Put the three ASICS Gel trainers we stock side by side and the price gap is the first thing you notice. The Gel-Kayano 14 sits at £189.99 to £199.99. The GEL-NYC is £189.99. The GEL-1130 runs from £139.99 to £169.99. That is a difference of between £20 and £60 for a shoe that shares the same GEL cushioning and TRUSSTIC support, comes in suede and mesh, and is the easiest of the three to wear with whatever is already in your wardrobe.
If you are looking for the best value ASICS trainers in the range, that gap is the whole story. This post makes the case properly, and it does it honestly, including what you give up. For the full background on the shoe itself, the GEL-1130 complete UK guide covers history, fit and every colourway in one place.
Value here means what you get for what you pay at Tempo, nothing else. It is about which of our seven ASICS trainers gives you the most shoe per pound.
The case in one paragraph
The GEL-1130 was built in 2008 as the more accessible option beneath the Kayano 14, borrowing its design language and its tech. It still is. At Tempo it costs £20 to £60 less than any other Gel trainer we sell, it uses the same GEL and TRUSSTIC lineage, the upper is suede and mesh, and the lower-profile midsole means it slides under joggers, jeans, shorts and woven pants without looking like the point of the outfit. A shoe that goes with everything gets worn more, and a shoe that gets worn more costs less per outing. It also clears the £100 free UK delivery threshold on its own. That is the argument. The rest is detail.
The ASICS trainer price ladder at Tempo
Here is every ASICS trainer we currently list, cheapest to dearest (prices correct at time of writing).
| Model | Colourway | Price | Sizes (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEL-1130 | Cream Black | £139.99 | 7 to 10.5 |
| GEL-1130 | White Silver | £149.99 | 7 to 11 |
| GEL-1130 | Sharkskin | £169.99 | 7 to 11 |
| GEL-NYC | Cream White | £189.99 | 7 to 11 |
| Gel-Kayano 14 | White Ivory | £189.99 | 6.5 to 10.5 |
| Gel-Kayano 14 | White Light Navy | £194.99 | 6 to 11 |
| Gel-Kayano 14 | Fjord Grey | £199.99 | 6.5 to 11 |
Two things stand out. The three cheapest trainers on the list are all GEL-1130s, and Cream Black at £139.99 is the cheapest Gel trainer we sell full stop. The dearest 1130, Sharkskin at £169.99, is still £20 under the cheapest Kayano 14 or NYC. Note the sizing too: the 1130 starts at UK 7, so if you take a 6 or 6.5 the ladder pushes you to the Kayano 14 regardless of budget.
What you get for the money
The GEL-1130 is not a stripped-back version of anything. It has GEL cushioning at heel and forefoot, the same placement as the Kayano 14, and the TRUSSTIC support system through the midfoot. The outsole is high-abrasion rubber. The upper on all three of Tempo's colourways is suede and mesh, the material mix that made the retro-runner revival look expensive in the first place.
Where the 1130 differs is the midsole. It is chunky, but lower-profile than the Kayano 14. That is a design decision, not a corner cut, and it is why the shoe wears so easily. A slimmer stack reads cleaner with tapered joggers, sits better under a woven pant, and does not fight a bold set for attention. Our honest GEL-1130 review goes deeper on comfort and build if you want the long version.
The colourway spread works in your favour too. Cream Black is warm and neutral, White Silver is the clean tonal option, and Sharkskin is the grey suede pair that draws the most comment. The colourway breakdown compares all three in detail.
What you give up, honestly
You do give up some things. Being straight about them is the only way this argument holds up.
- Cushion volume. The Kayano 14 has the taller, chunkier retro midsole. If you want the maximum amount of shoe underfoot, and you are on your feet all day, the Kayano is the more generous platform.
- Arch support and footbed width. The consensus among wearers is that the Kayano 14 offers more arch support and a wider footbed. The 1130 is reported to fit slightly snug and narrow through the midfoot. Tempo lists it true to size, and most people buy true to size, but wide-footed wearers commonly go half a size up.
- Statement looks. The Kayano 14 has the JJJJound collaboration, the Kiko Kostadinov relaunch and the Y2K revival behind it. It is the shoe people recognise. The GEL-NYC has its own following as a hybrid of three ASICS runners. The 1130 is quieter. If you want the trainer to be the thing people notice, that is a mark against it.
