Asics Extra Wide Mens

[Dimple Belousson]

SAMTo reach a wider run audience, this shoe was created with stability in mind, and is still a shoe geared towards neutral runners and overpronators alike. Unlike the spirit of kaizen this shoe is based on, the stability shoe world spent a long time in the dark ages without much improvement.

Weight-wise, it only adds around 0.1 oz in weight from the 29. This drop in weight comes from the last technological advance involved, the PureGel cushioning under the heel. The cushioning that makes the Nimbus a hit is also present in the Kayano, and it makes this shoe extremely comfortable to run in while keeping it at the same weight as the Kayano with a huge increase in stack height.

Finally for all you eco-friendly folks, with the air quality issues on the east coast hopefully there are more of us, this shoe is also the first trainer marked with Asics CO2e designation, where the Ortholite sockliner shows you that 10.7 kg of carbon dioxide was emitted to make this shoe, which is 14% less than the industry standard. With incredible stability, a light weight for its stack height, eco-friendly materials, and a smooth and comfortable ride, this is one of my picks for the stability trainer of the year.

To start off we now see a full midsole of FF Blast+ as seen in a lot of Asics models recently which is going to give everyone a whole lotta cush. For the first and second pieces in the 4D Guidance System, Asics watched Ghost because they got some pottery going on in this FFBlast+. Shaving a nice chunk of foam on the inside gives runners a nice bit of compression and cushion on the outside counteracting the pronation, combined with the big-ass heel to help absorb impact and guide your foot into the other steps of the 4D system. Both of these systems combined with the FFBlast+ feel like butter no matter the distance and speed.

The ride of the shoe is what you want from a daily trainer and, again, will provide you with some comfortable miles no matter the distance. I also appreciated the solid lockdown, specifically in the heel counter, which really keeps your heel and ankle area quite stable (as it should).

SAM: I really do not have much to gripe about here. If you are expecting a do it all shoe, this is sadly not it. The trade-off for an extremely comfortable and supportive ride with a huge increase in stack height is that this shoe does not get you up and moving into your stride. Previous Kayano models accomplished this through a sleek and low-profile build with a lower stack, but that is gone here. For everything outside of race days and workouts the Kayano 30 has got you covered, but you will need to look elsewhere to get speedwork in.

My other gripe is that the colorways are more traditional Asics when compared to the fresh colorways of the Nimbus. I believe appearance does play a role in how you feel in a shoe, and Asics did not capture the spirit of Kaizen in their Kayano colorways. I had the white, black, and green colorway, and was envious of everyone I saw in that sweet white/grey Gel-Nimbus 25. But, if the only complaints about a high stack stability trainer are that the colorways could be better and the shoe is not suitable for workouts, I think you have yourself a winner.

MERCER: So, you may have noticed I listed three out of the four items from the new ASICs 4D System in The Good section. And that last one is the absurdly wide footprint of this shoe. With the retirement of that Litetruss system, the shoe has to carry itself on a much larger platform. Instead of it feeling like a nice fat tire mountain bike, it kinda feels like carrying a granite countertop underfoot.

SAM: According to the Wikipedia article, Lucanus Cervus were used as amulets during the time of the Romans. Is the Gel-Kayano 30 going to be your good luck charm? I would say yes. If you carry this shoe everywhere you go, you can have a sound mind knowing that you are finishing each run with a sound body.

If the colorways were better, I would argue that most runners should choose this shoe over the Gel-Nimbus. For the same price, you get a high stack of FFBlast Plus with PureGel, an efficient drop, a comfortable upper, and unmatched, smooth as silk stability that will help you prevent injuries as you rack up easy miles and long runs. There is not much I personally ask for in a daily trainer. Mr. Kayano, you hit it out of the park with this one.

MERCER: This is a huge step forward for the Kayano line while it may alienate a large group because of the sheer amount of updates in the shoe, this update is going to push the industry forward and draw a new crowd to the 30th model of the Kayano. Shoes that are going to be fairly similar to the Kayano 30 are going to be the Saucony Tempus and the Hoka Arahi.

After my first run in this shoe yesterday (6 miles easy), I love it. Super soft and plush feel compared to the much firmer, responsive feel of the Tempus (I am on my 3rd pair of these) and even the Superblast (2nd pair). Perfect for easy miles. I can see myself picking up an extra pair of these once prices go down.

Robbe is the senior editor of Believe in the Run. He loves going on weird routes through Baltimore, finding trash on the ground, and running with the Faster Bastards. At home in the city, but country at heart. Loves his two boys more than anything. Has the weakest ankles in the game.

The shoe indeed has the highest breathability rating (5 out of 5) based on our smoke-pumping machine test. We assessed the amount of smoke passing through the fabric in a given time which is presented in the video below.

Our caliper measurement shows 3.9 mm of padding thickness in the tongue. This is less than the average 5.6 mm and also thinner than some of the other ASICS shoes, such as the Gel Excite 9, with a 9-mm thick tongue.

Longer runs are also made better with the shoe's OrthoLite sock liner. It really levels up the in-shoe comfort and helps to wick any moisture away. The insole also adds a welcome touch of padding which is 4.8 mm thick (0.3 mm thicker than average).

Measuring the widest part of the shoe's toebox (94.3 mm), we actually found that it is narrower than average by 4 mm. Thus, we advise runners with wide feet to get the wide or even extra-wide version of the shoe (luckily, it's available in a range of widths).

Of course, it lacks the bells and whistles of its more expensive counterparts so don't expect any wow-effects from the shoe. But for a normcore daily beater at its price point, the Content 8 is an excellent value for money.

The shoe comes with a fairly flexible and adaptable platform that suits natural foot motion. Measuring its resistance to being bent, we found that the Contend 8 is 43%(!) more flexible than road running shoes on average.

The caveat is that on a cold day, the Gel Contend 8 is going to get 62% stiffer and 26% firmer and will need a little breaking in. These measurements were taken after leaving the shoe in the freezer for 20 minutes.

The Gel Content 8 has an ample amount of cushioning for a daily running shoe though. We measured its heel stack at 31.1 mm (2 mm thinner than average) and the forefoot stack at 22 mm (2.5 mm thinner).

One of the measurable characteristics that are directly connected to the shoe's longevity is the outsole thickness. The rubber layer on the ASICS Gel Contend 8 is 4.2 mm thick. This is notably thicker than the average 3.4 mm for road running shoes.

This ASICS shoe is meant for neutral pronation but packs some features that help to make it a little bit more supportive. We especially welcomed this supportive foothold on long walks and easy slow runs.

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