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-bottom.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA bottom]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-inside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA inside]]
|[[File:Asics 33-DFA-outside.JPG|none|thumb|200px|Asics 33-DFA outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-top.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 top]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-inside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-outside.jpg|none|thumb|200px|Asics GT2000 outside]]
|}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
