Is the ASICS GEL-NYC Comfortable for Walking and Everyday Wear?

You have found a colourway you like, you know the GEL-NYC is built from running-shoe parts, and the last thing you want to check is whether it will still feel good after a full day around town. So, is the ASICS GEL-NYC comfortable for walking and everyday wear? For most people, yes. It sits on the sole of the Gel-Cumulus 16, which was a cushioned running platform, and it has GEL and a TRUSSTIC unit underfoot. That is more than most retro trainers at this price bring to a long day.

The honest version has caveats, though, and they matter more the longer you are on your feet. The NYC sits lower and firmer than the Gel-Kayano 14, it has less arch support and a narrower footbed, and the toe box runs tight. Our complete GEL-NYC guide covers the full story of the shoe. This post is only about how it feels across a day.

The short answer

Yes for city walking, commuting, travel and weekends, provided you get the size right. The consensus among wearers is that the GEL-NYC is a comfortable everyday trainer with a stable, planted feel, and that it sits above the GEL-1130 on overall comfort. It is not the softest shoe in the ASICS retro line-up. Wearers coming from very plush trainers sometimes describe it as firm for the first few wears, and then stop mentioning it.

Where it falls behind is arch support and width. If you have a wide foot or a high arch and you plan to stand for eight hours, the Kayano 14 is the safer buy. Our GEL-NYC review goes deeper on build and who it suits. Here we stick to comfort.

What makes the GEL-NYC comfortable, plainly

• Cumulus 16 tooling. The sole unit comes from the Gel-Cumulus 16, a cushioned running shoe. ASICS reused a platform designed for miles on pavement rather than building a new fashion sole, and that shows on a long walk.
• GEL cushioning. The same cushioning ASICS uses across its running range, here doing a gentler job than it was designed for. Walking loads a shoe far less than running does.
• TRUSSTIC unit. A midfoot piece that resists twisting, so the shoe does not fold under your arch after twenty minutes on a station platform.
• Running-shoe upper shapes. The upper borrows from the Gel-Nimbus 3 and the Gel-MC Plus V, both runners. Mesh where you want air, overlays where you want the foot held. On the Cream White GEL-NYC the upper is leather and mesh, so it holds the foot without the stiffness of a full leather trainer.
• Lower to the ground. The NYC's lower stance gives it a stable, connected feel on kerbs, cobbles and stairs, a comfort of its own if you dislike wobbling on chunky midsoles.

The caveats

• It is firmer than the Kayano 14. The widely reported experience is that the NYC feels firmer underfoot and sits closer to the ground. If your idea of comfort is sinking into a shoe, this is not that. If your idea of comfort is not feeling the shoe move around beneath you, it is.
• Less arch support than the Kayano 14. A high-arched foot gets less help through the midfoot, and notices it later in the day.
• Narrower footbed. Feet spread slightly over a long day. A narrower footbed leaves less room for that. Normal and narrow feet are fine. Wide feet notice it by late afternoon.
• Tight toe box, in height and width. This is the one to take seriously. A toe box that feels snug at 9am can feel cramped at 5pm. It is the main reason people who buy the NYC for walking end up wishing they had gone half a size up.
• Suede does not love heavy rain. Colourways with suede overlays are not the pick for a wet commute. Our Cream White colourway is leather and mesh, which is more forgiving, but pale uppers still need care.

Where the GEL-NYC works, and where it does not

Good for:

• City days. Shops, meetings, a few miles on pavement between them.
• Commuting. Stable underfoot on trains and buses, low enough to feel planted on escalators and stairs.
• Travel. Airport corridors and a full day walking a new city, as long as the toe box has room.
• Weekends. Errands, a pub lunch, a walk in the park. This is the shoe's natural habitat.

Not the pick for:

• Serious running. The tooling came from a running shoe, but this is a lifestyle release. Buy a current runner for training.
• Standing jobs where maximum cushion matters. Retail floors, hospitality, warehouse shifts. The Gel-Kayano 14 for all-day walking is the better answer there, with more arch support and a wider footbed.
• Heavy rain in a suede colourway. Save it for dry days or accept the cleaning routine.
• Wide feet in a true-to-size pair. Go half up or look at the Kayano 14.

