Although the Asics Gel-Kayano saw a host of changes in its 30th version, the Gel-Kayano 31 is a more subtle update, with tweaks across the upper and outsole, and slightly more cushioning in the midsole.
The most important aspect of the Gel-Kayano 31 is the combination of three factors; the soft FF BLAST PLUS ECO midsole foam, the PureGel technology in the heel for more comfortable landings, and the 4D Guidance System to provide adaptive stability. The result is a careful balance of support and cushioning designed for easy and longer runs.
Tom and Nick have been testing the shoe to see if it’s worth spending your money on.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN
00:00 – Intro
00:14 – Stats
00:26 – Design
01:12 – How’s the Fit?
02:40 – The First Run Test
10:18 – Should You Buy It?
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Hey Tommy from the r testers and here is Our review of the A6 gelano 31 let's Have a [Music] Look the A6 gel Koo 31 costs £180 or $165 it weighs 306 G or 10.8 Oz for men In a size 8 and the drop is 10 [Music] Mm although the A6 jel keano saw a host Of changes in its 30th version the gelo 31 is a more subtle update with tweaks Across the upper and out soole and Slightly more cushioning in the midsole The most important aspect of the jelo 31 Is the combination of three factors the Soft FF blast plus Eco midell foam pure Gel technology in the heel for more Comfortable Landings and the 4D guidance System to provide adaptive stability the Result is a careful balance of support And cushioning designed for easy and Longer runs the shoe also features an Updated mesh upper design to improve Breathability a knit colar construction For step- in comfort and a modified A6 Grip outsole that aims to improve grip And Softness here comes the fit of the Jael Kyo 31 I've got a UK 8.5 here I Generally wear a uk9 across the board But I'm on the cus between a us99.5 and A US 10 I found with asx's cushion shoes In the past that they tend to come up Quite roomy for me whereas their ra
Shoes I'm always a uk9 so I went for a UK 8.5 in this shoe and it has fit me Really well managed to test an 8.5 and a 9 in the previous version of the shoe so I know a 8.5 was going to fit me well in Terms of length around the toe box I was Concerned about the amount of cushioning And kind of structure at the back of the Shoe cuz I've had a few little Achilles Flareups Lately from very kind of Structured heel counters but actually It's been fine with the jel Caro hav't Any problems on that end it's just a Comfortable hold at the back there's Lots of padding here it will end up Running a bit hot sometimes in the Summer but overall it creates very Cushioned and comfortable hold I was Very happy with the half size down which Is still kind of my regular size in the US so if you're are kind of on the cusp Between two different sizes I'd probably Say go for the smaller one cuz I think It is quite a roomy shoe uh in my normal Size so the fit for me in the Jano 31 I Mentioned this in the first video um I'm A size8 in the UK there is is quite a Roomy shoe there's quite a bit of space Uh in terms of width and a little bit in The length of the shoe I didn't notice Loads of extra length I know Nick Mentions you could size down half size You could um I would stay to my size in This shoe but if you were really on the
Cusp and you wanted to make sure that You've got a bit more of a tighter lock Down fit and you don't want loads of Space in the for foot you you might want To size down half a size um but I would Stay to my size I had no issues um over The course of the training that I've Done in this Shoe so I've done 80k of running in the Jel Caro 31 I've been using it quite a Lot lately I've done two long runs in The shoe of over 20k uh some shorter Easier stuff and also an easy to steady Progression run finishing at decent pace Kind of around 330 340 PK and actually Have really enjoyed running in the shoe I have to say like I like the previous Version of the shoe I thought it it was A well-designed stability shoe that gave Support and structure without being Overly oppressive and it still felt very Cushioned and as a neutral Runner I Enjoyed running in it probably even more Than the GEL Nimbus 25 I think that's The same with the gel Caro 31 actually I Think I prefer it to asx's neutral shoe Because it has a lot of similar features In terms of the Comfort the cushioning You have there but I don't know the way It feels a bit more supportive the Slightly lower stack out I just think I Prefer the feel of the gel Caro it seems To tick over for me a little bit better On the run I kind of had probably two
Different run impressions of it so Actually on my longer runs it's felt Very good it has moved through my foot Strike quite smoothly I've enjoyed a Little bit of support it feels like it Gives you a little bit back but you know Not too much it's not the most Lively Shoe in the world as you'd expect at a Couple of times when I've been moving on Very tied legs where it has felt a bit Clunkier I think that it could probably Smooth out the heel of the shoe a little Bit to give you a little bit of more of A rocker sensation at the back there Just to move you into your foot strike But it's a big wedge here it's very Structured very supportive but sometimes It can feel very slightly clunky at the Back of the shoe and get in the way Slightly on the run but actually for the Most part I do feel like I've enjoyed it A bit more than the previous version of Sh don't think there's been any real Huge update to the shoe apart from the New outsole but I do feel like I've had A slightly smoother more enjoyable ride From the new shoe that that could all be In my head it could just be a case of Whatever runs I happened to be doing at The time went a bit better but yeah I Have enjoyed it for long runs I've Enjoyed it for ticking through General Training it's a very supportive shoe so Often end up using it for like recovery
