Discontinued · road · Daily / Long run · $130
Asics GT 1000 12: 30 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 271 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 GT 1000 15.
Asics tuned this midsole firm (2/5 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 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 geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. It offers real guidance through the gait cycle — useful for runners whose form collapses when tired.
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 $0.33 per mile at $130.
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
269 g / 9.5 oz
6 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
30 mm
6 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$130
30 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 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.
New Balance Fresh Foam 680 v9
259 g / 9.1 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
New Balance Fresh Foam 680 v9: 30 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 258 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.
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.
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.