Article by Derek Li
ANTA G21 ( S$139, about US$100)
The ANTA G21 is probably not a shoe many people are familiar with. In the Chinese domestic market, it’s actually called Guan Jun, which means champion, and the shoe is already on version 3.
For all intents and purposes, this shoe is being marketed as a moderately cushioned, neutral daily trainer.
Key statistics
Measured stack 40mm heel -32mm forefoot
258g in US9.5
Retail is currently at S$139 which is about US$100
Pros
Smooth, natural transitions
Good outsole performance
Cons
First Impressions and Upper
I’ve had the opportunity to test a couple of really outstanding trainers recently, and this is another one, coming from ANTA. The stats put it right in the high 8oz range for a standard US9.0 and it has all the features of an excellent daily trainer; simple effective upper, cushioned midsole and effective outsole.
Step in feel is very comfortable and there is plenty of padding around the heel and tongue. The fit is bang on true to size and the width of the shoe is very diplomatic throughout and it should fit the vast majority of runners very well.
The upper uses a dual layer synthetic mesh that breathes quite well. It comes with the internal laminated toe guard and extra reinforced layers toward the midfoot and the heel. The tongue is well-padded as mentioned earlier and stays in place courtesy of the gusseted design. I do note that the gusset straps are not elastic and don’t really serve a structural role beyond keeping the tongue centered.
The heel counter is fairly rigid but is by no means harsh because there is enough padding to dull that effect. The fit and lockdown are very conventional, and once you lace things up, there is zero heel slippage even with minimal lace tension.
Midsole
The midsole uses what appears to be nitrogen-infused pelletized TPU foam, and there is an embedded plastic midfoot shank to improve torsional stiffness at midfoot.
In terms of the foam technology, I think it is a fairly common TPU formulation and I have seen similar foams being used in daily trainers from other brands. In truth, I do experience a noticeable difference between the TPU foam in other brands vs the nitro-injected foam from ANTA. The TPU foam tends to be on the denser side, and while the ride would be classed as springy for sure, don’t expect a very dynamic bouncy experience. As for the midfoot shank, it does add a little bit more snappiness to the ride, but the shoe in general has a very traditional sort of flex.
There is a decent toe spring built into the midsole geometry, but the foam through the forefoot is flexible enough that you don’t really feel any aggressive rocker effect. I managed to find a breakdown of the layup of the shoe on ANTA’s Chinese webstore, and here you can see the shape and size of the midfoot shank, and also a little bit of the raised midsole sidewalls toward the heel. The width of the shoe is quite decent across heel and midfoot. Couple this with mildly raised midsole sidewalls toward the heel and you have a decently stable platform, at least insofar as neutral trainers go. Finally, in terms of vibration dampening, the shoe performs above average for me in this department, and should be plenty protective for those easy runs and long runs.
Outsole
The outsole has plenty of gridded TPU and from past experience, this sort of outsole compound performs very well in terms of grip and durability on both wet and dry surfaces. What’s interesting to note here is that the outsole TPU coverage is continuous along the medial edge of the shoe and disjointed at the lateral edge, whereas it is traditionally the other way round.
I think the coverage in the G21 improves medial stability but may reduce lateral stability. So if you are an underpronator or if you mainly wear out the lateral aspect of the outsoles of your shoes, this may be an issue for you. The good news for people who need mild stability is that this neutral shoe should still work for you (and if so, would be one of the softer more dynamic mild stability shoes on the market for you. It’s definitely softer than the Saucony Tempus).
Ride and Conclusions
I am right at the tail end of my build up for the Berlin Marathons so a lot of my long runs are key sessions for me. I didn’t manage to take the G21 out for any really long runs, but I did get some runs in them up to 20 km in distance, and they have worked great at easy or steady moderate efforts.
The shoes give a very smooth and predictable ride, and actually get bouncier as you pick up the pace. I never felt like they bottomed out or weighed me down even during strides or short pick ups down to 3:30/km pace so I feel like they make for a very good all-rounded shoe.
They would not be my top pick for a workout or tempo session, but I think for novice runners looking for a good all-rounded trainer, or even experienced runners looking for a cushioned ride that still lets you train your biomechanics, this is an excellent option.
The geometry makes it most ideal for heel strikers, but even midfoot and forefoot strikers will find the 32mm forefoot stack (inclusive of insole) to be more than sufficient in the cushioning department as a daily trainer.
Derek’s Score 9.28 / 10
Ride (50%) 9 Fit (30%) 9.5 Value (15%) 10 Style (5%) 8.5
Smiles Score 😊😊😊😊
Really, the only knock on the shoe are the somewhat plain aesthetics, but it is a lot of value packed into a very affordable shoe.
Comparisons
New Balance FreshFoam Balos (RTR Review)
I wear US9.5 in both shoes. The Balos has a more relaxed fit and a softer and bouncier but more sluggish underfoot ride. The Balos upper is also a little bit warmer. I think people with wider feet and who want to focus more on easy/recovery runs will prefer the Balos. People who want to do more runs in the moderate intensity range will find the G21 more fun. Both shoes have similar heel stack, but the Balos has a lower drop and consequently a little more forefoot cushioning. Overall, I prefer the G21 for being the more versatile shoe.
New Balance Rebel 4 (RTR Review)
I wear US9.5 in both shoes. The Rebel is a lower stack shoe than the G21, but has a similar sort of performance fit to the G21. I do find that the G21 has a smoother ride and is also softer and more springy, but the lighter weight of the Rebel makes it a bit more versatile shoe and it’s also a better option if you want to do workouts in them. I think the G21 is a more durable and value for money option, but the Rebel is the more versatile shoe.
ANTA MACH 4 (RTR Review)
I wear US9.5 in both shoes. I like the MACH for having a more snappy ride that works well for short intervals or when I want to have a more traditional ride in a shoe. The G21 presents itself as a more cushioned but less snappy version of the MACH 4. (Note that there is a stiffer G21 Pro version which I have not tested, that is probably more of a direct competitor to the MACH 4) Slower runners and runners who want a shoe more for easy and long runs will probably go for the G21, while runners who maybe do less mileage or want a daily trainer that doubles up better as a workout shoe will prefer the MACH 4.
The ANTA G21 3 can be purchased in Singapore in ANTA retail stores, and online HERE
Retail is currently at S$139 which is about US$100
Unfortunately, it’s still not widely available outside of specific Asian markets.
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
SALOMON RUNNING
Men's and Women's SHOP HERE
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