Widely considered to be a legendary road running shoe from ASICS, the GEL-KAYANO is the brand’s flagship stability shoe and this has set the benchmark for long-distance running performance since its introduction in 1993.

And now into its 25th iteration, new editions of the GEL-KAYANO has constantly been improved, offering runners increased protection and performance every time. 

Said Kenichi Harano, Executive Officer and Senior General Manager at ASICS Institute of Sports Science, “The GEL-KAYANO series was designed to make long-distance running accessible for runners. For 25 years, we have kept this goal in mind as we continued to make the GEL-KAYANO series lighter and more responsive without ever compromising on stability.”

And in the GEL-KAYANO 25, the new innovations featured are the FlyteFoam Lyte and FlyteFoam Propel technologies, which are described by ASICS as working in parallel to deliver superior protection and enhanced stability to runners, no matter the distance.

As the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 25 is a stability shoe, there are also plenty of other motion-control features such as the “Guidance Trussic System” in the mid foot to create rigidity, and higher abrasion rubber in the heel as well as a Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plastic cup overlay located behind the heel counter to steady the ankle and prevent it from rolling.

Said Paul Miles, Chief Marketing Officer, ASICS Corporation, “GEL-KAYANO 25 is a product that we know our founder, Mr. Kihachiro Onitsuka, would have been proud of and it’s just the beginning of what we have coming over the next few years in the performance running category.”

ASICS recently sent a unit of the GEL-KAYANO 25 for my review.

I must admit that as a marathon runner myself, the GEL-KAYANO 25 is a shoe that I had been particularly looking forward to testing. 

And its arrival was very timely, as I am currently training for the Berlin Marathon next month. So this means that I definitely need to clock the miles, and what better shoe to do them in, than with the new GEL-KAYANO 25?

The unit that I had received, was in the Black/ASICS Blue colour combination. This colour-way is quite neutral and easy to match with my other running gear because black basically goes well with anything.

The new GEL-KAYANO 25 is not the lightest running shoe around though. The Women’s model has an average weight of 9.8 oz (277 grams) and I could feel the weight when I took the shoes out of the box for the first time.

Slipping my feet into the shoes, the toe-box of the GEL-KAYANO 25 is roomy and there is ample space for my toes to wriggle around, though I found that the sides may be a tad narrow though. So it means that this shoe may not really be recommended for those who have wide feet.

Since getting them, I have worn the shoes out on several runs, with each occasion ranging from a minimum of about half an hour to a maximum of about three hours.

And through my runs, I found that the GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes are quite comfortable to run for long distances in, despite these shoes being heavier than some of the other running shoes that I have become accustomed to.

As I was running, I could definitely feel the responsiveness of the shoes at work too – I was able to detect a bouncy, springy feeling during each stride, thanks to ASICS’ new FlyteFoam Propel foam formulation technology present in the shoe that increases the foam’s durability and at the same time, also provides more stability for runners at the same time. So this made running in the shoes really easy.

I can also see how this added stability support would be a benefit when running marathons – even for runners who do not require stability shoes, because in the latter stages of a marathon, when the legs are  feeling achy and sore, wearing the GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes over say, racing shoes, could be able to help to negate some of the impact when the legs need it the most, and also prevent your running stride from going awry due to fatigue, to some extent.

And there is some relief in terms of the shoes helping to absorb the hardness of the impact from the ground during landing and toe-off, thanks to the ASICS GEL technology which provides superior shocks absorption. 

So as such, my knees and shins did not ache or hurt as much even after clocking a lot of miles. Aching knees is a problem that I sometimes get when I am running with shoes that lack cushioning, so I was pleased that this did not happen in the GEL-KAYANO 25.

Also, I felt that the Two Layer Jacquard Mesh Upper definitely improves the breathability of the shoe, when I was running too. 

As a result, my feet and socks had been able to stay relatively dry and comfortable in hot and humid Singapore, even towards the end of my three-hour long runs, when I would have been drenched in sweat otherwise, no thanks to our tropical sun.

And when I run with the GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes, there is also a padded collar that is meant to keep the feet in place, in order to prevent slipping and sliding during a run. This had definitely worked to a tee, because my feet were able to remain snug and in place, without moving around inside the shoes at all during my runs.

This feature is good to prevent blisters during long runs. But I did note that at the same time, the heel area of the shoe had felt quite hard and firm, though, when I was running.

But hopefully the heels may eventually soften up over time with usage though, as I continue to clock more miles with the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes.

The forefoot however, is quite plush and well-cushioned during landing. So this helps to makes up for the rigidity of the heel, to some extent.

And to prevent heel lift, I also noted that there are also two additional lacing holes in the GEL-KAYANO 25 too.

Also when I was running with the GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes, I realised that they have a rather noisy landing, as though the shoes are being thrown onto the ground. This sound is especially apparent, when I am running without music.

In fact I had some friends who commented that I was hitting the ground hard when I was running with them, and this could have been due to the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes.

And I also found that the heavier weight of the shoes really shows up, when I was trying to speed up during my runs, with the GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes on my feet. 

Though I do know there are other shoe models available for the fast speed work and interval running and that the GEL-KAYANO 25 is meant to be a stability shoe thus the presence of the many motion-control features that may be adding to the weight, many seasoned marathon runners may also want to speed up and go all-out in the latter stages of a marathon for a negative splits race strategy. But the GEL-KAYANO 25 may impede this, to some extent.

So this had made me wonder whether it could be possible for ASICS to improve on the weight of the shoe in order to make it lighter, whilst at the same time retaining the motion control features.

Nevertheless though, my overall thoughts are that the ASICS GEL-KAYANO 25 shoe feels quite plush and comfortable despite the weight, and they are an enjoyable shoe to do my long training runs with. 

So I will definitely continue to use the GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes to clock my miles as I prepare for the Berlin Marathon.

The ASICS GEL-KAYANO 25 shoes have a recommended retail price of S$259 and they are currently available at the ASICS Stores in Plaza Singapura, VivoCity and Suntec City.