The Asics Gel-Kayano line has long been synonymous with all-out stability. For those runners looking for a high level of support, it’s an option that sits at the top of the list, but has offered little versatility for runners who want a balance of stability, comfort and enjoyment.
The Asics Gel-Kayano 30 sees one of the biggest revamps the shoe has received for a long time, featuring an increased level of cushioning, a new FF Blast Plus ECO foam and a 4D Guidance System that aims to provide a more natural level of stability.
Tom, Mike and Nick have been testing the shoe out to see if it’s worth buying.
To find out more about the Asics Gel-Kayano 30 click here (we don’t make any money if you click on this link):
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00:00 – Intro
00:29 – Stats
00:42 – Design
01:25 – How’s the Fit?
03:45 – The Run Test
13:13 – Should You Buy it
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Hey there Tommy from the Run testers Another running shoe full review in this Video we are going to be taking a look At the Asics Gel Keanu 30. myself and Nick received our gel Keanu 30s from the Guys over at sports shoes We're not paid To do this review but big thanks to Sports shoes for sending these over so That we could do this review now let's Jump in and see what we all thought Day6 gel Keanu 30 costs 180 pounds or 160 dollars weighs in at 300 grams or 10.6 ounces for men in a size 8 and the Drop is 10 millimeters The A6 gel Keanu line has long been Synonymous with all-out stability for Those Runners looking for a high level Of support it's an option that sits at The top of the list but has offered Little versatility for runners who want A balance of stability comfort and Enjoyment The A6 gel Keanu 30 sees one of the Biggest revamps that she has seen for a Long time featuring an increased level Of cushioning a new FF blast plus Eco Foam and a 4D guidance system that aims To provide a more natural level of Stability Shoe also includes pure gel technology Below the heel to add comfort and Minimize impact a stretchy engineered Mesh upper for a better fit and Breathability and a generous layer of
Outsole rubber that includes sections of A heart Plus on the heel I found the Asics gelke Auto 30 fit me Very well in my normal running shoes Size this is a uk-9 which is a us-10 for Asics that is the normal size I get with Elastic shoes and this has a nice roomy Fit around the toe box then a really Snug hold around the heels a lot of Padding at the back of the shoe here Almost inside the shoe as well itself And that really does cradle the back of The foot very securely didn't actually Run hot for me either even though I have Done a couple of hot runs in the shoe so Yeah all round was perfectly happy with The shoe in my normal size no problems With rubbing or looseness across any Part of the upper and a good amount of Room in the toe box so fit for me has Been absolutely fine in the calendar 30 I've had mine in a UK size eight I had The Kayano 29 in the UK size 8 had no Issues from that point of view I threw That back on and I do think there is Some kind of changes in terms of how These shoes feel and that's down to a Couple of things I think mainly in terms Of the changes in the upper but also in Terms of the delivery of the support Elements in the kyano 30 as well I think With the 29s upper I think it definitely Kind of sucks you in a little bit more To kind of make sure you're nicely
Locked in whereas I I think with the Current 30 it is definitely a little bit Like the Nimbus 25 where it kind of Offers something a little bit more Comfortable I think something that sits A little bit more snug it definitely Opens up a little bit more in the middle Of the shoe and that's kind of part of That kind of guidance system and making It a wider feeling shoe in general and Then I think the padding has maybe Changed a little bit I feel like there's A little bit more padding in the tongue And the hill collar on the 29 was I Think on the 30 it's a little bit less But I think ultimately it's been Absolutely fine in terms of the fit and The lockdown and things not rubbing at All for me so I would say based on my Testing going true to size should be Absolutely fine good space up front in The toes opens up a little bit more in The mid foot and lock down in general And the Comfort at the back of the shoe As well has been absolutely fine too fit For me in the gel Keanu 30 I'm an eight In the UK this is an eight in the UK I Found this to be a very comfortable shoe There's plenty of space in the forefoot And the mid foot it's a very comfortable Um spacious shoe I definitely would Stick to my sizing issue based on my Experience this is running in it and I Found it even though it's quite spacious
It's very plush as well there's lots of Panning around it really holds the foot In place nicely and feels very secure When you're out on the run so I would Stick to my size in this shoe So my experience of the Asus gel cano30 Has been very good I've never been a fan Of the gel Keanu range um the last two Versions I found to be very much on the Stability side of running I'm not a Stability Runner normally but what I Found is that there's a lot of new shoes Coming out which are not really full on Stability shoes things like sockony Tempers they're Forever on Nitro from Puma they are shoes which have stability Elements in them but they can still they Still feel like a shoe that isn't Traditionally a stability shoe and the Original Asics Gel keanos were full-on Stability like you put those shoes on You you knew you were in a stability Shoe and it really did affect the Performance of those shoes they felt Fine for certain types of runs Um you're never going to go all out in Them but you really noticed that there Was stability elements in them and I Didn't enjoy them for that reason The A6 gel Keanu 30 has really moved on A step towards what people like soccer You're doing with the Tempest and it's Turned it into a a cushion shoe which Has stability elements but really
