ASICS Men's Gel-Kayano 27 Running Shoes

Best running shoes I ever had. They were recommended to me by by my podiatrist, who is a runner. Can’t go wrong with that. Unfortunately they are not available anymore. I really wish they would come back. I hope to find them in a running store.

After years of suffering from sports injuries I realized that I can still do performance training if proper shoe ware is worn. I usually run outside in ASICS Nimbus that provides nice cushioning for my knees and hip joints. This pair of Kayanos is very stable, has wide enough toe box to provide great ventilation for the foot, light enough for a comfort run and looks great. I’m using it for treadmill training only. I use them daily for the last 6months running 3-4miles at a time. I have not taken them outside. They held very well mechanically considering that they haven’t changed much after 600miles on treadmill. I had some hip pain and knee instability when I started training in them half a year ago, and managed to strengthen both over that period of time, no serious injuries. They are not as soft as Nimbus I wear outside for my runs, but gentle enough and predictable mechanically on treadmill when you land your feet during the run. Both Kayanos and Nimbus are awesome to keep your joints injury free. Stay healthy and enjoy cardio!

I require an extra wide running shoe and have purchased New Balance for over 40 years. They have always been adequate to my needs, but I cannot say I ever "enjoyed" wearing them. Early last year, I discovered that ASICS offers width sizing so I bought a pair of ASICS GT 2000 9 to replace the New Balance 990 V4 I was wearing at the time. (You will not that I overpronate and have to buy a stability shoe.) I had mixed feelings about the GT 2000. I loved the fact it felt so light, but found it was quite tight in the middle. Anyway, I decided to give ASICS another chance and found a great sale price on Amazon for the Kayano 27 ($89.99).I am really happy with the Kayano 27. They seem roomier in the middle, nicely cushioned, and somewhere between the ASICS 2000 9 and the New Balance 990 in terms of weight. (The New Balance shoes are too heavy and I can understand why they are called "Daddy shoes".) The Kayano 27 is a perfect compromise in terms of weight. They are not quite as liberating as the GT 2000, but not as oppressive as the New Balance 990. (Which also comes at an oppressive price tag.)Finally, one problem with having extra wide feet is that the prettiest and more colorful running shoes are often unavailable, and you need to either choose something in black or something in an off-color. Luckily, I actually like the black/silver Kayanos I purchased and don't feel I made too much of a compromise on my color selection. And getting these shoes at such a great price makes me feel good as well.

I am a walker, not a runner, so bear that in mind. I have overpronation and low arches. My fav shoes recently have been the ASICS GT-2000 8's, but as I can't find them in my size anymore, I did some research and decided to try these. Supposedly, the Gel Kayano series is a step up from the GT-2000. The cushioning is fine, and seems to be on a par with the GT-2000's. It feels a little "different", but not noticeably "better". These shoes are OK and I'll keep them BUT: The color choices are very limited - i had a choice of black or grey in my size. The toe box width is small, and smaller than my same-size GT-2000 (see photo - the black shoe on top is the Gel Kayano). My feet are 4 inches wide, which should be a D width, maybe an E for extra comfort. I bought these in Extra Wide and they are barely wide enough. I measured them across the top and they are 4 inches. A true Extra Wide shoe should be 4.6 inches. They also measure a quarter inch less in width across the sole compared to my GT-2000's, which are the same "size". And lastly, the shoestrings are too short - when laced up there is only about 4 inches left to tie. So, needless to say I am not super impressed with these, especially since they are supposed to be a step up from the GT-2000. All that said though, they fit "OK" and I'll see if I like them more over time, and will update this review if that happens.

I’ve run in all kinds of brands of shoes, but I stick with Asics and Br**ks. I’ve mainly worn Br**ks the last 5 years, but decided to switch back to Asics for awhile. These shoes are perfect for me. I’m a 5’,9” 205lb 43 year old (not breaking any land speed records anytime soon). I mainly run on cinder and asphalt trails which also have some mud, dirt, and grass. I like to get in a 2-5 mile run after work 3 times a week. These shoes have about 150 miles on them and they still have cushion/bounce to them. I’ve run on freshly paved asphalt trails on 95° sunny afternoons, and I’ve run in the 35° cold rain and mud. Other than the tread slightly wearing (I do that to all shoes in those conditions), these shoes are holding up pretty well. I’d say they have another 150 miles left in them.

The Gel-Kayano 27 is by far the best shoe I have worn. The shoe is surprisingly light for the level of support they offer. Unlike other shoes that offered great support, the Kayano 27 is quite flexible and the gel makes it feel as though your walking on a cloud. Over the past 15 months, I have worn my 27's to work throughout the week and used them on weekends to do everything from taking hikes with the family to doing yard work. Despite the heavy use and high mileage, much of it on concrete, these shoes are still very comfortable and have not even had a thread pop loose. They are dirty with little traction left but, they are just as comfortable and well put together as the day I put them on. If these were $200, I would not think twice a buying them. If you have a wider foot and/or flat feet, I recommend trying a wide size. The extra room in the toe box makes a big difference!