A minor update to the Takumi Sen. Everything underfoot is just as good as the Takumi Sen 8 -- the same cushioned yet light and snappy feel, with great traction on the road. The major change is the upper, which feels a little bit stiffer and lighter. Overall, I preferred the upper in this new update. The only drawback was that the edge of the tongue was a bit stiff at first. During my first run I was wearing low-cut socks and the tongue irritated the skin above my ankle. For the next few runs I wore longer socks as I broke in the shoe, and now it is perfect.