ASICS Gel Kayano 14 review

Let the Kayano 14 go from conquering a race to being the owner of the streets next to you if you're looking for:

• A trendy Y2K pair with a retro-futuristic and sporty vibe that is getting insanely popular.
• A breathable and lightweight pair to walk around town for hours.
• A stable and comfortable ASICS shoe that features the brand's GEL cushioning technology.

If you're looking for a pair of shoes to wear down until they can no more, this ain't it. The Gel Kayano 14 is not a durable companion that will be next to you through thick and thin. If that's what you need, the ASICS Gel 1130 might be your cup of tea!

This ASICS pair is definitely not on the cheaper side. If you don't mind changing brands and you want a sporty sneaker with that early 2000s vibe, the Nike V2K Run or the Nike P-6000 could be great options. Don't hesitate to have a look at them!

Our caliper returned 32.7 mm when we measured this shoe's heel stack.

This means it's slightly higher than average, which our feet appreciated when we spent the whole day walking around town. Overall, we found this shoe really comfortable from minute 1, and its plush and lightweight nature made us want to wear it all day long!

At 22.6 mm, our caliper indicated the Kayano 14's forefoot stack is higher than average.

We really appreciated this, as the shoe protected our feet from the small obstacles we ran into when we were out running errands.

Even though both the forefoot and the rearfoot are higher than average, there's still a considerable difference between both figures, which leads us to a 10.1 mm drop according to our measurements.

This means your heel will feel higher than your toes, but don't worry, it's completely normal! Additionally, there's no such thing as a "good" or "bad" drop, it's all about personal preferences.

In order to measure the softness of any shoe's midsole, first we need to cut it in half. Why? Well, because we need to have full access to the material.

When we stuck our durometer into the Kayano 14's foam, it returned 30.0 HA, which is pretty much average. This means that the shoe doesn't feel like a cloud underfoot, yet it is cushioned enough for daily activities.

In other words, do not let the fact that this shoe is not as squishy as a marshmallow make you think it's not comfortable. Some people prefer a firmer ride, and some others just love it when their feet sink into the shoe. And there's usually nothing wrong with that! Regarding this aspect, the Kayano 14 stands pretty much in the middle.

And we say "pretty much in the middle" because of the tiny gel piece this shoe has at the back of the heel. It plays a really important role, so don't let its size trick you!

At 25.0 HA, it's way softer than average, and our feet could tell!

You know, leaving aside any kind of running-specific knowledge regarding foot strike (which, by the way, you can learn about right here), when we walk, the first part of our foot that touches the floor is our heel.

Consequently, the beginning of every step felt like a dream in this shoe, as we landed on this extra soft Gel cushioning.

To keep it all as lightweight as possible, ASICS opted for a 4.2 mm insole.

Despite being thinner than average, we didn't find it uncomfortable or anything.

With a 2.9 out of 5 on our scale, most people have agreed this pair is true to size.

When we measured this shoe's toebox width at the widest part, our caliper returned 100.3 mm.

So, great news! It's wider than average, which meant our standard-sized feet had plenty of space to rest happily. Also, we didn't have to deal with any uncomfortable rubbing from the shoe sides!

What's more, its mesh at the toebox didn't put a lot of pressure on our standard-sized toes, as we had enough vertical space.

We always take the measurements of the toebox near the big toe too, as exclusively measuring any shoe's widest part doesn't give us enough information to talk about its fit.

When we saw our caliper return 78.5 mm, we couldn't be any happier. This result shows the Kayano 14 doesn't taper like crazy towards the tip, but the best part is that it's also way wider than average.

Our average-sized toes were really happy about it, as they had plenty of room to move around and wiggle. But when we found this extra space the most convenient was when we had been walking for hours, as our feet got swollen but this shoe didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

Thanks to its running soul, the Kayano 14 didn't let our ankles play around much.

As you can see, the structure stopped our joints before they overextended themselves. After cutting the shoe in half, we saw all the padding it has in the heel collar and in the tongue, which are two key points that made sure our ankles felt safe and sound.

What's more, this shoe's materials also don't give in!

During our wear tests, we felt this shoe hugged our feet comfortably yet safely. When we took it to our lab, we put our feelings into numbers after our torsional rigidity test.

As you can see, it wasn't easy for our fingers to bend it. Its solid structure didn't want to give in, so we decided to give it a 4/5 on this test. Which is a pretty high score!

Still, according to our experience, it was comfortable from the very first minute we put it on.

The extra padded heel of this shoe felt pretty solid, as it held our feet in place comfortably.

As you can see, it wasn't easy for our fingers to bend it, so we decided to give it another 4/5 on our stiffness test.

Another reason why this shoe felt super stable was its wider midsole.

At 113.3 mm, our caliper marked the Kayano 14 is a whole 4% wider than average. Our feet (and us too) loved this wider-than-average space, as every landing felt safe and comfy.

A great mix if you ask us!

The heel is also wider than average at 88.2 mm!

But don't worry, this doesn't mean the shoe felt unstable or anything like that. In fact, we really appreciated the wider base, and with the padded heel counter this Kayano features, our heel felt supported all day long!

The high torsional rigidity of the Kayano 14 didn't affect its flexibility at the ball of the foot at all.

As our force gauge claimed, we only needed 18.6N to make this ASICS pair bend all the way up to 90 degrees. During our wear tests, this translated into smooth transitions and an easy ride, which was perfect for our all-day adventures in town!

