Customer Reviews ASICS GEL-Pulse® 12

I wear a 7.5 street shoe and an 8.5 athletic shoe. This shoe in 8.5 fit well, so for me it was true to size. My shoes typically fall into the $120 - 170 price range because I have problem feet. I tried this shoe because my "go-to" athletic shoes have changed for the worse, and I've been through several trying to find a replacement. For a budget trainer, this is stand-out shoe. I was impressed by the breathable upper, the underfoot comfort/cushioning, quality materials, and the support it offered. I would have happily kept these shoes if not for the fit around the ankle. In an attempt to make the part of the shoe that goes around the heel and the ankle more plush and possibly more fitted, Asics has placed an excessive amount foam padding in the inside of the heel that wraps from the inside ankle to the outside ankle. Rather than finding it cushioning and comfortable, I found it large and intrusive. It rubbed with every step, and I'm sure it would have caused hot spots and blisters after prolonged wear. I have "bony" ankles that are on the thin side, so if your ankles are "meatier" this could be a perfect shoe for you. It was close to perfect in every other way, but the ankle rubbing made it a no-go for me.

They are better for someone that doesn't need alot of arch support. I felt they are shallow when putting my foot into the sneaker.

These are very comfortable shoes with a lot of cushioning. You can feel the cushioning in the ball of your foot as well as in the heel. I ordered my normal size and B width. I have a narrow foot and when I received these they felt tight across the toes. I almost returned them because of the tightness my little toe was pushed against the side of the shoe. I decided to try wearing them to see if the fabric would stretch a bit and make them more comfortable and it did. They didn’t feel tight after wearing them for a day. The shoes are light weight and breathable. They are lower cut around the ankle than I’m use to but have a lot of padding in the heal and ankle area. I do not like the laces they are very flimsy and snag easily.

Very nice and cute shoe - use for street walking, not trails or hiking.

After buying and returning 7 pairs of shoes I finally found the right ones!! They are great and wonderful to walk in. Thank you Zappos!! You make shopping so easy and safe.

I usually wear Asics or Brooks athletic shoes for my long, brisk walks (my knees can't take much running anymore). I ordered about 5 different pairs that Zappos sent quickly. I tried these in my usual size 8, but had to return for an 8 1/2. These shoes fit and feel great with my orthotics, and I love the look of these! Nice neutral color, and they're rather light but have great support! Seems like most of the athletic shoes I tried are a 1/2 size too short! Not sure what is up with that as I've always worn an 8 in athletic shoes with my orthotics. Looks like I'm not the only one who feels that way according to the reviews. Zappos return policy is so easy and great! They are really fast getting my order to me! Thanks, Zappos!

The size 8 is a good fit for my 71/2 or 8 size. Toe box is good; not too narrow or 'pointy'. Good walking shoe for my daily 4 miles hard surface walks.

I went for a professional fitting at a running store, where they told me that most people need to go up one half to a full size larger in length, and possibly wider in width when selecting a running shoe. Additionally, they told me that the more flexible your foot, the more rigid your shoe needs to be. And vice versa. I have extremely flexible feet and ankles, with medium low arches, so I chose 2 models of ASICS: the GT 1000 9 and the Gel Pulse 12, each in 2 sizes---9.5 and 9.5W. Based on the glowing reviews, I thought the GT 1000 9 would be best, but it turns out they make me feel like I'm overpronating MORE, not less. There is no support under the big toe, and a sharply curved sole, which makes me feel like my foot turns inward and becomes pigeontoed. It also has a slimmer toebox, which makes my toe feel like its going to scrape through the mesh in a few weeks. The Gel Pulse 12 feels much more natural for my foot. It's not a perfect shoe---it doesn't seem to have much arch support, the laces are overly short if you are used to tying double knots, and after about 6-7 miles, there is definitely some foot strain. But it's the best I've found so far, and much better than the Gel Contend 6 (too flexible and floppy) and the GT 1000 9 (the most rigid, but no support under the toe). With all 3 of the ASICs shoes I mentioned, the 9.5 Wide fit the best, and my normal shoe size is between 8.5 and 9 in regular width dress shoes. So PLEASE believe all the reviews that say to go up at least a half size. You may even be better off going a full size larger. If you care about color---the Mako Blue is a nice Prussian blue. It's primarily a saturated dark blue, but in certain light it looks like there is a greenish undertone. In terms of looks, the Gel Pulse 12 is a much better looking shoe than the GT 1000 9, which has old-fashioned north-south perforated mesh, versus the Gel Pulse 12, which has horizontal perforations and a sleeker overall look.

Very lightweight material. Overall a fairly good walking shoe. Reminds me of a Sketchers fit.

I ordered wide but they look just like my medium width. Toe box is tight. Returning.

Due to my recent foot surgery, they did not feel comfortable.