ASICSMen's Gel-Kayano 31 Sneaker

I'm a moderate distance runner who sticks mostly to treadmills these days. I do about two to three miles five days per week at a 5+ MPH speed. For as long as I can remember, I've been running in Asics Gel Kayanos (my prior pair were the Gel Kayano 27). Recently, I upgraded to the Gel Kayano 31, not because my previous pair had worn out, but because I essentially demoted them to outdoor/casual use (which is to say they have a lot of life left in them!).It's difficult to imagine, but Asics somehow always finds a way to improve upon the performance and design of each new Gel Kayano generation. The Gel Kayano 31 (as directly compared to the 27) brings a noticeable decrease in weight to the already lightweight formula via foam rubber and neoprene cushioning and stability mechanics where carbonized rubber and hard plastic were once incorporated. These changes make for a few alterations in the shoe's overall feel: 1) The 31 is significantly more wedge-like and has a more elevated feel than the 27. 2) Lateral stability feels a tad looser, but the comparatively wider footprint compensates well (in other words, it doesn't detract from the shoe's performance). 3) The 31 has a slightly faster feel in that there is more forward thrust provided by the wedged sole design. The swap to these softer and lighter materials MIGHT provide less overall durability in the long run (pun intended), but I doubt it, being as Asics has built a reputation for high quality manufacturing.Looks-wise, I like the styling, though I realize this is a matter of opinion. Honestly, it's not the most important aspect, but I will say that the all-black variant is definitely sleek!Overall, the Gel Kayano 31 is a worthy successor to the proud Kayano lineage. It's a pure running shoe vacant of bells, whistles, and gimmicks touted by other brands. Asics is nearly synonymous with running, so buy with confidence.Other notes... I find that they fit true to size...maybe a half-size lower than an equivalent Nike running shoe (i.e., if you're a 10.5 in Nikes, go with a 10 in Asics). My feet are of a normal width, so there's no concern in that regard.

The good:These are easily the most comfortable shoes I ever tried. Plenty of cushion from the back all the way to the front of the foot. When barefoot, my feet are relatively flat and I tend to pronate. So, these shoes are great for the stability and resistance against overpronation, is very noticeable, unlike other brands I tried in the past.The not-so-good:The tongues are relatively thin, which make them prone to folding if caution isn't taken when putting these shoes on. This is easily remedied by just taking an extra moment to drag and smooth the tongues in a better position when putting the shoes on. But, it'd just be nice if the tongues had slightly more shape retention through better padding seen in other brands. Overall, this is minor, but an unnecessary matter in the first place.The outer soles squeak, squeak, and squeeeeak. To be fair, this is only present on very smooth surfaces like tile. These shoes are, probably, mostly designed for running on tracks, streets, forest trails, grass, etc. where this wouldn't even come up. However, if you ever want to wear these while working in a hospital or office setting, prepare for squeak city. This is also an unnecessary matter since there are plenty of processes that add microscopic dimples, ridges, grooves, etc. to outer soles during the manufacturing process to avoid this in the first place like other brands do.In all fairness, neither of these points count against what the shoes are designed for, so I wouldn't count them against the score in the this review. It's just extra insight for the curious would-be buyer and hopeful insight for the company to constructively grow if they ever somehow see this review.Bottom line:These shoes are well worth the purchase and I am glad to have them.

Did some research on shoes for walking and narrowed in on these. They are lightweight, look really nice and the most comfortable shoes I've worn. I do a lot of morning walking now and I actually look forward to wearing these shoes. Outstanding quality. I usual size is 9.5 but had to go with a 10 ,that's a perfect fit. I absolutely recommend them.

I'm not a runner; I'm a slow walker. I've been wearing ASICS for several years. I decided to go for a higher (relatively) end shoe. The first day I wore these I thought I made a mistake. The 2nd day, they felt a little better. By day five, I hardly know that I'm wearing shoes. They feel like part of my foot. I will definitely buy another when these wear out!

Very comfortable and supportive shoe but it is not true to size & fits much larger than other Asics like the Gel-Kayano & GT-2000 series. The heal especially slides around far too much to be a viable option for me

I was having some sciatic pain in my leg and hip. I ordered these shoes, and now I feel no discomfort at all. The arch support makes the biggest difference not only in the foot, but all the way up to the hip and lower back. I can't recommend these shoes highly enough.

i use this product daily, and it is super confortable

Tenis vienen con defecto de fabricación en la suela con menos de un mes de uso y ya presenta desprendimiento de suela

I was recommended this shoe from a person at a shoe store. I have worn asics all my life but never had ones hurt my knees and feet like these ones did. I gave it a good solid try and wore them every day for a 2 weeks running but they hurt too much and I was forced to go purchase a different pair. sucks that i burned 230 dollars on these...