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100km In: Are The Asics Gel Kayano 30 Running Shoes Worth It?

by Sportitude

Released on the 5th of July 2023 in Australia, the Asics Gel Kayano 30 is the flagship stability running shoe of Asics.

Complete with an innovative formula of plush cushioning and new 4D Guidance System, it's caught the attention of both loyal Kayano runners and everyday athletes that are new to the legendary franchise... but are the Asics Gel Kayano 30 worth it?

No matter how popular the Asics Gel Kayano 30 are, choosing the right running shoe is all about you – your foot type, your running goals and your comfort.

The Asics Gel Kayano 30 provide stability for overpronation, guiding flat feet to low arched foot types to move efficiently and comfortably - but we'll talk more about how the 4D Guidance System works in the near future.

With Asics FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco cushioning on a wide platform, the Asics Gel Kayano 30 provides shock-absorbing protection in an environmentally preferable package for high mileage runs and everyday training.

After 100km of putting the Asics Gel Kayano 30 to the test on the pavement, Sportitude Running shoe expert Josh Willoughby shares with you his personal insight into the pros and cons of the Asics Gel Kayano 30 and provides his educated opinion on how long the Asics Gel Kayano 30 will last.

Josh has already explored how it stacks up against its predecessor in the Asics Gel Kayano 30 vs 29 Comparison Running Shoe Review. Now he takes this running shoe's journey further, even testing its durability and versatility beyond running to see what the Asics Gel Kayano 30 are suitable for – because we know that Asics Gel Kayano wearers love to live in them.

Josh answers the commonly asked questions around the Asics Gel Kayano 30 to help you make an informed purchase and to determine whether it’s the best stability running shoe to support your daily training or active lifestyle.

Check out the video with full transcript below.

Hi guys, Josh here from Sportitude Running. In front of me I have the Asics Gel Kayano 30 running shoes. They're a bit dirty with a few crease marks because I have used these for 100km of running. I want to give you my perspective of how this shoe has performed with reference to running.

I've also walked in them, wore them at work and I've done school drop off in them with the kids. I'm trying to get an understanding of how this running shoe will actually work for the Asics Gel Kayano wearers out there.

Yes, it's a running shoe and yes, Asics have put all their effort into in executing the best, most comfortable support shoe for running, but we all know that Asics Gel Kayano wearers do a little bit of everything in them.

I'll give you a breakdown of how I have thought this running shoe has performed across all of those categories and tell you how I think it's going to perform after 500km. I'll also tell you all the things I like and some things I don't in today's review.

Let's talk about my pair of Asics Gel Kayano 30 which Asics gave me almost 3 months ago. I haven't done all of my running in them but I have got up to 100km of mileage running in this specific pair.

I don't think my antique red/ocean haze colourway is going to be available here in Australia. I could be wrong, but it's not one of the colours that Sportitude Running were offered, but they were kind enough to give me this pair to put some kilometres in so thank you Asics Australia.

Who is the Asics Gel Kayano for?

First things first, your Asics Gel Kayano wearer has been a pretty consistent person over the last 30 years. It’s someone who enjoys a run, is looking for cushioning under the body, a stable ride and obviously arch support which kicks in for that mild overpronator.

Sportitude Running sell a vast number of Asics Gel Kayano running shoes to walkers and for people who are using them on the weekend - shopping, going to the gym, walking the dog and also doing a bit of running.

They're a very versatile shoe regarding what they can provide for the active person. I did a little bit of everything in the Asics Gel Kayano 30. While I have clocked 100km of running, I've also worn these at work, school pick ups and bits and pieces out on the road.

Today is going to give you a little bit of a summary of what I think this running shoe has done for me as a runner, but also what I think this running shoe is going to do for a lot of active people out there.

What are the benefits of the Asics Gel Kayano 30?

Upper

I want to highlight that I am still the same size in an Asics Gel Kayano 30 as I was in the Asics Gel Kayano 29, being a 9 US in a D width.

It’s still very breathable and stable regarding the offering across the top of your arch. The heel counter of the Asics Gel Kayano 30 is very sound and offers a great bit of memory foam at the back.

If you want a little bit more information on the Asics Gel Kayano 30, check out my full Asics Gel Kayano 30 vs 29 Comparison Running Shoe Review which will give you the big breakdown.

