Asics Gel Kayano

The Asics GEL-KAYANO shoe has been on Runners feet for over 25 Years now. In its time, running shoes from the GEL-KAYANO lineup have been worn by Olympians, Iron Man competitors, and in 2008, the GEL-KAYANO 14 won the International Editor’s Choice prize in Runner’s World's annual awards. In the early ’90s, the shoe's namesake Toshikazu Kayano was tasked by the brand with creating a cutting-edge, long-distance runner. The GEL-KAYANO line was established in 1993 with the GEL-KAYANO TRAINER, which took inspiration from an unlikely source: the stag beetle. The shoe's original outsole featured a lightning bolt strike that resembled stag beetle pincers when looking at both shoes. The ASICS GEL-KAYANO range is governed by the Japanese philosophy of kaizen, which refers to gradual improvement — as witnessed over the 25 different GEL-KAYANO design iterations. Kayano himself explains this gradual process by telling us, "The first KAYANO sneakers were aesthetically oriented. Later shoes started to include scientifically backed functions. The ASICS GEL KAYANO has become one of the most trusted Running shoes in the world, Especially for Long Distance Runners.