Runs on the days in between hard Sessions and it does feel very good for That gives a lot of support without Being so big and kind of monstrous on The foot that it becomes an annoyance to Run even at a slow pace like I said can Be a little bit cumbersome but overall I've enjoyed the ride for those recovery Runs as I mentioned there' got support Features here but they don't feel really Very oppressive and as a neutral Runner I've enjoyed the shoe a lot and I do Think it will have that kind of Crossrunner appeal like if you are in Need of support stability it is there With this very wide kind of Base this New 4D guidance system all that kind of Stuff I think you are getting support You need if you are a stability Runner But if you're a neutral Runner all you Have here is a very comfortable cushion Shoe that's got a little bit of extra Support and I say that's something that Most Runners could benefit if you're Doing high mileage weeks and doing long Run I don't think it's a taller downside To have a supportive shoe like this and Actually I quite enjoy having it it's Still not a very versatile daily trainer I would say like when I did the slightly Faster run the shoe it does feel big That's when the heel can come into play A little bit more that kind of Cumbersome feeling you have here this is
Very much a shoe I think built purely For those easy runs daily runs like if You up the pace even towards kind of any Kind of race Pace or anything like that It does feel a bit big and it's it's not Really what it's designed for and I Think you definitely want to pair this In the rotation if you could but that Said if you are kind of a one shoe Runner maybe a newer Runner you know it Could work as your only shoe but if you Are going to try and run at any kind of Pace I did feel it it just became a bit Big and cumbersome you noticed the kind Of lack of kind of ping from the from The midsole and the toe off on the shoe But overall I've done a lot of miles in The shoe and I have enjoyed them it's Been a pretty successful and enjoyable Run test all round okay so um in the First run video I was very complimentary About this shoe I went out for a run on Uh fresh legs and it felt great it felt Very comfortable had no issues with it At all and it it it felt like a a Traditional uh High stack cushion shoe Um since doing that I've done a few Different runs uh and one of those runs Has been a recovery run after I did a 10k race last weekend uh and as a result My legs were really tired and I what I Did notice about this shoe is that it Does not do well on tired legs um the Stability elements are quite subtle in
This shoe uh in comparison to something Like the earlier Janos where you really Knew they were stability shoes and as Soon as you put them on whether it was An easy run whether it was a daily run Where you're picking up the pace a Little bit you could tell it was a Stability shoe and it made it very hard To have a nice comfortable running um Unless you needed loads of stability and And and then you sort of had to use that Shoe um but with the with this version Of the shoe it's a lot more subtle so Most of the time I can't even tell I'm Wearing a stability shoe um it is quite Hard to feel those stability elements in It until you need them so for me I I am Told sometimes by gate analysis and Things that um I could do with a bit of Stability uh I don't normally use Stability shoe so I don't really need it Um but what I found with this shoe is That I'd have to move my foot around a But while I was running and I could Really hit the points where I would feel That stability those stability elements Kicking in but they don't you don't Really notice them when when you're not Doing that on purpose or you're not Pronating noticeably um so what I would Say about the shoe is that when I got Onto those uh when I was doing running On um tired legs that midle just you Really noticed that because maybe the
Stability elements in it it does lose a Little bit of um bounce or energy return Or anything like that it just feels Feels a little bit hard on the on the Legs when they're really really tired so Definitely don't enjoy it for those Those really um those recovery runs on Really tied legs and I noticed the Difference in it then so for the rest of The runs in this shoe I've got up to About 50k in this uh and the longest run I've done is about 14k um the uh the way That I've been running in it is mainly Those sort of daily runs and easy runs Um and for majority of those it feels Absolutely great you it just feels like A cushioned enjoyable solid daily shoe Cruiser easy run shoe and it does a very Good job at it at that I didn't really Enjoy the earlier gelos before the 30 They were just very very uh High Stability shoes that they just felt very Big very chunky very blocky on the feet Um and they weren't very versatile for Me I could really tell there were Stability shoes they weren't designed For somebody like me um whereas this is A shoe that is much more applicable to a Wider audience it's a shoe that if you Need a bit stability this is going to Give you it but you're not you maybe not Going to notice it that much if you need A lot of stability you're probably going To get it from this shoe um because you
