Discontinued · road · Daily · $100
Cushioned budget daily in the Pulse mold.
Built for daily, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Asics Gel-Excite 11.
Asics tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 30 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 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. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
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 $0.25 per mile at $100.
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
310 g / 10.9 oz
35 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
30 mm
6 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$100
60 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 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 heavier 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.
On Cloudpulse
319 g / 11.3 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $140
Training-first shoe tuned for gym work and short cardio.
Nike Downshifter 14
315 g / 11.1 oz · 34 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $70
Nike Downshifter 14: 34 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 315 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Nike Winflo 11 GTX
310 g / 10.9 oz · 35 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $130
Nike Winflo 11 GTX: 35 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 310 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Adidas Supernova Ease
285 g / 10.1 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $110
Flexible, forgiving entry daily for new runners and walkers.