Three ASICS Gel trainers, one budget, and they all look vaguely similar in a product grid. That is where most people are when they ask which ASICS Gel trainer should I buy. The Gel-Kayano 14, the GEL-1130 and the GEL-NYC share a brand, a design language and a price bracket, but they are not interchangeable, and picking the wrong one is an expensive way to find out.
We have written a full guide to each: the Gel-Kayano 14 complete guide, the GEL-1130 complete guide and the GEL-NYC complete guide. This post is the one that puts them side by side so you can stop reading and start choosing.
The answer in a hurry
Buy the Gel-Kayano 14 if you want the statement shoe and the most cushion. It has the boldest profile, the most arch support and the widest footbed of the three, and it fits true to size. Buy the GEL-1130 if you want the cleanest, cheapest and easiest to wear. It is the lowest-key silhouette and starts at £139.99 at Tempo. Buy the GEL-NYC if you want the lifestyle shoe with the softest looks and the cream upper, and you can live with a toe box that runs tight. That is the whole decision for most people. The rest is for those who want to know why.
What all three share
Before the differences, the common ground, because it explains why they get confused. All three use ASICS GEL cushioning and a TRUSSTIC support unit through the midfoot. All three sit on a chunky, retro-runner midsole with a high-abrasion rubber outsole. All three are men's UK sizing at Tempo, with Klarna and Clearpay at checkout. None of them is a bad shoe. The question is which is right for your feet, your wardrobe and your wallet.
Origins: 2008, 2008 and a 2023 hybrid
The Gel-Kayano 14 was released in 2008, designed by Hidenori Yamashita, the first Kayano not designed by the line's creator Toshikazu Kayano. Its concept was "flash", and it shows in the lines and panelling. It came back in December 2020, took off with the Y2K revival, and the JJJJound collaboration of August 2022 sold out and cemented it in fashion. It is the only one of the three that has earned the word iconic.
The GEL-1130 was also released in 2008, as a more accessible running option below the GT-2160 and the Kayano 14, borrowing design language and tech from its bigger brother. It was reintroduced in 2021. Same family face, less to say.
The GEL-NYC is different. Released in March 2023 (after an Awake NY collaboration that January), it is a hybrid: an upper based on the Gel-Nimbus 3 with elements of the Gel-MC Plus V, on the tooling of the Gel-Cumulus 16. It became ASICS' second best-selling shoe after release. Two honest 2008 archives, then, and one new shoe assembled from old parts.
Profile and looks
Line them up and the Kayano 14 is the tallest and the busiest. The midsole is chunky and raised, and the upper is mesh with leather and synthetic overlays layered in a way that catches light. It reads as a "designed" shoe from across the room.
The GEL-1130 has a lower-profile midsole and simpler panelling. Tempo's colourways are suede and mesh, and the Sharkskin grey suede in particular looks more lifestyle than runner. It disappears under a trouser hem in a way the Kayano never will.
The GEL-NYC is the softest looking of the three. The original release used suede overlays, unusual for a retro-style drop, and Tempo's Cream White version pairs a leather and mesh upper in cream and off-white. It sits lower than the Kayano 14 and the shape is rounder and less aggressive. If the Kayano is the technical one and the 1130 is the plain one, the NYC is the fashion one.
Comfort, support and fit
This is where the differences matter more than in photos. The consensus among wearers is that the Kayano 14 has the most cushion, the most arch support and the widest footbed. If you are on your feet all day, that is the one. Our Kayano 14 versus GEL-NYC comparison goes deeper on this.
The GEL-NYC sits lower to the ground and feels firmer underfoot than the Kayano 14. It is still comfortable, and most people put it above the 1130 overall, but it is not the plush option. The GEL-1130 is the firmest and simplest underfoot, which is not a criticism: plenty of people prefer a lower, more connected feel for everyday wear. The GEL-1130 versus GEL-NYC breakdown covers that head-to-head.
Fit is where to pay attention.
- Kayano 14: true to size, and both Tempo and the wider consensus agree. Half sizes available. Full detail in the Kayano 14 sizing post.
- GEL-1130: Tempo lists it true to size. Independent consensus is that it runs slightly snug and narrow through the midfoot, and wide-footed wearers commonly go half a size up. See the GEL-1130 sizing guide.
- GEL-NYC: Tempo lists it true to size. Independent consensus is that it is true to size for narrow-to-normal feet, but the toe box runs tight in both height and width, and half a size up is recommended if you are wide. Read the GEL-NYC sizing and toe box post before you order.
Short version: normal feet, buy your size in all three. Wide feet, buy your size in the Kayano and go half up in the other two. Our Tempo sizing guide covers the rest of the range.
Price and colourways at Tempo
The Kayano 14 is £189.99 to £199.99 depending on colourway, and there are three to choose from: Fjord Grey, White Light Navy and White Ivory. The GEL-NYC is £189.99 in one colourway, Cream White. The GEL-1130 runs from £139.99 to £169.99 across three: Sharkskin, White Silver and Cream Black (prices correct at time of writing).
That puts up to £60 between the cheapest 1130 and the dearest Kayano. If budget is the deciding factor, our post on why the GEL-1130 is the best-value ASICS trainer makes the case properly. If you want choice of colour, the Kayano and the 1130 give you three each and the NYC gives you one.