GEL-NYC vs Gel-Kayano 14 vs GEL-1130 on all-day comfort

All three share GEL cushioning and a TRUSSTIC support piece, so the differences come down to platform, stance and fit.

Prices correct at time of writing. If the decision is between the two dearer shoes, our Kayano 14 vs GEL-NYC comparison goes through it in detail. The short version: the NYC for a lower, firmer, more planted feel and a slimmer look, the Kayano 14 for support and width across a long day.

Getting the size right for long days

Sizing decides more of the comfort question than the midsole does. Tempo lists the GEL-NYC as true to size, and for a narrow or normal foot that holds. The problem is that the toe box runs tight, and a long day makes a tight toe box worse. A shoe that fits at the till can pinch by the evening.

Our rule of thumb for walking-first buyers:

• Narrow or normal foot, mostly short wears: true to size.
• Normal foot, regular full days on your feet: true to size still works for most, but if you sit between sizes go up.
• Wide foot, or you already know your toes rub in most trainers: half a size up.
• Planning to wear thicker socks in winter: half a size up.

The GEL-NYC sizing post covers toe box, width and the half-up question properly, with the Kayano 14 and 1130 as reference points. For measuring your foot at home, use the Tempo sizing guide before you order. All our ASICS trainers are men's UK sizing, and the Cream White is stocked from UK 7 to 11.

Making any trainer last longer on your feet

The shoe is only half of it. These are the small things that separate a trainer that feels fine at lunch from one that still feels fine at six.

1. Break them in before the big day. Three or four short wears before an eight-hour walk. Uppers soften, and you find the pressure points while you can still take them off.
2. Change your socks. A proper cushioned sports sock does more for a firm-feeling shoe than any insole. Thin dress socks in a trainer are a fast route to hot spots.
3. Re-lace for your foot. Toe box tight? Loosen the bottom two eyelets and tighten through the midfoot. Heel lifting? Use the top eyelet.
4. Do not lace tight in the morning. Feet swell. Lace snug, not tight, and re-tie at lunch if you need to.
5. Rotate. Two pairs on alternate days feel better and last longer than one pair every day.
6. Look after the upper. A shoe that stays supple stays comfortable. Suede and leather care products, laces and shoe trees are in our accessories collection.

Quick answers

Is the ASICS GEL-NYC comfortable for walking?

Yes for most people. It is built on the sole of the Gel-Cumulus 16 with GEL cushioning and a TRUSSTIC unit, so city walking and everyday wear are well within what it was made for. It feels firmer and lower than the Gel-Kayano 14.

Is the GEL-NYC good for standing all day?

It can be, but the Kayano 14 is the better pick for a full day on your feet because it has more arch support and a wider footbed. If you go with the NYC for standing, get the size right and consider half up.

Is the GEL-NYC more comfortable than the GEL-1130?

The consensus places the NYC above the 1130 on overall comfort. The 1130 fits snug and narrow through the midfoot, and its lower-profile midsole gives less underfoot than the NYC's Cumulus 16 tooling.

Should I size up in the GEL-NYC for walking?

True to size for narrow-to-normal feet. If you have wide feet, or you will be on your feet for long stretches and sit between sizes, half a size up is the safer call because the toe box runs tight.

Ready to walk in a pair?

The ASICS 'Cream White' Gel NYC is £189.99, in men's UK 7 to 11, with a leather and mesh upper that handles a British week better than suede. Free UK delivery on orders over £100, same day dispatch before 2PM, and Klarna and Clearpay at checkout. If you want to weigh it against the Kayano 14 and the 1130 side by side, everything we stock is in the ASICS trainers collection. Check the refund policy if you are unsure on size and want to know where you stand.

Keep reading

• ASICS GEL-NYC: The Complete UK Guide
• ASICS GEL-NYC Review: Comfort, Build and Who It Suits
• ASICS GEL-NYC Sizing: Toe Box, Width and Whether to Go Half Up
• Are the ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 Comfortable for Walking All Day?
• ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 vs GEL-NYC: The Honest Comparison