They're not overpowering stability Elements you you do know you're wearing A stability shoe with this on but it Doesn't it's not a noticeable thing You're not thinking the whole time You're running that you're in this Clunky stability shoe which is what I Got from the original uh or the older uh Gel canos like the 28 and the 29. what I've actually found about this shoe is That it's getting a lot closer to Something like the A6 uh gel nimbers 25 Where it is a really nice slab of Midsole foam there is plenty of Cushioning it's not too firm and it's Just a really nice ride in comparison to The A6 gel Keanu 29 and I've used this For quite a few runs now I've probably Done about 60k in a shoe Um I mean the majority of those have Been either slow runs easy day runs Um or longer runs where I'm going at a Slower pace which for me would be about Five minute kilometers five minutes 20 Kilometers between that and I've I've Not I've enjoyed this shoe I think it Works very well I think it's definitely A shoe that I would consider now for Running in whereas in previous versions I wouldn't have considered it it just Didn't work for me I think this just Feels a little bit like there's a bit More energy in it it's a bit it feels a Little bit lighter feels like it's a bit
More lightweight based on the design Um and it's a very comfortable shoe to Wear so Um if you're a sort of Runner that Doesn't necessarily always use stability Shoes there's always an argument and a Lot of brands are talking these days About how everybody might need a little Bit of stability not necessarily A Full-on stability shoe but Um this is a good example where if You're maybe training a lot you're doing Marathon training and you've got a day Where you are very tired This is a good shoe to wear for that Because it just gives you a little bit Of extra support a little bit of extra Stability your legs might be tired you You might be making more mistakes when You're running Um it just helps you out with that but It doesn't do it in a way that really Takes anything away from the ride so It's a nice subtle level of stability Um which just just does the job Um and just feels really good so I think It's a big step forward for the gel Keanu range because it's just just goes To show that you can still add good Level of stability in and design a shoe That's great I think for any stability Shoe Runners out there it's a it's a Good future uh for for Um stability shoes in that there's a lot
Of really good ones coming out at the Moment that really aren't just full-on Stability they are applicable to Everyone and it's probably gonna offer Benefits to people who don't necessarily Always use stability shoes but the A6 Gel piano 30 is a great example of that And I've really been enjoying uh the Runs that I've been doing in it so good Work on this A6 I also say that it is uh There's quite a little grip on the Outsole as well I've had no issue at all Running out on the wet paths it feels Like it's a very good level of gripping It and there's a good level of lockdown In it as well so it's quite comfortable To wear over those longer distances Really holds the foot in place with nice Level of padding as well so so into that Run test now I haven't done as much Running as I'd like to have done in the Econo note 30 and I'll get into the Reasons why that has been the case in a Moment but I will start by saying is That I have running kayano's shoes Before I had the 29 I've had early Editions as well I was very familiar With the range I'm not an overpronator I Don't need that support I've actually Done the test with Asics themselves Recently I'm a neutral Runner you know So that's a shoe I would generally go For now saying that I have running shoes Recently that take a slightly different
Approach to offering that kind of Guidance and support so things like Sockony Tempest the Pima forever run Nitro and also the New Balance 860 v13 As well and I've been absolutely fine in Those shoes now I was expecting more of The same in terms of what I was going to Get in the Econo 30 obviously there's a Lot of similarities with the Nimbus 25 Which I really like you've got you know Similar midsole material you know you've Got that pure gel technology in there to Give those kind of softer Landings I Feel like the upper is similar in many Ways to the Nimbus 25 Now for me in my runs I had an issue you Know it didn't really go away from me And I don't know if it's come from the Delivery of this kind of 4D guidance System particularly the inside of the Student how it's delivering that sport I Found in pretty much every single run I Did I was getting real discomfort kind Of this part of the shoe just below my Foot and it never really went away and My longer runs I thought maybe it would Kind of dissipate and it wouldn't become An issue but it just never went away it Was on the shorter runs as well it just Felt like maybe it's the way the Approach that Asics has done uh this Kind of support and guidance in the Kion 030 it just hasn't really worked for me I don't think it's going to maybe be an