Right now, we're talking all things after 100km. There's no unusual wear in the upper and I'd expect that after 100 kilometres. It's breathing well, it's nice and supported and I really like what this upper is doing for my foot.

Outsole

The biggest improvement other than the midsole is the outsole which has a larger surface area. A lot of you at home are probably thinking, that's going to feel a little bit more clunky, it's not going to feel like that refined Asics Gel Kayano 29 or Asics Gel Kayano 28 feel.

I can tell you right now, this is a better outsole and it does complement the midsole. We've had everything from dry weather to wet weather and a really cold climate. I've ran on bitumen and pavement, I've taken my Asics Gel Kayano 30 across some really slippery surfaces and I have had no issues whatsoever with the amount of grip that this running shoe has provided.

I've also taken it on the grass and had a couple laps around my local oval. In regards to the overall outsole, the Asics Gel Kayano 30 has performed very well. However, the outsole and why it is so successful is more due what Asics have done with the midsole.

Midsole

This midsole technology is the 4D (four-dimensional) Guidance System. There's a lot of people that are going to be questioning what Asics have done here. I can tell you right now that this is a fantastic way to execute the arch support.

I am a midfoot striker, however a couple of times in my warm-ups I was deliberately heel striking to get an idea of how this running shoe would feel for the vast majority of people who are going to be buying it.

It does feel cushioned, but that support is in the right area. It doesn't feel intrusive and I really like what Asics have done with the execution. It's smooth, it's simple and it is very efficient throughout the whole gait cycle.

With reference to that 4D Guidance System, it’s a huge tick from my end. I think Asics have executed it very well and I know that a lot of runners are going to find the same outcome regarding this support system.

Talking about the cushioning, they only have the Gel pod in the heel. It's cushioned, it feels nice, it's in the right area so I have no complaints whatsoever. The other great thing about this is the concave set-up on the lateral side.

There is a slight cutaway on that lateral side of the heel unit. I don't notice it when I'm up and running because I'm a midfoot striker. But as I said, warming up and cooling down I tried heel striking in this running shoe and it feels very plush underneath the foot. You're going to get ample cushioning in that first entry point for your heel strikers which is fantastic.

Is the Asics Gel Kayano 30 good for walking?

The Asics Gel Kayano 30 feels very stable for walking in the street. It has a wide platform and it feels fantastic and very comfortable. It feels a little bit lighter and you can relax into it more with your foot sitting on top of that platform.

For walkers, having more shoe underneath your foot gives you more confidence and foundation to relax into the midsole.

It's a really good execution of a midsole, not only for running because it is a running shoe, but for walkers that are going to use this shoe. You'll really enjoy the overall transition.

Subjective opinion: What are the cons of the Asics Gel Kayano 30?

There are a couple of areas where I think Asics may have missed the mark. It's not always rainbows and butterflies or beers and Skittles - whatever you'd like to say - because there are subtle things that I think brands can always continue to improve. A lot of it is potentially subjective or it is in reference to my situation with this running shoe. It could just be me, but let's talk about it.

I experienced a little bit of a hot spot at the back of my heel. I do play around with lacing systems and I execute the heel lock lace when I think it's appropriate and sometimes I don't use it. It depends on the thickness of the running sock and it depends on how long I'm going to spend out on the road.

For me, at the back of my heel I have a bit of a hot spot and sometimes it can just be a once off occurrence and it could be my sock selection as well. However, it did kick in for the first three runs inside the Asics Gel Kayano 30.

I wear Feetures running socks, they're my favourite socks, they're my go-to sock. They are dual layered so they do take a lot of that heat out with fabric on fabric rubbing, not fabric on skin. I don't think it was the sock selection because I've used that sock and I've used that series of sock for a number of years now and had no other issues in any other running shoes.

A little hotspot kicked in at the back of my heel. Do I think it was a huge issue? It was enough for me to be aware, but after those 3 runs I didn't have any concerns whatsoever and it could have just been there being a small wear-in period like all shoes. However, I must say that those first few runs I wasn't over the moon regarding the overall performance of this running shoe.

I loved how the midsole felt, I loved everything about the forefoot and the upper feel, but it's just that little hot spot I got at the back of my heel that I didn't like. In saying that, the following 8 to 9 runs in this running shoe were really comfortable and I did not experience that hot spot at the back - just something to make note of.

