India, Jan. 15 -- Look closely, and you'll see the Mumbai skyline depicted on the thick midsole that defines Tata Mumbai Marathon Gel-Kayano 31 Limited Edition shoe. This is yet another annual special edition from Asics for their flagship running shoe, to commemorate the Tata Mumbai marathon (that's on January 19), with their flagship Gel-Kayano 31 as the baseline. It is less of a generational transition from the Gel-Kayano 30 to the Gel-Kayano 31, and while changes are being made where an update was really needed, an upgrade decision becomes complicated.

The legacy which Asics has built since the year 1993 with the Gel-Kayano running sneakers, doesn't come easily. In this time, what these flagship running shoes have maintained is a deci...