Discontinued · road · Daily / Long run · $70
Asics Gel Contend 8: 31 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 260 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 7:30–10:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Asics Gel-Contend 9.
Asics tuned this midsole firm (2/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 31 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.17 per mile at $70.
For the foams and plates Asics uses across its line, read the Asics brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
260 g / 9.2 oz
15 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
31 mm
5 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$70
90 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
2 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Asics line it is lighter than the brand's median (268 g / 9.5 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Nike Interact Run
260 g / 9.2 oz · 30 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $90
Nike Interact Run: 30 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 241 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Nike Revolution 7 EasyOn
275 g / 9.7 oz · 32 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $65
Nike Revolution 7 EasyOn: 32 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 275 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Asics Jolt 4
268 g / 9.5 oz · 32 mm · 9 mm drop · — · $60
Asics Jolt 4: 32 mm heel stack, 9 mm drop, 259 g — specs from independent lab testing.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v14 GTX
257 g / 9.1 oz · 31 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $180
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v14 GTX: 31 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 261 g — specs from independent lab testing.