Issue for everyone but for me I really Did find some discomfort and it really Put me off putting more mileage in this Shoe which is a shame because I think There's a lot that I do kind of like in It when it wasn't giving me that kind of Level of discomfort I think the midsole You know is is nice in terms of that Protection in terms of that Comfort I Think it's a nice level of Bounce to it Obviously that spread across a very most Kind of wider stable base Which is part of that for the garnet System I think we were seeing that Midsole change and the kyano 29 and that Was kind of you know overhauled a little Bit on the 30 which I think is a plus And I think people will like that and I Think yeah fit Wise It's been absolutely Fine for me as well it's just you know For me I've had this issue in terms of Discomfort always in the same place I Don't think don't know if it's to do With that kind of how that guidance System is delivered particularly in the Inside of this shoe and it just hasn't Quite worked for me it's not something I've experienced Um on previous kyano shoes which I've Been absolutely fine in um in general I think you know because I said compared To other kind of support shoes that I've Run it in this year and kind of last Year which I've been absolutely fine
With I haven't had the similar you know same Kind of problems with those shoes so Ultimately for me I felt like I was Going to absolutely love this shoe and Just because I feel like it's very Similar to what we've got in the Nimbus 25 and that's who I've run in a lot but Ultimately maybe it's because I don't Need that kind of extra support and Something in terms of that guidance System hasn't quite worked for me and It's just felt a little bit Uncomfortable for me pretty much on all My runs and I as I said I thought it Maybe it would go away it didn't really Go away for me which is a shame because I think there's a lot to kind of praise The kyano 30 you know four ultimately And I think the changes in general I Think are going to be welcomed by a lot Of people that like the kyano range and The direction that Asics is going but Ultimately that issue for me didn't go Away and it really put me off kind of Running a lot more in the corner 30 Which is a shame I think overall so I've Done four runs in the Asics Joker on a 30 uh all of which have mostly been done At a pretty easy page so they'd pick up The pace in one of the runs but for the Most part I view this as a very Comfortable Cruiser of a shoe in the Sense that that's how it would fit into
My rotation if I was buying it and I Really enjoyed it as that kind of shoe It's a big shoe but it's got a fairly Smooth ride and it runs a bit lighter Than it is for sure it's really quite Soft under 30 don't really feel the Stability element of the shoe too much When you're mooching around at an easy Pace it does start to feel a little bit Bigger on the third and it's so wide That that does become quite noticeable If you're trying to move it anything Above an easy Pace but at an easy Pace I Really found it nice just to tick over In it's comfortable shoe supportive shoe There's a lot going on probably slightly More than I tend to enjoy myself in a Running shoe I don't mind Max stack Shoes but if I'm picking myself I'll Probably get something a little bit less Cushioning under for my easy runs but It's not that I didn't enjoy running in The gel Keanu it was a very comfortable Shoe and the changes Asics have made Here I think will give it a lot more Appeal to Runners who aren't stability Runners so I'm not a stability Runner I Can feel this with the elements of the Shoe I've tested out the stability shoes But um the main part I enjoy this just As a cushioned shoe with a little bit of Extra support that comes into play on Longer runs I think that's a good thing All round like I think there's a lot of
Runs out there who will get on with the Gel Carolina really well because of the Way they've changed up the stability System on the shoot be a little bit more Subtle and just make it a bit more Comfortable in general I think actually Having tested previous models of the Carno I'd find them probably slightly More versatile I think they're often a Slightly firmer ride than I did find Them a little bit easier to pick up the Pace in them whereas this is a big old Shoe a big old tank a cruiser really uh First and foremost so I think if you're Slightly newer to the sport you might Look at it more as an all-rounder just a Really supportive comfortable shoe but If you're someone who's got a bit of Rotate a bit more of an experience Runner this is one that will sit quite Firmly in the cushion shoe category for Easy and long runs mainly overall I did Enjoy running the shoe it's not the most Versatile but it is comfortable and Supportive it's probably just not one I Personally go for compared to some other Options So changes Asics has made here I think Probably are a success overall I don't Think you're going to alienate a lot of People who like the car now in the past This is still a stable shoe and I think You are going to track some new people Over because it is a smoother shoe it's
A more comfortable shoe and it's a Softer shoe while still retaining those Stability elements I think when you Compare it to something like the Asics Your Nimbus within the Asics ranges not Such a big disparity anymore like Obviously you've got the premium neutral Cushion shoe and the premium neutral Stability shoe but actually both are Fairly actually the genomics is quite Stable and this really is now quite a Soft shoe that feels more like a normal Cushioned shoes I still probably prefer The gel numbers myself just because I Find it a little bit softer a little bit More comfortable under first and I don't Really need the extra width you get in Particular on the Asics Gel Carolina 30 Which I think does hold it back a little Bit if you're trying up the pace but They're very similar in weight really All round similar in stack Heights Similar materials so it's you know you Could easily just go for the gel car I Know and just think well even if I'm not A stability runner at the back end of Long runs I'm going to appreciate a Little bit of extra support this shoe Gives me anyway on the market large you Know it's quite an expensive shoe Especially UK where we're getting the Asics uh penalty at the moment here in The UK where everything's a little bit More expensive than the dollar price