That's the case with pretty much every single shoe you wear. There's always things that you like and there's things you don't like, but let's hope that the things you do like heavily outweigh the things that you don't. The thing I didn’t like was easily fixable in this case.

How long does the Asics Gel Kayano 30 last?

I am only 100km into the life of my Asics Gel Kayano 30. At this stage, how do I think this running shoe is going to wear?

I think it's going to be a pretty consistent performer. I'm going to try and ascertain how I think this shoe is going to perform right up to 500km.

Even looking at this running shoe to the side, there's not a lot of compression that's been pushed through this shoe. I am only 73kg, so I'm not going to be putting too much force through this midsole. Of course, that is totally dependant on the person using this running shoe.

I'm not getting a lot of unusual wear through the performance of the midsole and there's no increased compression lines. In some of the softer running shoes I see a lot more wear, like the Hoka Clifton for example. I really like that running shoe but I see a lot more compression on the lateral side of that midsole after 100km. I'll get about 450km to 500km out of my Hoka Clifton running shoes.

For the Asics Gel Kayano 30, I think I’m going to get 600km to potentially 750km out of this running shoe. The midsole is a little bit more resilient and the overall performance regarding the shoe drop and stack height is going to provide more of a durable wear within this midsole.

When the Sportitude Running team first saw this running shoe almost 14 months ago as a prototype, that was the biggest question we had. We thought Asics refined it too much and it's too soft and it's not going to wear as well.

I think after 500km that the Asics Gel Kayano 30 is still going to have plenty of get-up and go. There’s going to be a little bit more life inside this running shoe, and I'm going to push 650km to 700km in it quite comfortably. I might even get a little bit more out of it which is exciting and that's a really important point as it is a high mileage shoe.

It's a running shoe that's supposed to have a lot of cushion over a longer period of time, so you do want north of 500km or 600km when you're investing this much money in your mileage shoe.

If I was doing everything in it, it might wear out a bit quicker, but because I'm only going to be using this for my easy days on the weekends I think 650km to 700km is a pretty good guess regarding to how far I'm going to get this shoe to go.

The Wrap Up

That's my take on the Asics Gel Kayano 30 running shoes . I really think Asics have ticked all the boxes. This is a running shoe that I wanted Asics to get right when releasing it to market because it is such a vast change from where it has come from.

After 100km I am very satisfied. I think we're going to get some really good outcomes with putting people into this running shoe, potentially for the first time or for those people transitioning from the Asics Gel Kayano 29 to the Asics Gel Kayano 30.

No surprises, not every single runner is going to transition as easy as I have or as easy as some others. Please note that I think Asics are pushing in the right direction. They're certainly making the right steps regarding executing arch support - not being overly aggressive, being less intrusive but producing a fantastic outcome based on comfort and performance.

If you have any questions on the Asics Gel Kayano 30 after 100km please contact our Sportitude shoe experts. If you have any other questions, queries or theories about this running shoe let us know.

I'm going to be shooting another video on the Asics Gel Kayano 30 which is breaking down the midsole. We've set it off to a cabinet maker who sawed it in half for us and returned it.

We're going to have a lot of fun breaking down what Asics have done with the overall performance of this new 4D Guidance System and what the cushioning looks like in the heel.

Head to the Sportitude YouTube channel and subscribe to be one of the first to see that video. If you have any questions or comments about that please let us know.

Until next time stay safe, be kind to one another, happy running and we'll see you on the road. Take care.

FEATURES

  • Support: Stability
  • Upper: Engineered Air Mesh
  • Midsole: Asics FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco, Asics PureGEL

Men

  • Heel Height: 29mm
  • Forefoot Height: 19mm
  • Offset / Drop: 10mm
  • Weight: 300g / 10.6oz
  • Widths: D (standard), 2E (wide), 4E (extra wide)

Women

  • Heel Height: 28mm
  • Forefoot Height: 18mm
  • Offset / Drop: 10mm
  • Weight: 257g / 9.1oz
  • Widths: 2A (narrow), B (standard), D (wide)

For a in-depth shoe fitting experience, you can book a free 15 minute video chat in a Live Fit session or make an appointment to discover your RunDNA at Sportitude Running@Hindmarsh.

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Asics Gel Kayano 30 vs 29 Comparison Running Shoe Review

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