I have been running for 9 years and last 7 years with ASICS, initially the stability 2000 series and switched to the neutral Cumulus 5 years ago because of the IT band problem with the 2000s. Since then I completed about 10 full marathons with 4 different Cumulus (skipped 11) without the IT band problem. However, for each new model, they changed something slightly and I have been having  minor problems with each model-changed shoes. Recently, I tried Cumulus 12 and the size was slightly smaller probably by 1/4 than Cumulus 10 I was using. I decided to buy 1/2 size bigger Cumulus 12, but with some uneasy feeling. So far I ran about 50 training miles and a 30K race with no major problem, but I am not sure how it will perform in a full marathon in a month. I hate the change they make ever year and for that I have to give it minus one start. ASICS are good shoes but I am ready to switch to any other better shoes and give them 5 stars. But the 5 stars shoes are hard to come by.

On 6/7/2011 Downgraded to 2 stars from 4,  I ran a full marathon a month after the initial review was written. I got blisters on my small toes. I thought that was because the shoes were not broken up enough. I used them again for the Boston marathon( with more down hills)this spring and got even bigger blisters and a bloody fingernail on the same small toes.