ASICS GEL-Kayano 23

Name: ASICS GEL-Kayano 23
Brand: ASICS
Rating: 4.8 (8 reviews)

Daily trainer · Stability · Road · 10.4 oz · 13mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The ASICS GEL-Kayano 24 replaced it

How it ranks

The ASICS GEL-Kayano 23 sits about average for daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 8 runner reviews and 15 other rated shoes in the GEL-Kayano product line.

Decent

Overall

Decent 74

Durability

Very good 92

Cushioning

Very good 91

Comfort

Good 83

Appearance

Decent 75

Value

Below average 62

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

88 High

High 88

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“The 23s are still narrower in the toe box than the 21 (I have to wear a larger size), but are a significant improvement with regard to cushioning”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 21

“Their stabilization helped my knee pain go away”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova

“Very comfortable for distance running (got a 3:12 London run out of them)”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas Supernova Sequence 7 Boost

“They hold up very well durability-wise and only keep getting lighter”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a half marathon

“The Kayano 22's toe box narrowed significantly over the 21, and it just didn't feel comfortable for running”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 21

“Serious wear on the soles after 300 miles”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas Supernova Sequence 7 Boost

“I can do a 10 mile run with absolutely no pain”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova

“Running in other shoes seems distinctively un-natural”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas Supernova Sequence 7 Boost

“Have not found a shoe that fits so well with my feet”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 14

“Make you run too slowly for races 10K and below”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas Supernova Sequence 7 Boost

“Very comfortable, tons of cushioning, and extremely durable”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GT-1000 5

“They never EVER failed”

5/5 Full review 85 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

“Great support, incredible durability, comfortable to a fault”

5/5 Full review 85 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

Prefer this shoe over another

38% 5/13

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers rate cushioning 4.9 out of 5, and three single it out for long, easy distance running.
Two reviewers report it holding up through 60 to 85 mile weeks.
One of eight reviewers so far calls it a clear improvement on the GEL-Kayano 22, which scores 71 on five reviews.

Cons

Reviewers rate value 3.8 out of 5, its lowest dimension, and two balk at the $160 list price.
Two of eight reviewers so far record it as running small in the toe box and size up.

GEL-Kayano 23 rates 74. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the ASICS GEL-Kayano

Each dot is one version of the GEL-Kayano, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

53 2011 72 81 2013 72 67 74 2016 78 78 70 2019 78 78 2021 82 98 2023 88 81 2025 84

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

GEL-Kayano 33

2026 · 5 reviews

84 Good

77 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 32

2025 · 3 reviews

81 Good

80 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 31

2024 · 14 reviews

88 Good

87 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 30

2023 · 58 reviews

98 Exceptional

97 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 29

2022 · 20 reviews

82 Good

91 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 28

2021 · 5 reviews

78 Decent

82 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 27

2020 · 2 reviews

78 Decent

80 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 26

2019 · 20 reviews

70 Decent

95 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 25

2018 · 16 reviews

78 Decent

95 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 24

2017 · 14 reviews

78 Decent

93 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 23 This shoe

2016 · 8 reviews

74 Decent

88 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 22

2015 · 5 reviews

67 Below average

85 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 21

2014 · 10 reviews

72 Decent

90 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 20

2013 · 39 reviews

81 Good

97 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 19

2012 · 19 reviews

72 Decent

94 Confidence
GEL-Kayano 18

2011 · 13 reviews

53 Bottom-tier

89 Confidence

Runner Ratings

8 ratings

5/5 6

4/5 2

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 10.4 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 11.5 oz · Women's 9.2 oz
Release: 2016 Q3
MSRP: $160
Drop: 13mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Great shoes

5/5

Overall

Shoes fit well in my narrow feet-have not found a shoe that fits so well with my feet

Falcon007 · Jan 3, 2020

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 14

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Once you've run in these, there's no going back

4/5

Overall

A backhanded compliment, as these shoes change the way you run to such a dramatic degree that running in other shoes seems distinctively un-natural. There's a reason why so many people end up swearing by 'em, so mix them with other shoes regularly. Very comfortable for distance running (got a 3:12 London run out of them), but frankly make you run too slowly for races 10K and below. Like a Range Rover, it's a big, fat, comfortable shoe that makes you feel nice and smug rolling along the highways, but like the RR, quality has disappointed for the sticker price (I paid way less) and there was serious wear on the soles after 300 miles. For a 155lb runner, that's not promising.

Anonymous runner · Jul 29, 2019

60 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas Supernova Sequence 7 Boost

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

Asics Kayano fan

5/5

Overall

I really like my Asics Kayano shoes. The toe be dis nice and big and their stabilization helped my knee pain go away. I can do a 10 mile run with absolutely no pain.

Anonymous runner · Jul 17, 2019

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

If you can still buy these...DO IT!

5/5

Overall

This shoe was the backbone for 3 months of training during the summer. I was running about 80mile weeks with these and they never EVER failed. Great support, incredible durability, comfortable to a fault.

beansbeansbeans · May 1, 2019

85 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Great cushioning, and an improvement over the 22

5/5

Overall

I wear several different brands and models of shoes, but the Kayano is my go to shoe for distance and races. I need to have some drop, some stability, and I like the cushioning. I did not like the Kayano 22 -- as the toe box narrowed significantly over the 21, and it just didn't feel comfortable for running. The 23s are still narrower in the toe box than the 21 (I have to wear a larger size), but are a significant improvement with regard to cushioning.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 21