There are some good stability issues Available for less there's some more Traditional options like the Saucony Guide 16 they're a fair bit cheaper but They aren't as comfortable and soft as This shoe the Puma Forever on Nitro I Think is quite an interesting shoe it's A fairly versatile it's that stability Shoe and it's a you know and it's very Comfortable as well but it's not quite As stable as it's much narrower through The midfoot in particular than the Essex Gel carner 30 so I don't know if it'll Have such a stable ride people who do Need a lot of support for over pronation And then there's like I say this isn't The most versatile shoes I think if you Are running with a rotation who wants to Build the options things like the suck Any tempers you could buy to go with This as a livelier shoe that you can use For speedier runs actually if I was Looking into this area myself if I was Looking for stability shoes like this I'd probably look at the tempers more as An all-rounder myself because it is Still a pretty cushioned shoe can do a Little bit of everything and it's just That little bit lighter and nimbler on Your foot and something like the corner Which like I said produces a bit too Much shoe for me in the same way I like To use an all-rounder neutral shoe Instead of necessarily going with
Something like the gel nimbers if you're Doing the same kind of thing with Stability shoes I'd look at the at the Tempest as a really quite capable Rounder because it is a nicely cushioned Shoe but it has a lively bouncy Ride For Speed runs it's not quite as comfortable And protective as the Joker I know for Sure but if you're not someone who Really likes to go all in on this Max Stack style shoes then maybe the Tempest Could do pretty much everything for you Whilst being stable so my verdict on the Asus gel carne 30 is that it is a great Improvement on the 29 um for somebody Like me I can't speak for people who Really like wearing stability shoes or Need to wear stability shoes but for me Somebody who doesn't necessarily always Need to wear stability shoes I think It's a nice shoe to wear now you can Still tell it's a stability issue it's Still offering you support and stability When you're running in it but not to Negate the performance feel of it and The comfort of it and the fact that I Can go out and do a nice enjoyable run In this and not feel like there's it's Holding me back or holding my foot into A position that means I can't really run Comfortably Um so I think it's a nice step forward For A6 and and stability shoes in General I think there's it's there's a
Lot going on in stability shoes at the Moment and I think it's an exciting time But the hsgl Keanu 30 is a breath of Fresh air from the Keanu range because I Haven't been a fan for a long time and I Think this is a nice Leap Forward So my verdict on the Asics Gel client Effect and I think people know where I'm Going to go with this one just because Of the issue that I had in my run tests It's not one that's absolutely worked For me ultimately now keeping in mind I'm not an overpronator I generally am a Person that uses neutral running shoes And looking it from a Kayano perspective If you are or like the idea of a gelcano That is very stable I think very Accommodating in terms of the fit I Think offers a ride that is Can be smooth can be enjoyable Definitely works better kind of those Kind of longer runs those kind of easier Paced runs as well then I think there's A lot to like about the kiono 30. and I Think about if I look at it from other Support shoes that I've liked and I have Have got on with I think things like the Saucony Tempest I think I said I had Didn't have any issues to discomfort With that shoe I think that shoe is more Versatile in terms of types of runs you Can do with it I would say the same About the New Balance 860 v13 I think
Maybe the upper is a bit more Comfortable on the Asics in comparison But I think in terms of the ride the Types of runs that you can do with the 860 v13 I like the Tempest it's pretty Versatile as well and it's a similar Story I think with the Pima if you ever Run Nitro you get a nice ride in that That midsole is very nice on that shoe As well and again I didn't feel like Those supportive elements again that's Delivered from a variety of different You know sections of the shoe you know You know Works a little bit better for Me in terms of the runs that I've done With that shoes I think for me a As I said it didn't 100 work for me on The counter 30 as I said for those Reasons if you if you think you'd like The idea of a car note 30 that's very Similar to the Olympus 25 in elements Um it's comfortable in terms of the Upper you know gives you something That's stable but also gives you a ride That's smooth and can work for you know Eating up a lot of running time then the Kind of 30 probably will work for you Just didn't work for me which is a shame Because I thought I was going to really Like this based on the time that I've Used the Nimbus 25 uh but I don't mean It just slightly misses the mark for me And I think if I had to pick a support Shoe the other ones I've tested it would
Probably be the you know the new bats 860 B13 or the soccer knee 10 books Which I think obviously a little bit More versatility in general compared to The kiono 30. that's the remote and the A6 gel Keanu 30. thanks a lot for Watching don't forget to like And Subscribe that's really important and Check this out for all the other videos We've got coming out if you go into the Caption below you can also find a link To our podcast which comes out at the End of each month where we talk about Lots of different things in the world of Running and running shoes thanks a lot For watching catch you next time
