Customer Reviews ASICS GEL-Kayano® 26

I have bought ASICS shoes for many years and they are the best! During lockdown I bought for the first time on line and they sent me a size 12 instead of size as I ordered 11.5 even though their paperwork said 11.5 so I sent them back and online was a failure as I wanted these shoes and now have nothing!!

I ordered a specific size but received a wrong one. The shoe seems great for running long distances and road running.

My sole was continuously pushed like I was standing on a piece of stone. I have had kayano 21-26, and this was the worst one so far.

I was kind of disappointed with these in terms of comfort. I had a pair of Kayano 25's and loved them. But these felt like they had already been worn sort of. Not the 'new shoe' feel. I also was disappointed with the shipping that took twice as long. Paid for 2 day shipping and it took 5 days to get to my door. Never had a problem with any other purchases, but not sure if I would buy again from them.

I was disappointed and is the reason I returned the 2nd pair that I bought. I've worn Kayano's in the past and they always had good, firm cushioning. These were way too squishy. They feel like they were made for someone who weighs 100 lbs. or less.

I have been running in Kayanos since series 19. If I knew that the toebox would be smaller than other years I would have moved up in size. My recommendation is get a .5 larger than last year. I've already had trouble breaking these in. Even for my short runs, they are just not working like the last 7 generations. Ran 10 miles on Sunday and had to walk much of it due to shoes.

Bad Quality product. I wouldn't recommend this model for runners like me who enjoy to be outdoors :(

Unhappy customer. Running in Gel Kayanos for 10 years. Last pair was Kayano 25 10.5 size and they are wonderful. Model 26 10.5 size too tight and has pressure point on heel and big toe. Size running small. May try an 11. Really hard to buy running shoes online yet thst is Covid 19 reality.

Sneaker is comfy but not extremely comfy. Don't feel like I'm walking on air but I'm still enjoying them. Maybe i just need to break them it. Still love this brand.

I have been running in Kayanos for the better part of a decade and have always been a reliable fit...until the 26. I wear a size 15, and am on the bigger end of a 15. Kayanos have always had enough room for my long toes. Not sure what changed in the 26 but I had to return them and go back to the drawing board.

Great shoe! Have had five Kayano-26 shoes and they are the best running shoe I have run in over the 42 years of my running life. The fit is perfect for my feet and they really need no break-in. The 26 also got me over the finish line of the New York City Marathon this past November. Great work by Asics!

The shoes provide stability but they have zero cushioning. I have been using for 2 weeks close to 25 miles and at the end my feet are always sore.

I'm indifferent... I ran with the gel-kayano 26 (2E) 3 times and ended up getting runners knee. Not sure if I got the wrong pronation or the gel-kayano pronation is a bit different compared to other shoes. I normally go with neutral pronation and thought I could get away with neutral/over and I turned out to be wrong. I also went with 2E for the wider width and it honestly seems like the width is regular. My feet expand out past the soles.

Not as much room around the toes as my Gel-Kayano 25 have. It's a wee bit annoying when new versions of shoes don't fit the same way as their predecessor versions - especially in these lockdown days when trying on a pair of shoes before buying them isn't an option.

Insoles (especially forefoot) aren't as cushiony (if that's a word) as previous Kayano's.

I bought this shoe several months ago- Kayano 26 SUCKS! I have had arch and Achilles issues develop with this shoe. I have been an avid ASICS user going back to the days of the Tiger Eperus and first intro to the gel eperus in 87/88. What use of rubber combo flyte foam you're using needs to end. You totally ruined the 25 by making changes to cut a few ounces. The only good thing about it is the motion control and true to size fit. I hate to say it, but the Brooks beast is better than the Kayano 26. The Kayano is worse than your GT 2000 trail shoe. What a joke! I know you won't take my rating serious but you have lost a customer who has used and been faithful to your brand going back to the days when you were known as Tiger! Whoever your shoe testers and developers are morons. I am not an elite runner by any means, however I run everything from marathons to ultras. Kayano 26 is horrible, I hope the 27 flytefoam and overall cushioning is better than the 26. Seriously DO Not waste your money! Hey ASICS I would not recommend the 26 to anyone. But I'm sure you'll listen to the elites who eat from your trough about what a great shoe it is, I am so disappointed! 31 years of Running in Tigers / ASICS out the window for a ridiculous upgrade. This is one of your worse upgrades. Please let me know when you decide to actually listen to your base

