Excellent Everyday Shoe for Managing Severe Heel Pain
My husband has special shoe needs due to a severe foot injury in his right heel (surgically reconstructed calcaneus held together with metal plates, screws, etc) that causes constant pain. He needs shoes that provide both a lot of cushion in the heel area and structured heel support, and he also needs new shoes at least every 6 months. The Asics Gel-Kayano (plus SmartFeet inserts) is by far the best shoe for his needs, and has been his go-to everyday shoe for years.Unfortunately, the Gel-Kayano 23 model (and earlier models) came in pretty hideous colors for everyday wear. He's a professor, so he needs to look professional at work, and the 23 model didn't have a single option that worked well for that. The least obtrusive seemed to be the silver and blue model, and they aren't exactly high fashion--the main fabric is shiny silver with bright blue laces and reflective-shiny blue bands all over it. Imagine those shoes with chinos, a nice shirt, and a tweed jacket. It looked ridiculous, especially given that his students and many of his colleagues did not know about his injury. He also felt a bit self conscious wearing those shoes when we went to nice restaurants or other fancy events where all the other men were wearing dress shoes.In contrast, we are so happy with the new styles available with the Gel-Kayano 24! The fit, comfort, and support are the same excellent quality that he has come to count on from Asics Gel-Kayano, and this time they seem to have hired a better designer, because there are a few options that actually look good too! We got the black/charcoal, and they look great!! The matte finish is a nice touch. They are classy & unobtrusive enough for him to wear to work every day & still look very professional.If you have heel pain, especially from a calcaneus injury, I cannot recommend these shoes enough. They are wonderful for my husband's day-to-day pain management. And instead of being stressed out every 6 months hoping to find a decent pair of shoes, we just re-order these and are good to go. If you have severe pain or a disability, simple things like shoe shopping are not so simple--your entire quality of life rides on it. I highly recommend Gel-Kayanos for anyone who needs extra heel support & cushion, especially now that the 24s have the improved color options.Lastly, I have a message for the Asics design people: If you have anyone reading these reviews, please learn from this! I'm sure runners are fine with the bright, shiny colors, because maybe it makes them feel safe, and either way, they only have to wear them for like an hour a day. But not everyone who buys these shoes is buying them for athletic purposes. Please always make sure to provide a more subtle, sober, professional option for those with foot injuries etc. who need your shoes for everyday wear. You have finally done this with the Gel-Kayano 24--please keep it up with future models! Thank you!!
✔ Verified Purchase
G
Gary Goodnow
September 10, 2017
Exceptional overall foot support - the best Kayano ever
Since reviews on different models sometimes get mixed up, to be clear, I'm reviewing the Kayano 24.This is my third purchase of the Kayano line, the last being the model 22. These Kayano 24's or clearly a step up, even though I really liked the "22". The side and heel support remained excellent, but in my opinion the overall toe area support is much improved with the 24. Not only in the ball of the toe area, but also there is a bit more width to the toe area, which makes it much more comfortable for me with a medium width foot. Also, the shoes are just better constructed overall. They are still light weight, but don't feel flimsy. It just seems that Asics finally got all elements important to running shoe comfort perfectly executed with this model. From the first time I ran with the shoe there was no break-in and the comfort level was apparent. I've worn the shoe now every day on my 3 mile runs and feel very comfortable recommending this shoe.The only complaint, and this hold true for ALL exercise shoes, is the junk insert/insoles that come with the shoe. It pains me to pay $160 for a shoe and then have to immediately replace the insert with something that should have come with the shoe to begin with. But that's apparently the rule all manufacturers follow.Finally, this is a really good looking shoe, which isn't vital to an exercise shoe, but is a nice plus since you can also wear casually with jeans, etc. to kick around in. I got the ink blue model, and cannot believe how good it looks. I may get another pair just to wear casually.
✔ Verified Purchase
Very comfortable!
I love these shoes! Keep in mind that I am NOT a runner. Just a fat ugly dude that needs the extra support and cushioning to protect against all that potential impact damage from walking, especially for any extended period of time.I use to be a big fan of New Balance, but their best shoes are offered only in all of these goofy colors that I call "Aquarium Collector" or "90s Wanna-be Rockabilly Hot Rod Red." I get that it's a good idea for runners to be as visible as possible, especially for exercising in areas where there is a lot of car traffic. I just wish they would offer their high end shoes in some more basic color patterns like black, red, etc. So I tried out some Asics one day in a local shop a couple years ago and have been happy ever since!The shoes seem pretty well built and you can definitely feel why they cost so much, even when compared to shoes that are around the $80 or even $100 range. They're very comfortable: nice and cushy w/o feeling too bouncy, and very lightweight. I don't feel like I have to work to move one foot in front of the other. They do seem to run a bit small, as normally I wear an 11.5 mens US, but the Asics I have to get in a size 12 mens US.I have a grey pair that I use strictly for taking walks and doing dirty work around the house, and I got these black ones for when I'm out and about or on a drunken casino binge. I think having white laces on the black ones would improve the look immensely, and I really need to look into getting some. Other than that, these are fantastic!
✔ Verified Purchase
