In production · road · Daily / Long run · $110
Asics Gel Pulse 17: 39 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 275 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 7:30–10:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is FF Blast, tuned soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. At 42 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. 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 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. 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 $0.28 per mile at $110.
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
275 g / 9.7 oz
Level with the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
42 mm
6 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$110
50 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 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 taller than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Asics Dynablast 6(2026)
276 g / 9.7 oz · 41 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $120
Taller, softer value daily trainer on FF Blast Plus with a toe-off pod.
Hoka Clifton Pro(2025)
275 g / 9.7 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $175
Peba-boosted Clifton: same easy-day brief, far livelier foam.
Hoka Clifton 10(2025)
277 g / 9.8 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $150
Big soft stack at a light weight, with a roomier forefoot than most max trainers.
Mizuno Wave Sky 8(2024)
277 g / 9.8 oz · 42 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $175
Mizuno's max-cushion trainer: dense, protective and long lasting.