Most people who ask us about the GEL-1130 are not asking whether it is a good shoe. They are asking whether it is good enough that they can skip the extra £20 to £60 for a Kayano 14. That is the right question, and this ASICS GEL-1130 review is written to answer it plainly. We sell all three of the Gel silhouettes, so we have no reason to talk one up over another.
The short version: the GEL-1130 is a comfortable, well-built, quietly good-looking trainer that costs less than its bigger brother, and for most people who want a Gel for walking, commuting and daily wear it is the sensible pick. It is not the plushest of the three and it is not the most striking. If you want the full background on the model, our complete GEL-1130 guide covers history, colourways and sizing in one place. This post is the verdict.
The verdict up front
Buy the GEL-1130 if you want a Gel trainer that does the job on foot without demanding attention, at the most accessible price in the range. Skip it if you want the maximum cushion or the loudest silhouette, in which case the Kayano 14 is the better spend, or if suede-heavy lifestyle looks are the whole point, where the GEL-NYC makes more sense.
Where it sits on comfort: below the Kayano 14 and the NYC on the usual rankings, but the gap is about how much cushion is under you, not how good that cushion is. The tech is the same family. There is simply a bit less of it.
Comfort: what the GEL-1130 feels like day to day
The GEL-1130 carries GEL cushioning at both the heel and the forefoot, plus the TRUSSTIC support system through the midfoot. That is the same setup ASICS gave the Kayano 14 in 2008, when the 1130 launched as the more accessible option beneath it. Same tech, lower-profile midsole.
The widely reported experience is that the shoe is comfortable for the things people actually buy it for now: walking, commuting, a full day out. Nobody is buying a GEL-1130 to train for a half marathon, and the consensus is that it is a lifestyle shoe with running heritage. Treat it that way and it does not disappoint.
Where wearers notice the difference from the Kayano 14 is volume. The Kayano's midsole is taller and softer-feeling. The 1130 sits closer to the ground and feels a touch more direct. Some people prefer that. If you find very soft trainers a bit vague, the 1130 will suit you better than the rankings suggest. If you want to feel like you are standing on a mattress, it will not.
The TRUSSTIC piece under the arch works in the background. What you notice is that the shoe does not fold in half when you walk, which is more than can be said for a lot of retro runners at this price. We have laid out the full head-to-head in Kayano 14 vs GEL-1130 if you are still weighing the two.
Build and materials
Tempo's GEL-1130 colourways use a two-material upper: suede overlays on a mesh base. The suede is where most of the character is. On the Sharkskin GEL-1130 it is a grey that reads slightly different in daylight and under shop lights, and it is the reason that colourway is the one people pick up first.
Underneath, the midsole is chunky in the retro sense but lower-profile than the Kayano 14. It is visibly a mid-2000s runner, just not a tall one. The outsole is high-abrasion rubber, which matters for a shoe that will spend most of its life on pavement.
Honest downside: suede needs looking after. Mesh shrugs off most things. Suede does not. If you buy the Sharkskin, or the black-panelled Cream Black GEL-1130, budget for a suede brush and a protector spray on day one. We have written up the method in how to clean the GEL-1130, including the white midsole, which yellows if you ignore it.
Build quality overall is what you would expect from ASICS at this level. Stitching is tidy and the shoe holds its shape. Nothing about it feels like the budget option in the range, which is the point.
How it looks on foot
Of the three Gel silhouettes we stock, the GEL-1130 is the cleanest and the most low-key. The Kayano 14 has more going on: more panels, more lines, more midsole. The GEL-NYC is a hybrid of three different runners and looks like it. The 1130 is a straightforward mid-2000s runner shape with a lower stance, and it disappears under a trouser hem in a way the other two do not.
That is a compliment or a criticism depending on what you want. If you want people to clock your trainers from across the road, buy a Kayano 14. If you want the retro-runner look without shouting about it, this is the one. The White Silver GEL-1130 in particular is about as quiet as an ASICS Gel gets, and it goes with nearly everything as a result.
