ASICS Gel-Kayano 31 Review
By Matthew Klein
ASICS Gel-Kayano 31Price: $164.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 10.7 oz, 305 g (men's size 9), 9.3 oz, 266 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 40 mm / 30 mm
Drop: 10 mm
Shoe Purpose: Premium Stability Daily Trainer
Pros: Great Combination of Stability/Guidance Features, Bouncy Midfoot Facilitates Appropriate Midfoot Motion, Highly Cushioned, Plush, Comfortable, Smooth Midfoot/Forefoot Transition
Cons: Heavier Shoe, Slightly Clunky Heel
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The ASICS Gel-Kayano 31 is the continuation of the radically new Kayano series for those who want an excellent premium stability/guidance shoe for easy running, walking and all-day wear. A new slightly thinner upper provides a secure, plush fit while still providing some wiggle room through the length of the shoe. An improved 4D guidance system provides a new system that bounces you into and out of pronation/supination. Although with a wider base and sidewalls, the Kayano 31 provides a combination of stability and guidance that will keep you centered regardless of which way you move.
SIMILAR SHOES: Brooks Glycerin GTS 21, Mizuno Horizon 7
PAST MODEL: ASICS Gel Kayano 30
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
The ASICS Gel-Kayano 31 fits me true to size in my normal men's US size 10. The width is normal to slightly wide throughout the length of the shoe. The volume is normal with extra wiggle room height-wise in the forefoot. The upper mesh is slightly thin but plush all throughout. This allows for extra stretch up at the forefoot, which is already slightly wide. There is a slight taper at the toe box, which has a thin toe guard. This transitions into a normal to slightly wide midfoot. The tongue is moderately thick and well-gusseted. The laces easily lock the shoe down and I did not have to tighten them much to get a secure fit. The heel is normal in width with a ton of heel collar cushioning. The heel counter is thin slightly flexible. Those with haglund deformities or heel sensitivities should do fine given the amount of padding in the rear except for those with extreme sensitivities. The inner liner is extremely comfortable and can tolerate sockless running. There are some internal seams that can cause rubbing over longer distances, so only those with experience running without socks should consider doing so in the Kayano 31. The security is quite good for the slightly wider fit. I have not had to do a lace lock at any point. The slightly thinner but plush material does allow some airflow up front, making for a well-balanced, comfortable, premium upper.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: Saucony Guide 17, ASICS Kayano 30, Hoka Gaviota 5, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Nike Ultrafly
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Saucony Kinvara 14
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Altra Timp 5
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not Flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Somewhat
Recommended for Haglunds: Mild sensitivity users fine
Recommended for Sockless: Maybe
Durability Expectation: Above Average
PERFORMANCE
The ASICS Gel-Kayano 31 is a premium stability shoe that works best for easy mileage running, walking and standing. The stack height continues to be maximal with 40mm of stack in the forefoot and 30mm in the heel. The 10mm drop is somewhat noticeable due to the larger heel although the compression of the softer FF Blast+ midsole takes some of the edge off. The midsole is soft and highly cushioned throughout the length of the shoe. It is not unstable but provides high-quality cushioning that maintains its feel even over longer efforts. The paces this shoe works best for are easy and longer efforts as the higher weight of the shoe prevents it from doing anything even remotely up-tempo. There is still some bounce from the midsole, mostly originating from the medial piece of resilient foam (part of the 4D guidance system) in the midfoot that provides a noticeable pop out of the midfoot.
The heel is a little clunky at first despite a small posterior lateral bevel. This is due to the posterior flare, although the geometry of the heel compresses better the more the midsole breaks in. The PureGel heel also adds to some additional compression and softness, which does help the heel transition. This moves through the bouncy midfoot and into a smooth, rockered forefoot. There is little flexibility to the sole, so those with toe mobility issues should do well here. The rocker starts early and is somewhat gradual, making this shoe even more tuned for slower, comfortable efforts.
The outsole traction is quite good on both dry and wet road. The Kayano 31 can handle some mild trail, but is mostly meant for firmer terrain. The durability is great as I have 40 miles on my pair with almost on wear on the outsole. Thus I expect to get a ton of miles out of the Kayano 31 just as I have out of prior models.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
The ASICS Gel-Kayano 31 is a shoe that combines all the latest concepts in guidance and stability. The base is wide throughout the length of the shoe, especially in the midfoot. This is widened even farther thanks to sole flare on the medial and lateral sides of the shoe. There are large sidewalls in the medial heel/midfoot and the lateral heel. The arch and 4D guidance system is a little higher than the previous version. Those who like a mild post like feeling will do well in this shoe. Those who want a major post like feel will not do as well as the Kayano now focuses on keeping the foot highly centered throughout the length of the shoe. There is internal geometrical guidance built into the midsole. This provides noticeable resistance to excessive medial or lateral motion. I do not feel pushed one way as I often do in other stability shoes thanks to the central guidance theme that the Kayano uses.