Does any of that matter to you? If you stand all day and know you have wide feet, the Kayano 14 is worth the extra. If you want the shoe that gets clocked, same again. If you want a good-looking, well-cushioned trainer that costs less and goes with more, none of it is a dealbreaker. The Kayano 14 versus GEL-1130 comparison lays the two out point by point if you are genuinely torn.
Cost per wear: the number that actually matters
The sticker price is one number. Cost per wear is the better one. Take a Kayano 14 at £199.99 and a Cream Black 1130 at £139.99. If both get worn 100 times, the Kayano works out at roughly £2 a wear and the 1130 at roughly £1.40. That is already a decent gap.
The gap widens because the 1130 tends to get worn more. It is the shoe you reach for without thinking, because it does not need the outfit built around it. It works under a full ASICS set, under jeans, under woven shorts, on the school run and on the way to the pub. The Kayano 14 is a bigger, louder shoe, and plenty of owners save it for outfits that suit it. Every extra wear pushes the cost per wear down.
Longevity is level between the two: both use a high-abrasion rubber outsole and both have overlays that clean up well. Nothing about the 1130's lower price shows up as a shorter lifespan.
Building a full fit around it
The 1130's price leaves room in a £200 to £250 budget for a set, which is where the value argument becomes practical. Every ASICS Core set we stock is £69.99 or £74.99, so trainers plus set lands between roughly £210 and £245 depending on the colourway you pick.
- Cream Black 1130 (£139.99) with the Smoke Grey Core T-Shirt Set (£69.99): £209.98. The cheapest complete ASICS fit on the site, and the cream-and-black pairs with grey without any effort.
- White Silver 1130 (£149.99) with the Black Core T-Shirt Set (£74.99): £224.98. Clean white trainer, black set, the combination that never looks wrong.
- Sharkskin 1130 (£169.99) with the Cream Core T-Shirt Set (£74.99): £244.98. Grey suede against cream is the warmest of the three and looks a good deal dearer than it is.
The full pairing logic, colourway by colourway, is in our GEL-1130 and ASICS sets pairing guide, and if you are building from nothing the five-piece ASICS capsule wardrobe shows how one pair of trainers can carry a whole rotation.
Any 1130 clears the £100 free UK delivery threshold on its own, so you are not adding a set just to dodge a £3.99 charge. Full terms are on the shipping policy page. Klarna and Clearpay are available at checkout if you would rather split the fit into instalments.
Who the GEL-1130 is right for
Your first ASICS trainer. Start here. You get GEL and TRUSSTIC, the suede-and-mesh look, and you find out whether the ASICS fit suits your foot before spending £190-plus. If you need more width, you have learned that for £50 less.
A second pair to sit beside a Kayano. Owners of a Kayano 14 often want something quieter for everyday. A White Silver or Cream Black 1130 does that job, keeps the ASICS lineage consistent, and means the Kayano stays for the outfits it deserves.
Budget-led. If £140 to £150 is the ceiling, Cream Black and White Silver are the only Gel trainers we sell inside it, and neither feels like a compromise.
A gift. The safest gift in the range. The colourways are neutral, the shoe goes with what most people already own, and the price reads generous without being reckless. Check the size on the product page before you buy, and remember the range starts at UK 7.
Still weighing all three models? The three-way decider between the Kayano 14, GEL-NYC and GEL-1130 settles it by use case rather than by price.
Quick answers
Is the GEL-1130 cheaper than the Gel-Kayano 14 at Tempo?
Yes. The GEL-1130 is £139.99 to £169.99 and the Gel-Kayano 14 is £189.99 to £199.99, so the gap is between £20 and £60 depending on colourway.
Which is the cheapest ASICS Gel trainer at Tempo?
The Cream Black GEL-1130 at £139.99. It is the lowest-priced Gel trainer in the range and comes in UK 7 to 10.5.
Does the GEL-1130 have the same cushioning as the Kayano 14?
It uses the same GEL cushioning at heel and forefoot and the same TRUSSTIC support system, but on a lower-profile midsole. The Kayano 14 has more cushion volume, more arch support and a wider footbed.
Do I qualify for free delivery with just the trainers?
Yes. Every GEL-1130 is over the £100 free UK delivery threshold on its own. Same day dispatch applies to orders placed before 2PM.
Shop the GEL-1130 at Tempo
Three colourways, £139.99 to £169.99, free UK delivery and same day dispatch before 2PM. Browse the full ASICS trainers collection to compare all seven pairs side by side, then pick a set from the ASICS sets range to build the fit for around £210 to £245. Klarna and Clearpay are available at checkout.