During our wear tests, this ASICS felt like a breeze. Quite literally too! Apart from being super breathable, its lightweight structure made our feet want to keep walking. This also adds some extra points to the general comfort levels of the shoe, which are already pretty high!

When we took it to our lab, the scale returned 12.4 oz/352.0g, which is a solid 10% lighter than average. We really appreciated this, as we wanted to rock this shoe from sunrise to sunset, and our feet didn't get tired at all!

The Kayano 14 doesn't lose its layered mesh and leather upper design even after 13 editions. During our wear tests, our feet could feel the air flowing into the shoe, which made us think its structure was definitely well-ventilated.

To put our feelings into numbers, we took this ASICS to our lab to perform our breathability test, starting by putting a piece of the upper right in front of our light.

As you can see, it shone brightly and freely through the mesh parts, which indicates the air should also be able to get in and out easily. Let's see if our smoke machine agrees!

Wow! Look at that! Not only the toebox but also the tongue just let all the smoke out seamlessly. This wonderful display of breathability is even more impressive if we compare it with the Reebok Classic Leather, which scored a mere 2/5 on this same test. Consequently, we have decided to give the Kayano 14 a perfect 5/5 on our breathability test.

Thanks to our microscope, we could see this shoe has 2 layers full of ventilation holes.

The top one features big gaps that look like a bee hive with some threads dancing around. Then, underneath, we have this second layer with smaller holes that still let the air flow with no problems.

After such a high score on breathability, we didn't expect the upper to act like a shield when our Dremel attacked.

At 5K RPM and with 3.2N of force, the tool completely obliterated this ASICS' upper. As if it had been hungry for years, our Dremel bit off a considerable part of the toebox mesh.

The results couldn't possibly be worse, so we have decided to give the Kayano 14 a sad 1/5 on our toebox durability test. (And if we could give it a 0, trust us, we would!).

The comfortable heel padding followed the same steps, sadly.

We panicked when we saw all those white threads flying around, but our Dremel didn't even stop for a second. Once the test was done, we removed the tool and looked at the second bite it had taken from this ASICS today. Yikes!

We could only give it another 1/5 on durability, and that sucks.

Our durometer returned 86.1 HC when we measured the Kayano 14's outsole hardness.

This score is pretty much average, which means the shoe should offer a healthy balance between traction and durability. But we'll have to ask our Dremel about that!

Our Dremel seemed hungry today, so we hoped it was already satisfied when we measured the Kayano 14's outsole durability.

This time at 10K RPM but with the same 3.2N, the tool dealt considerable damage to the shoe. Our tread gauge indicated the dent was 1.2 mm deep, which is slightly higher than average.

This is definitely not the best result, but it's not like we were unhappy with it. This shoe's outsole should withstand constant daily use for a long time, and you can always add it to your rotation and let it rest from time to time.

Despite not using the toughest rubber out there, ASICS decided to go for a thinner-than-average outsole.

We were pretty surprised when our caliper returned 4.7 mm, but we can understand the brand's decision. Instead of going for a chunkier piece of rubber that could potentially make the whole shoe heavier, the designers decided to keep it all lightweight and airy.

After our wear tests, we can say this shoe's traction was standard, but nothing too impressive.

The Kayano 14 features a running-style outsole with a fair rubber coverage. It has got different patterns and 2 wavy flex grooves at the ball of the foot. This enhanced its overall flexibility, which translated into an easier ride.

It might not be the grippiest shoe around, and wet floors could definitely be a threat, but overall we're satisfied with the traction levels of this ASICS pair. In our experience, it did its job, and that's what matters to us.

Even though the Kayano 14 is not the cheapest shoe out there, we've found its not-so-criminal price has a solid alibi based on a long story of trust, constantly improving technologies, and a loyal fanbase.

Apart from all this, this ASICS pair has a really trendy vibe and a Y2K retro-futuristic design, which appeals to a wider public every year. But that's not all, as it also features multiple structural advantages that made us enjoy every step of our walks during our wear tests. Its comfort, stability and breezy nature are just the tip of the iceberg!

This ASICS pair doesn't have any reflective elements, but this colorway has some silver touches that might shine a little bit more than other colors. Still, nothing that will help you when the night comes, though!

The Kayano 14 is a pretty comfortable shoe that you can show off around town for a whole day if you want to. To show it doesn't play around when it comes to your feet's happiness, ASICS decided to add a crazy padded tongue that made our instep feel like it was dreaming.

At the impressive figure of 16.0 mm, our caliper had to open wide to hug this chunky pillow of a tongue. We loved how comfortable it felt all day long, but the best part is that, despite its plushy nature, it did not have a negative effect on this shoe's wonderful breathability.

The thing is... we do believe ASICS could have easily gone for a thinner tongue and still keep the otherworldly comfort levels of the Kayano 14. This would've made the shoe even lighter, which is always a positive point.

The Kayano 14 doesn't have any kind of heel tab, but as it features a non-gusseted tongue, we didn't really feel like we needed one.

We really like the Y2K aesthetics this former runner boasts. Its shiny details and overall old-school aesthetics make it super trendy. So when we learned how popular this model is, we weren't even that surprised!

It might not be ready to run anymore, but there are other ASICS pairs for that! In other words, you'll still be a gold medalist... but in style!

As we've already mentioned before, this shoe's insole is pretty simple.

But don't worry, you can always change it! The Kayano 14 features a removable insole, which is something we always appreciate a lot.