Trouser pairing is easy: straight-leg jeans, woven pants, or a set. Because the midsole is lower, you avoid the clownish effect tall retro runners can produce with a narrow hem. Our guide to which Gel trainers go with which set covers the colour matching in detail.
Sizing in brief
Tempo lists the GEL-1130 as true to size. The independent consensus is that it fits slightly snug and narrow through the midfoot, and wide-footed wearers commonly go half a size up. Both things are true. Normal-width feet, buy your usual UK size. Wide feet, or if you plan to wear a thick sock, go half up.
All our ASICS trainers are men's UK sizing. The Sharkskin and White Silver run UK 7 to 11; the Cream Black runs UK 7 to 10.5. Half sizes are available. There is a longer breakdown, including how it compares against the Kayano 14 and NYC on width, in our GEL-1130 sizing post.
Price and value at Tempo
The GEL-1130 is the most accessible Gel trainer we sell. Current pricing:
| Colourway | Upper | Price | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharkskin | Grey suede and mesh | £169.99 | UK 7 to 11 |
| White Silver | Tonal white with silver | £149.99 | UK 7 to 11 |
| Cream Black | Cream with black | £139.99 | UK 7 to 10.5 |
(Prices correct at time of writing.) For comparison, our Kayano 14 colourways run £189.99 to £199.99 and the GEL-NYC is £189.99. So depending on which 1130 you pick, you are saving between £20 and £60 against the other two, and you are getting the same GEL and TRUSSTIC tech in a shoe that is arguably easier to wear.
Orders over £100 get free UK delivery, which every pair here qualifies for. Order before 2PM and it goes out the same day. Klarna and Clearpay are both at checkout if you would rather split it. We have made the fuller value argument in why the GEL-1130 is the best-value ASICS trainer, but the short version is that the price gap is bigger than the comfort gap.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
Buy the GEL-1130 if:
- You want a Gel trainer mainly for walking, commuting and daily wear, not running.
- You would rather your trainers sat under the hem than over it.
- You like a slightly firmer, more direct feel underfoot rather than maximum plushness.
- You want to spend £140 to £170 rather than £190 to £200.
- You want a first ASICS Gel and are not sure the range is for you yet.
Skip the GEL-1130 if:
- You want the softest, tallest cushion in the range. Buy the Kayano 14.
- You want a statement shoe that people notice. Again, Kayano 14.
- You want a suede-forward lifestyle trainer with a wider, lower stance. That is the GEL-NYC, and we have compared the two directly in GEL-1130 vs GEL-NYC.
- You have wide feet and hate sizing up. The 1130 is the snuggest of the three through the midfoot.
- You do not want to maintain suede. Choose the White Silver, or look at a mesh-heavy Kayano 14.
Quick answers
Is the ASICS GEL-1130 comfortable?
Yes, for walking and everyday wear. It has GEL cushioning at heel and forefoot and TRUSSTIC support in the midfoot. It sits below the Kayano 14 on cushion volume, but the quality of what is there is the same.
Is the GEL-1130 good for running?
It was designed as a running shoe in 2008, but the consensus among wearers today is that it is best treated as a lifestyle trainer. If you want a shoe to run in, buy a current running model.
Does the GEL-1130 fit true to size?
Tempo lists it true to size and most people should buy their usual UK size. Wide feet commonly go half a size up because it runs snug through the midfoot.
Is the GEL-1130 worth it over the Kayano 14?
If you want the cushion and the presence, no, spend the extra. If you want a cleaner shoe for daily wear at £20 to £60 less with the same underlying tech, yes.
Shop the GEL-1130 at Tempo
All three colourways are in stock in men's UK sizing, with free UK delivery and same day dispatch before 2PM. Browse the full ASICS trainers collection to see the 1130 alongside the Kayano 14 and NYC, or head to the complete ASICS range if you want the sets to go with them.