The most interesting stability component to the Kayano 31 is the more resilient 4D guidance foam in the midfoot. This is a more resilient and bouncy foam than the FF Blast+ used in the rest of the midsole. This material has a large amount of bounce and facilitates a dynamic and controlled pronation to supination transition at the midfoot. This is not a post-like feeling but a facilitation and bounciness that helps you get out of end-range midfoot pronation. This is incredibly smooth and far more noticeable than the previous version. So those who do not do well with aggressive posts and instead want a bouncy and smooth transition through the midfoot with a stable heel and forefoot will do best in the Kayano 31.
Thoughts as a DPT: Biomechanics of the Medial Longitudinal Arch and Pronation
By Matthew Klein
The 4D guidance system in the Kayano 30/31 replicates the true function of the arch far more than traditional medial posts. Most of the thought process behind medial posts was to create a harder medial material that the foot was thought to either move away from (path of least resistance) or to "support" the arch by holding it. Both these concepts certainly reduce symptoms and work for some people, but the efficacy behind either of those statements may not apply to everyone. To truly understand why the idea of a softer and more resilient foam in this area may also work instead of the traditional opposite found in medial posts, we need to understand the medial longitudinal arch and what pronation really is.
The medial longitudinal arch is made of all the bones on the medial side of the foot, including (but not limited to) the first metatarsal bone (long bone), medial cuneiform, navicular, talus and calcaneus. There are multiple connections between all these bones and those lateral to them, which means the medial longitudinal arch is made of many joints and not just one (ie only eversion/inversion). The main function of the arch is to be able to collapse to absorb shock and elevate to stiffen up. Both variations need to occur at different times to achieve either mobility or stability depending on the relevant task requires.
Therefore, the understanding that this is a dynamic movement/system and not a static supports the new system from ASICS in the Kayano to help elastically bounce/facilitate appropriate pronation rather than completely stopping it. There are other elements that provide excellent forward guidance, but long term, pronation is a motion that should optimally be controlled and utilized as an advantage, rather than labelled a pathology and eliminated. This is a movement control issue and people should be taught how to control it for their own benefit in shock absorption. Taking it away may comprise that ability in many ways.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The refined upper and increased midfoot bounce are great improvements to what is arguably the best the Kayano has ever been. The midfoot bounce especially brings to life what I mostly missed and misunderstood in version 30. The stable ride that will work for a variety of people with stability needs is excellent and continues to execute all the guidance concepts we have been talking about at Doctors of Running. My two major suggestions continue to be a decrease in weight and an improvement in the heel bevel. The weight is standard for what this class of shoes as the Kayano 31 is the same weight as the Glycerin GTS and is similar to the Horizon 7. However, ASICS has the full capacity to lower the weight, which would improve the Kayano's efficiency, especially over longer mileage. The heel is marginally better than the prior version, but the continued use of a flare and "crash pad" still makes this shoe slightly clunky. The current bevel is placed well but needs to be a little larger to be more effective in modeling the curved human calcaneus.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
The ASICS Gel-Kayano 31 is for those who want a high level guidance/moderate level stability shoe that uses newer concepts, including a bouncy midfoot, to provide support for easier and longer runs. The ride continues to be maximal with a 10mm drop and a rockered from the midfoot to the forefoot. Those that land a little forward or are ok with a slightly early initial heel contact will like the ride best. The fit is normal to slightly wide with an adaptive fit that shoe work for a variety of normal foot shapes with additional widths available for those that need more room. The function will work best for those wanting a walking shoe, all-day standing shoe or easy mileage shoe. This daily stability workhorse will continue to be a popular model among those looking for comfort and guidance.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: A (Comfortable fit with slightly breathable and plush upper that works for both walking and running)
Performance: B/B+ (Highly cushioned daily training shoe for mileage. A bit on the heavy side)
Stability: A [Moderate Stability/Guidance] (Wider sole, wider midfoot, sidewalls, geometric stability and midfoot facilitation make this a moderate stability shoe and a higher level guidance shoe)
Value: A- (For the durability and progressive stability, this is a great value shoe)
Personal: B+/A- (My top running and walking stability/guidance trainer of the year. Still a bit heavy but excellent execution in a shoe that deserves to be popular)
Overall Design: A-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORASICS Gel-Kayano 31Price: $164.95 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
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