What each does to an outfit
The Kayano 14 is a focal point. It suits tapered joggers, cropped trousers and anything that shows the shoe, and it likes cream, grey and navy above the ankle. The GEL-1130 is the neutral: it sits under a straight-leg woven pant, works with black and grey sets without argument, and the Cream Black colourway bridges warm and cool wardrobes. The GEL-NYC is the warm one. Cream White wants cream, brown and stone next to it, and looks slightly wrong under heavy black. Our guide to the trainer-and-set pairing matrix pairs every colourway with a specific set, and the 5-piece ASICS capsule wardrobe shows how one pair of trainers anchors a small rotation.
Care
The GEL-NYC is the highest maintenance of the three. A cream leather and mesh upper shows every scuff and splash, and the pale midsole yellows if you leave it. The GEL-1130 is in the middle: Sharkskin suede needs a brush and a protector spray, White Silver and Cream Black need the same midsole attention as any pale shoe. The Kayano 14 is the easiest to live with. The mesh and overlay upper wipes down, and busier panelling hides marks better than a plain cream upper does. If you know you will not clean your trainers, that alone should push you towards the Kayano or the darker 1130.
The comparison table
| Gel-Kayano 14 | GEL-1130 | GEL-NYC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | 2008, relaunched December 2020 | 2008, reintroduced 2021 | March 2023 (hybrid of three older models) |
| Profile | Tallest, chunkiest, most detailed | Lower-profile, simplest | Lower than Kayano, softer and rounder |
| Upper (Tempo colourways) | Mesh with leather and synthetic overlays | Suede and mesh | Cream leather and mesh |
| Cushion and support | Most cushion, most arch support, widest footbed | Firmest, most connected | Firmer and lower than Kayano, above 1130 overall |
| Fit | True to size | Snug midfoot, half up if wide | Tight toe box, half up if wide |
| Price at Tempo | £189.99 to £199.99 | £139.99 to £169.99 | £189.99 |
| Colourways at Tempo | Fjord Grey, White Light Navy, White Ivory | Sharkskin, White Silver, Cream Black | Cream White |
| Sizes stocked | UK 6 to 11 (varies by colourway) | UK 7 to 11 (Cream Black to 10.5) | UK 7 to 11 |
| Care burden | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Best for | Statement, all-day comfort, wide feet | Budget, clean looks, under a hem | Lifestyle looks, cream and brown wardrobes |
Which one for which person
Your first ASICS trainer
Kayano 14, White Ivory or White Light Navy. It fits predictably, it is the most comfortable of the three and it is the shoe people picture when they say "ASICS trainer".
Wide feet
Kayano 14 in your normal size, because of the wider footbed. If you are set on the 1130 or the NYC, go half a size up and accept that the NYC toe box will still be the snugger of the two.
Budget-led
GEL-1130 Cream Black at £139.99. Full GEL and TRUSSTIC at the lowest price in the range, in a colourway that goes with almost everything.
You want a statement
Kayano 14 Fjord Grey. The grey overlays against white mesh give the panelling something to do. Our Kayano 14 against GEL-1130 post is worth a read if you are torn between loud and quiet.
You want it to disappear under a hem
GEL-1130 Sharkskin. Lower profile, grey suede, no white to draw the eye. It does what a trainer under a woven pant should do, which is nothing.
You wear a lot of cream and brown
GEL-NYC Cream White. It was made for this palette. Second choice, 1130 Cream Black.
You wear a lot of black and grey
Kayano 14 White Light Navy or 1130 White Silver. Both give a cool-toned wardrobe a clean base. Avoid the NYC here unless you want the warm contrast.
Gym to street
GEL-1130 White Silver. It looks the part on the walk in and is not so precious that you will worry about the floor. Pair it with anything from the ASICS sets collection.
On your feet all day
Kayano 14, any colourway. The extra cushion, arch support and footbed width are what a long shift asks for.
If you are buying two
Plenty of people end up with two of these, and the pairs that work do different jobs. Kayano 14 plus GEL-1130 is the sensible pairing: one loud, one quiet, one plush, one low, and the 1130 keeps the second-pair spend down. Kayano 14 plus GEL-NYC is the cool-tones-and-warm-tones pairing and covers the widest range of outfits, but it is the dearest combination. GEL-1130 plus GEL-NYC is the lifestyle pairing, both lower-profile, and makes most sense if you already know the Kayano's chunk is not for you. Whichever two you pick, spread the colour: two white-based shoes will fight for the same outfits.
Quick answers
Which is the most comfortable ASICS Gel trainer?
The consensus is the Gel-Kayano 14: most cushion, most arch support, widest footbed. The GEL-NYC is firmer and lower, and the GEL-1130 firmer again.
Which ASICS Gel trainer is the cheapest?
The GEL-1130, from £139.99 at Tempo for the Cream Black. The Kayano 14 and GEL-NYC both sit around £190.
Do I need to size up in any of them?
Not in the Kayano 14. If you have wide feet, half a size up in the GEL-1130 (snug midfoot) and the GEL-NYC (tight toe box) is the common move. Normal-width feet, buy your usual size in all three.
Which is easiest to keep clean?
The Kayano 14. The Cream White GEL-NYC is the most demanding, with the 1130 in between depending on colourway.
Pick yours and get it tomorrow
Every colourway in the table is live at Tempo in men's UK sizing, with same day dispatch before 2PM and free UK delivery over £100. Browse the line-up in the ASICS trainers collection, or see everything ASICS we stock in the full ASICS range. If you want the trainer and the outfit sorted in one go, the complete outfits collection puts them together.