Customer Reviews
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41 of 45 people found the following review helpful.
And the New Winner is......
By ZoomDoc
You guessed it. The Kayano 17 from ASICS is the best running shoe I currently own. And I currently own too many pairs of running shoes. The New Balance 1906 ,1226 and the 993. I also own the ASICS GT 1260 and the Nike Vomero 5 and the Equalon 4. I have the Brooks Beast and the Trance 10. Afraid to buy Saucony because of the lack of a wide width (2E) option. I have not been an ASICSs fan before. In fact I sent back a pair of ASICS Kinetics because the hell strike was stiff. I had declared the Brooks Trance 10 my favorite of all time but I gave ASICS one more try and I feel fortunate the Kayano 17 was my reward. There is no question in my mind that every time I put on these shoes I want to work out and run. I have been finding many excuses to wear them. Cushion is unmatched. The hell fit and toe fit and forefoot fit and finish are a godsend. I wish I could buy 2. Like I said I already own too many running shoes. That said I broke down and have a pair of the new ASICS Nimbus on the way as this is being written. Will give a report on these later. This shoe is good for heavy runners and was built for the mild to moderate overpronator. I usually buy Neutral + shoes. These still balance out nicely. ASICS built a shoe that virtually anyone would be happy with. This is extremely difficult to do given the various foot types which exists. These shoes are not mushy and energy return is excellent. I run about 21 to 25 miles weekly and this is my "go to" shoe. Some really under appreciated thought and technology went into this shoe. I'm betting the Kaynao 16 is also stellar and if the price keeps dropping I could be lured into getting a pair as well. Looks like ASICS is really focused in on their running shoes and the Kayano could well be the cream of the crop. Hey like I said I was not an ASICS fan and now I will likely buy nothing else unless another brand has a crazy sale on a top of the line shoe. I'll will post a review of the Nimbus after I've worn them awhile. This now makes this my 3rd ASICS purchase in the last month. That speaks volumes as to what I think of this shoe company. Buy them while you still can. This will be and already is a highly sought after shoe.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
Kayano 17 edges out Nimbus 12 - stability and heel cushioning decide
By Andre Maranhao
My first Kayano 17 impressions over the Nimbus 12:- slightly more substantial feel- more heel strike cushion- more stability- narrower toe box 'feel' (not actually narrower. I'll explain below)I purchased and compared Kayano 17 to the Nimbus 12 for use primarily as walking/hiking shoes. Both feel great on my feet, but the Kayano 17's have a slight edge in stability as well as having a bit more heel cushioning - I did a simple heel walk and heel bounce test. Toe padding seems about equal. For this I did toe bounces for 30 seconds with each pair. Overall I'd say I notice the Kayano's on my feet more, whereas the Nimbus feel, well, more nimble, more like a 'pillow' as another review said of the Nimbus. Make no mistake; the Kayano's are super comfortable. Different shoes for different people, essentially. I don't know the actual weight difference between these, but holding them I'd say very little; it's more the perception while wearing them that the Nimbus's are lighter, even though they probably aren't, or aren't by much.Kayano's toe box 'feel' is a tad narrower than the roomier-feeling Nimbus toe box (both pair are 7.5 men's; medium "D" width); so the Nimbus's allow my toes to expand when striking first with my toes (hiking steep uphills, running up steps, etc.). I think this has to do with the Nimbus meshing; it's lighter and stretchier, which may give the Nimbus a slight advantage during hot summer months when feet tend to swell, or for people with wider feet that aren't quite wide enough to justify going to the next width size up. Too much room risks blistering and/or less stability; too little crams the toes together.Speaking of stability, both seem to include the same ASICS technologies, but the Kayano's fare a bit better here. I tested this simply by holding the heel part and the widest part of the shoe and gently trying to twist it. Wearing them also seems to give the nod to the Kayano's. Venturing a guess, reasons might include a slightly beefier last, higher heel shank and different lace patterns; whereas Nimbus laces follow a slight curve from tongue to toe, Kayano's use the more traditional straight-line lace pattern.Both shoes have nice heel-to-toe roll. Some sneakers, even those built on a curved last, inevitably give that 'slap' when the toe strikes. Both these shoes employ curved lasts. I compared the lasts by visual inspection and by rolling opposite sneaks bottom to bottom. Visually speaking, their shape (width/length/curve) appear nearly identical; only the tread looks different. the Kayano heel shank is noticeably higher which as I said probably contributes to stability. Of course, I can't speak for how their internals are constructed.I value feet health since I *love to walk and want the best for all my joints above my feet, so the $50 difference (depending on which color/size you get) between these shoes counts towards 'healthy foot insurance.' Since I'll use these as my everyday shoes, and for for walking two miles in the forest a few times each week, I'll probably replace them within a year; even the most expensive sneaker becomes a liability as they begin to deform and flatten over time.Yes, the Nimbus 12 is really a great choice (and cheaper), but for the reasons above, the Kayano 17 running shoe is my choice.Happy shopping :)
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
excellent product asics
By firomero
well i'm new to running-walking and to asics i started in a pair of nike airmax 180 and the pain in my heel was almost unbearable i almost quit.. but then i started to read reviews and finally bought a pair of kayanos 17 and like magic my pain is gone these shoes fit like a glove the cushion is great (i am 6'3 and 230 pounds) and run about 4miles a day and to me these kayanos have been so far incredible, perfect amount of support and now i look forward to my morning runs. other than being experimenting with the lacing they are otherwise a perfect fit and sure i will buy another pair when i wear them out
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A little disappointment...
