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Europes best selling stability shoe for a reason. Packed with support and cushioing for the runner wanting the top of the line stability without compromising support.
Asics has made some significant updates to the new Kayano 28 which takes this shoe towards the very top of the best stability shoes on the market right now.
28 years has seen many shoes come and go, but the new Kayano is still going strong. This shoe consistently gets the newest tech in the asics line up, and the 28 is no different. The competition is strong with the Mizuno Wave Horizon, Saucony Hurricane and Brooks Glycerin GTS all worthy shoes but this new asics is a leapfrog back to one of the best. Straight out the box this is a really comfortable shoe with no hot spots and issues, and the blend of pace and stability is still fantastically balanced. Someone wanting support need not compromise at all with the Kayano 28.
The heel cushioning runs a lot like the previous Kayano 27, with a plentiful amount of shock absorbsion thanks to the high de-coupling (how much the midsole can squash) of the gel insert and the podded rubber outsole to adapt to the ground on heel impact. The midsole is durable and firm enough to take big impacts and hold up to high mileage abuse, and it is now enhanced with the addition of 'FF Blast' foam in the forefoot. FF Blast is a lighter, softer, more responsive foam that adds incredible comfort and is used to great effect in the forefoot of this shoe to create a brilliant heel to toe transition for a stability shoe.
Overall, the support is good and more than suitable for most people, and the cushioning is excellent, creating a superb overall balance on for the midsole - overall this is one of the most runable, fit for purpose support midsoles on the market. The upgrades to the technology in the midsole makes the Kayano 28 a big improvement on already very good previous models.
Very difficult to see the difference between the upper of the Kayano 27 and 28 - the brand went for consistency which isnt a bad thing - the shoes are comfortable with an engineered mesh upper offering support and breathability here you need it. The external heel counter is slimmed down and lowered but it holds the heel in place very well. The shoe fits fairly slim through the midfoot, so if you have a wide foot, and flatter feet this shoe may be a little too slim for you! But overall, it is a plush and supportive upper fitting of a top end running shoe.
Robust rubber and very hard wearing AHAR Plus in the heel offers decent durability for the life span of the shoe. The one drawback that I didnt really think was all that appealing but I can understand why asics did it, is the high amount of foam exposure on the outsole. The outsole is made up of many small pods of rubber with large flex grooves in the forefoot and separate pods in the heel to help with heel to toe transition and the forefoot flexibility, and it works well. But if you are a heavier runner or hard on the outsoles of shoes, there was a significant amount of EVA touching the ground and therefore getting abused with detracted from the potenital durability of the outsole. Overall its got a performance element to the outsole, but there are more durable outsoles on the market for heavier runners that may be a consideraton when buying a top end shoe.
This is the 5th Kayano i have run in over the past 8 years of testing and it is easily the best so far. It had to improve as the market for top end, highly runnable support shoes is competitive, with most brands having a shoe in this category as a flagship model. The improvement in the forefoot cushioing and the excellent heel impact make this a wonderful shoe to put on straight out the box new, and cover some serious happy miles. A big thumbs up to the updates and well worth considering the extra spend over the asics GT 2000 for the updated midsole package benefits.
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| Gender | Mens |
| Year | 2021 |
| Season | Autumn |
| Current model | |
| Release date | Oct 21 |
| MSRP | $0.00 |
| Weight | 308g |
| Heal Drop | 10mm |
| Shoe Type | |
| Support | |
| Surfaces | |
| Road | |
| Light Trail | |
| Weight | |
| Light | |
| Regular | |
| Heavy | |