ASGI: Isn’t Science Beautiful?

Ahhhhhh ASGI, producer of extremely comfortable footwear, we are quite fond of you. For those of you who have been with us awhile, you may remember that this Science-of-Shoewearing brand showed up here on Shoeblog last spring when Shoesense reviewed their “Joy” Mary Jane. She went through their amazng Soleplex technology, but since it’s always a good time for good news, I am going to tell you about it again. Here is the first major reason to get interested in this brand, and fast:

ASGI claims to design their shoes “from the inside out” and in this image of the heeled version of their 3-tiered Soleplex design, you begin to see why. In this image, tiers 1 and 2 make up the “Footbed and Stabilizer” level. It is a contoured base that conforms, memoryfoam-like, to your your foot so that you almost feel like the shoe was made for you. It is then reinforced to provide extra support. The bottom tier is a combination of the “Chassis” and the “Pods” that are seperated in the flat version of the shoe. The Chassic is the stong durable foundation that gives you stability even on cobblestones and uneven ground. The “Pod,” or in this case, the heel, is carefully placed to distribute weight. Even though this is a heeled shoe, you are in no way balancing on your toes. For more information on Soleplex technology, check out the ASGI website.

The CLAIM: ASGI shoes are designed with comfort first and then wrapped in the latest fashion designs.

The TEST: Twinkletoes will wear the Carina Bootie all over the streets of New York and render her decision.

The VERDICT:

Here is a photo of the Carina bootie in which I did, indeed, traipse all over Manhattan.

CLAIM 1 RESULT: COMFORT. I found that ASGI totally lives up to the hard sell on the Soleplex technology. The shoe does actually feel like it molds to your foot. The longer you wear it, the more comfortable it gets. On top of that, New York is incredibly hard on shoes. Virtually ever pair of shoes I own looks like it has been in a streetfight. In the past I have found that the heel caps on my shoes can wear down with one wearing. ONE! But the polyurethane Chassis and Heel scoffed in the face of the NYC streets. Subway Grates? Sure, I got caught in them (I am not the most graceful of girls), but they came right out with nary a nick on them. Questionable puddles in the street? No problem! The leather was not damaged at all and any grime just washed right off! These babies are amazingly street savvy.

CLAIM 2 RESULT: FASHION. On this level, I feel that ASGI has a little way to go. I paired these with several different looks to see how they worked.

Business:

Casual:

Dressy:

I think that it definitely works best with the work look. It is a sturdy, comfortable work shoe but i think it needs a bit of tweaking before it can be called full-on Fashion. My main issue with it is the toe box. The squared off toe looks a little old-fashioned to me. Tweaking it just a little by making it either rounded or pointed would go a long way for the look. I understand that it is supposed to loafer-esque, but I think the look needs a bit more streamlining. However, I stand firm on the idea that if you are looking for comfortable, good-looking work shoe, these are perfect.

I did spend a great deal of time perusing ASGI’s website and found that the Daisy Ballerina shoe is super cute! Based on my time with the Carina Bootie, I am also 100% certain that it is incredibly comfortable. In addition to the black style, it is available in gold and silver, a perfect fit for the new Spring trends.

You can find the Carina Bootie ($102.00) and the Daisy Ballerina ($104.00!) on Footwearetc.com.

We have our ASGI Contest Winner!

…and it’s the lucky author of comment #39, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth has won a pair of ASGI Gaia wedges. Thank you all for playing–and remember to make your shoes stylish AND comfy, always!

Contest Reminder: Enter a comment to win a pair of ASGI sandals

Remember to enter our ASGI giveaway contest–ending Thursday, August 7th! All you have to do is enter a comment to this post in order to win a fabulously comfy, not to mention good-looking pair of Gaia wedge sandals, a $130 retail value:

You still have a couple of days left, so hurry up! Post a comment to this entry now!

Let us put a spring in your step: no, really: our ASGI giveaway

It’s no secret that we here at Shoeblog want you to be as comfortable as you are fashionable. And so, we’re proud to announce our next contest, in which we give away a pair of super-comfy and trendy sandals (drumroll, please): the ASGI Gaia wedges (a retail value of about $130):

Why should you be excited about this? I’ll tell you why: these shoes employ a three-part comfort technology called Soleplex®. Soleplex was developed by ASGI founder Pat Hogan and pedorthist David Levy and consists of three parts: the footbed and stabilizer on top, the chassis in the middle, and the polyurethane pods for cushioning at the bottom:

The company assures us that “The molded and anatomically contoured footbed combines with a stabilizing baseto provide the ideal blend of stability and cushioning for long-wearing comfort, creating a shoe that forms to each individual’s foot.”

Of course, you don’t have to take their word for it; you could take mine, though! I’ve had the pleasure to try one of these shoes–the “Joy” Mary Jane to be precise, and I found it to live every bit up to the expectations. I’m on my feet quite a lot–walking my beloved pooch, running errands, getting groceries, you get the idea; hence, I rely on good, sturdy, comfortable footwear to carry me from one place to the other. The “Joy” was a pleasure to wear, so much so that I wiped off the sole and continued to wear it around the house (it’s painful to walk on hardwood floors with my plantar fasciitis). I would recommend a base socklet if you’re going to wear them for a long time, and also, I suspect they tend to run a tad large; other than that, they’ve been some of the most relaxed, easy-to-wear casual shoes I’ve ever tried in my life.

For a chance to win the ASGI Gaia wedges for you or a friend, simply enter a comment to this entry. That’s all! I’m sure all of you can use some comfy neutral sandals (they go with everything, people!) to carry you through the end of the summer. You’ll have until Thursday, August 7th; we’ll announce the winner shortly after. Good luck!