Can really feel it kicking in with this 4D guidance system and the slightly Firmer um Midol phone that you get in Here over something like this uh the gel Nibus 26 so I've very much enjoyed um a Lot of the runs that I've done in this Shoe I think it's a really good solid Stability shoe now which is really part Of this sort of movement towards making Stabilities more accessible and more More enjoyable for people to run in um Not like some of the old stability shoes That were really not very comfortable to Run in um a lot of the time so um I Would say that this shoe now has it's It's really become an option for people That just want a nice uh cushion shoe if You looking at something like the as6 GEL Nimbus uh 26 you could get this Instead now um but I do think that There's a little bit more softness in That in that shoe and it's a little bit More comfortable to run in um over Different runs even though it sits there Now is a really solid cushion daily shoe Uh I still think there are other better Options out there but I have very much Enjoyed running in this shoe the only Thing I would say about it is um the Modifications to this shoe are very Minimal in comparison to the previous Version uh there's the new outso on it Uh the first time I ran in the shoe and I did the first run video I I thought it
Was absolutely fine I did find it a Little bit Slappy on a couple of the Runs nowhere near as bad as the as6 joh Ners 26 but more so than the previous Version of the shoe it's not major Problem um but I did notice that so if You if you're aware of the Slappy Feeling of the gel numers 26 you get a Little bit of it with this shoe other Than that solid enjoyable good bit of Testing um and I yeah I still think it's One of the best stability shoes out There even though it's quite Expensive so I think the jel Carana 31 Is a very good stability shoe very good Cushion shoe in general I think it would Round out lots of people's rotation as Well as the cushion shoe in a rotation Alongside slightly faster options it can Hoover up a lot of miles it's Comfortable it's going to be durable Deals very well with easy paces and long Run paces and it's also okay for mixing Up your pace a little bit occasionally If you are a runner who's doing quite Structured training doing lots of Interal sessions that kind of thing I Think you definitely want to pair this In a rotation with a faster shoe Something like the S tempus is a very Good stability shoe for slightly faster Runs but if you are a new Runner you Just want a supportive shoe you can also Walk around in this is a good walking
Shoe as well very supportive then theel Caro will do a good job it's very Expensive though and you know with this Shoe there's always a case for looking At the previous model of it and I Certainly think the jel Caro 30 does all The good things this shoe does really Like I did enjoy running the 31 a little Bit more but could really put my finger On exactly why that was and maybe if I Went back to the gelano 30 now I'd have A similar feeling but I think you've got A great shoe with the gelano 30 if you Want a supportive cushion shoe of all The kind of same elements really that You have in this shoe there small Differences but nothing too big you can Find the previous version of the shoe on Sale for a lot less I think that'll Probably be the way to go now but if you Are happy to pay for wack the jel Caro 31 is a very good shoe it's just these Prices are so big these days that I Think it's always better to look for Value by finding the older shoe there Are some other great stability shoes out There I think the S tempus I mentioned Already is a really good allrounder shoe If you're someone who doesn't really Like really cushion shoes and doesn't Really feel the need to have a shoe as Big as this even in your rotation just For easy runs think the S tempus is a Much more versatile all round shoe I
Enjoy doing easy runs in that shoe like If I was a stability r that is the shoe I would use because I don't necessarily Feel the need to have a shoe as Cushioned as this even for easy runs and The Tempest is a bit more versatile bit More bouncy for your fast runs as well So yeah Jo 31 really good shoe the price Is a big factor though and there's Probably better deals to be had Elsewhere but if you do start seeing This shoe in a sale I think it's a Really enjoyable cushion shoe and it Probably surprised me in how much I Enjoyed it throughout the run test okay So my verdict on the A6 Jael Caro 31 Very similar to the previous version There's not many updates in this shoe I Definitely didn't really notice any Major changes to it and I could run it Either the this version or the previous Version and get exactly the same um Feeling that um I've come to to expect From these shoes um it's so then it Really just come down to price so if you Can get the older version over this one Definitely get the older version because You're not getting a massive overhaul if That was the as6 gel Kayo 29 and 30 That's a completely different shoe these Are this is a very minor update on the Previous version quite similar to what Happened with the Asus GEL Nimbus 25 and 26 which is a sort of tweaking of some
Of the bits of the shoe so I've Mentioned the price there this is quite An expensive shoe um and you can go for The older version but there are other Stabilities out there that might work For you better and probably going to Come off cheaper I really like the S Tempus the tempus has less stability Than shoe it's a little bit more on the Sort of daily shoe side of things um but It does have some stability elements in It if you need a lot of stability you're Probably not going to go for that shoe You're probably going to want something Close to this um but if you want a tiny Bit of stability or uh you just want to Have a shoe that's a little bit more Supportive than your average running Shoe then the tempus is a really good Option for that you can it's a lot more Versatile you can run a bit faster in it Uh so it's a good option I much prefer That as a stability shoe um but if you Need loads of stability this is a better Option okay so that's it from me and Nick on this review thanks a lot for Watching don't forget to like subscribe Click the bell all those sorts of things And if you go to the catch below you can Find a link to our podcast which comes Out a few times each month including our Points of shoe podcast where we answer Your questions right thanks a lot for Watching catch you next time
