NEW RELEASE: ASICS GEL-KAYANO Ace Golf Shoes

ASICS GEL-KAYANO Ace Golf Footwear – Key Takeaways

New spikeless shoe from ASICS/Srixon alliance
Up to date waterproof higher and ankle padding
4 colorways
$169.99. Obtainable April 1

The brand new ASICS GEL-KAYANO Ace golf sneakers are the third wave of choices from the brand new North American ASICS/Srixon footwear alliance. The 2 firms have a protracted historical past of sympatico relations in Asia and, within the final two years, have established a golf shoe foothold within the northern half of this hemisphere.

ASICS and Srixon joined the North American golf shoe fray in December of 2019 with two fashions: the spiked GEL-COURSE Duo BOA and the spikeless GEL-COURSE Glide. The spikeless GEL-COURSE Ace was added to the lineup final yr.

ASICS clearly is aware of what it’s doing with athletic sneakers basically. And all three sneakers have been top-half performers in our current spiked and spikeless shoe Purchaser’s Guides. And if first seems inform us something, the brand new GEL-KAYANO Ace ought to proceed that development.

ASICS: For Physique and Soul

The ASICS story dates again to post-war Japan. It began because the ONITSUKA Firm in 1949 with the straightforward objective of constructing athletic sneakers for Japan’s youth. ONITSUKA’s first providing was a Chuck Taylor-inspired high-top basketball shoe in 1950. The corporate launched its first golf shoe in 1955.

Over time, ONITSUKA expanded into all sorts of athletic sneakers for all the things together with operating, wrestling, soccer, baseball, fencing, even ski-jumping. By 1977, ONITSUKA merged with two different like-minded firms to kind ASICS. And in the event you’re ever on a sport present, it is likely to be useful to know that ASICS comes from the Latin phrase Anima Sana in Corpore Sano which suggests “pray for a sound thoughts in a sound physique.”

With 2021 gross sales totaling practically $3.5 billion, ASICS definitely isn’t in the identical league as adidas or NIKE however it’s practically thrice greater than ECCO.

ASICS GEL-KAYANO Ace: The Particulars

As with the earlier ASICS/Srixon golf shoe choices, the ASICS GEL-KAYANO Ace could be very a lot true to its roots. It’s a non-traditional, athletic-looking golf shoe with a number of long-standing ASICS applied sciences inbuilt for each consolation and stability.

The GEL™ in GEL-KAYANO is ASICS’ silicone heel cushioning materials. Launched in 1986, GEL was developed by the corporate’s in-house suppose tank, the ASICS Analysis Institute of Sports activities Science. It’s positioned below the heel for consolation and shock absorption. You don’t have to be a seismologist to know the quantity of shock that wants absorbing throughout a spherical of golf is significantly lower than the shock that wants absorbing throughout, say, a marathon. However, hey, consolation is consolation.

FlyteFoam® affords extra cushioning within the midsole. Developed by ASICS in 2016, the corporate says it’s 55 % lighter than a standard ethylene-vinyl-acetate midsole (EVA). Its closest comp is likely to be the BOOST materials utilized by adidas.

So long as we’re on the consolation theme, ASICS says it has added additional padding across the ankle and on the tongue as a result of, hey, consolation is consolation.

And dry is consolation, too. The GEL-KAYANO Ace features a skinny polyurethane lining below its versatile mesh higher, a function we first noticed in final yr’s GEL-COURSE Ace. Does it work? We are able to inform after a season with the GEL-COURSE Ace that puddle-jumping is out. However for golf, the shoe is waterproof sufficient.

Stability and Traction

So, yeah, they’re comfy. However consolation means nothing with out a measure of stability. And getting the best mixture of stability, traction and luxury in a light-weight shoe is the golf footwear Holy Grail.

In final week’s Spikeless Shoe Buyer’s Guide, we rated the GEL-COURSE Ace as a middle-of-the-pack shoe. It was rated barely beneath common for stability, about common for consolation and barely above common for components and traction. The brand new GEL-KAYANO Ace options an enhanced heel cradle together with extra ankle padding. That, in concept, ought to enhance stability.

ASICS says its FG Traction Sole Sample locations the only real studs strategically for each traction and stability. From what we will inform, nevertheless, the GEL-KAYANO’s sole sample seems basically unchanged from earlier variations. Anecdotally, final yr’s mannequin appeared secure sufficient for my very own 94-mph swing velocity. We’ll see how the GEL-KAYANO Ace stacks up as soon as the snow clears.

ASICS GEL-KAYANO Ace Colours, Choices, Worth

As talked about beforehand, ASICS is aware of what it’s doing in terms of comfy athletic footwear. And it’s definitely no novice in terms of golf sneakers. The primary ASICS sneakers carried out decently in our testing last year, however this yr not a lot. The GEL-KAYANO Ace missed the deadline to be included on this yr’s Purchaser’s Information, so we’ll have to attend to see the way it stacks up subsequent yr. Nonetheless, there’s no purpose to suppose the corporate is taking any steps backward with the brand new version.