The cushioning these Asics Gel-Pulse 3 provide is something impossible to over look. I've never wore a shoe with such a cushioned feel. At first it's almost a little strange, but not a bad thing. Just different. Interestingly, once you start running the cushion isn't necessarily noticeable except for the fact that your feet probably don't hurt. So what I mean is the cushion doesn't get in the way of normal running, it just lowers the impact you feel. Once you slow down the cushion becomes noticeable again. After only recently beginning to run daily I've been wearing the same old running shoes I've had for years. Finally I began to feel the signs of wear such as my feet taking a noticeable pounding. I've only had these Asics for a few days but my feet seem to feel completely fine after each run. Additionally these fit me perfectly. I typically need a wider fit and have no problem with these shoes. The toes have plenty of room, and I find the shoes very comfortable and light. Finally, I went with the black & yellow and I think they look great too. This is only my second running shoe purchase so I don't have much compare to at this point, but I'm very happy with these and would recommend.

1.5 month update: The cushion doesn't seem to be as dramatic as brand new at this point. I'm not sure if they've "broken in" or I've gotten used to it. I think a combo of both is accurate. Nonetheless the cushion is still noticeable and even with running every day I never feel any pain or soreness. The lack of pain or soreness has definitely helped me improve endurance and keep motivated to run every day.

6 month update: Approx 500 miles on these shoes and the soles show wear at the toes and heels, and my feet and knees didn't seem to be as happy anymore. So I ordered another pair of these. Upon running in the new pair I noticed I may have gotten a bit lazy in my running form. I noticed I was tending to run more flat footed, and I've wondered if running with such cushioned shoes contributed to that. I don't know, but I've been working to get my form back and my feet and knees feel better.