I bought this shoe several months ago- Kayano 26 SUCKS! I have had arch and Achilles issues develop with this shoe. I have been an avid ASICS user going back to the days of the Tiger Eperus and first intro to the gel eperus in 87/88. What use of rubber combo flyte foam you're using needs to end. You totally ruined the 25 by making changes to cut a few ounces. The only good thing about it is the motion control and true to size fit. I hate to say it, but the Brooks beast is better than the Kayano 26. The Kayano is worse than your GT 2000 trail shoe. What a joke! I know you won't take my rating serious but you have lost a customer who has used and been faithful to your brand going back to the days when you were known as Tiger! Whoever your shoe testers and developers are morons. I am not an elite runner by any means, however I run everything from marathons to ultras. Kayano 26 is horrible, I hope the 27 flytefoam and overall cushioning is better than the 26. Seriously DO Not waste your money! Hey ASICS I would not recommend the 26 to anyone. But I'm sure you'll listen to the elites who eat from your trough about what a great shoe it is, I am so disappointed! 31 years of Running in Tigers / ASICS out the window for a ridiculous upgrade. This is one of your worse upgrades. Please let me know when you decide to actually listen to your base

First of, I'm 50 years old with bony worn-out feet that needs max cushioning, so this review may not be relevant to the younger runners. The Nike Vaporfly shoes with their stiffened sole have ruined running shoes for us old-timers who need a softer landing. Every shoe makers are now copying them. The old Kayano 24 was pure cushy bouncy energy-return comfort from day 1. The Kayano 26 sole however has stiffened (Hardened) considerably. (I skipped the 25). I'm guessing the 26 is trying mimic the catapult-style energy return of those Nikes instead of the traditional bounce-style of energy return. (Imagine a diving board push instead of a trampoline spring). The sole is quite hard despite looking luxuriously thick with visible gel inserts and the arch is so inflexible. It is reinforced and doesn't want to bend. (is Asics trying to mimic that stiff carbon fiber layer in the Nike's sole? I hate it). My old feet hurt from day 1 and still hurt one month later. The hard, inflexible sole seems to be a permanent feature and not something you "break in." (Also, is the toe box a wee bit narrower for anyone else? My pinky toe is definitely feeling the scrunch after a long run. Maybe my toes have gotten a little wider. Im not sure so I can't fault Asics on that yet.) So basically, the Kayano 24 was so comfortable I wanted to wear them all the time, even when Im not running. The 26 however, is so very uncomfortable, I am slowly giving up on trying to adapt to them and going back to my old New Balance 574 with its lumpy Fresh foam. That said, I'm sure the younger runners will not feel the pain and will benefit greatly from the stiffer ride. I too preferred minimalist shoes in my 20's and 30's. The Vaporfly is proof this technology improves performance. My middle-aged feet however, will need to track down and stock up on the cushy comfort of the Kayano 24.

First of, I'm 50 years old with bony worn-out feet that needs max cushioning, so this review may not be relevant to the younger runners. The Nike Vaporfly shoes with their stiffened sole have ruined running shoes for us old-timers who need a softer landing. Every shoe makers are now copying them. The old Kayano 24 was pure cushy bouncy energy-return comfort from day 1. The Kayano 26 sole however has stiffened (Hardened) considerably. (I skipped the 25). I'm guessing the 26 is trying mimic the catapult-style energy return of those Nikes instead of the traditional bounce-style of energy return. (Imagine a diving board push instead of a trampoline spring). The sole is quite hard despite looking luxuriously thick with visible gel inserts and the arch is so inflexible. It is reinforced and doesn't want to bend. (is Asics trying to mimic that stiff carbon fiber layer in the Nike's sole? I hate it). My old feet hurt from day 1 and still hurt one month later. The hard, inflexible sole seems to be a permanent feature and not something you "break in." (Also, is the toe box a wee bit narrower for anyone else? My pinky toe is definitely feeling the scrunch after a long run. Maybe my toes have gotten a little wider. Im not sure so I can't fault Asics on that yet.) So basically, the Kayano 24 was so comfortable I wanted to wear them all the time, even when Im not running. The 26 however, is so very uncomfortable, I am slowly giving up on trying to adapt to them and going back to my old New Balance 574 with its lumpy Fresh foam. That said, I'm sure the younger runners will not feel the pain and will benefit greatly from the stiffer ride. I too preferred minimalist shoes in my 20's and 30's. The Vaporfly is proof this technology improves performance. My middle-aged feet however, will need to track down and stock up on the cushy comfort of the Kayano 24.

This is the last pair of Asics I buy. I have owned maybe 8 pairs over the last 15 years and compared to the first pair I bought, which I still have (not the rest) the quality is now very poor right down to the laces which I doubt could be worst. They no longer feel special

Support for Running is Not as Good as Expected. Not enough cushion for Heal.