ASICS Men's Gel-Kahana 8 Trail Runner

Having been used to running in stable shoes like Brooks Adrenaline, I was a little leery to switch to anything less stable and with nearly zero drop in them. However, that is what most trail shoes offer. I have improved my gate considerably and no longer need stable shoes according to the run store that did a gate analysis. Still, I wanted to get something a little more similar to what I was used to. I did some research and Asics Gel-Kahana 8 is a small step towards standard zero drop less stable trail shoes but retains a feel of a road shoe. Still, I was a little nervous to buy Asics. I don't mean to sound like a shoe snob, but after spending lots of money on running shoes, I found it hard to believe a shoe that was under $100 and could be found in an average sporting goods store and even some shoe stores would actually be a good shoe.Today I went out for a 7-mile run mixed with some road and some technical trail. From the moment I put them on the heel felt awfully snug and I was afraid they would wind up chafing the back of my heel. I really thought this would be a bad review. After about one mile into the run, I really didn't notice it though. Maybe there was a very short break in period. The shoes are somewhat lighter than my Brooks according to the technical specs but they felt a little heavier. Although they had a slightly heavier feel they certainly had more energy return and I really felt a spring in my step. I especially felt the spring in the toes when pushing off. I don't know where they put the "gel" in the Gel-Kahana, but if I had to guess it is in the toes. The fact that they are more stable than the average trail shoe really helped on the technical parts of the trail. When I wasn't looking and hit a few rocks or roots the wrong way I feel like they totally kept me from injuring my ankle at least slightly. The traction on more slick surfaces seemed a little better than my regular running shoes but not quite great, however, I am no trail shoe expert.Springy Feel: 9.5/10Comfort: 9/10Stability for a trail shoe: 10/10Stability for a road shoe: 8/10Weighty feel on your feet: 6/10Overall: 9/10All and all if you are a road runner looking to get on the trails and needs a shoe that can handle both, I HIGHLY recommend the Asics Gel-Kahana 8

Good quality, they are exactly what I was lookingfor. I highly recommend it.

It wasn't until recently I noticed the Kahana 8 as I've been running Gel Venture 6 and 8 lately. What a pleasant surprise! I have read they are discontinued and there are fewer and fewer vendors carrying what must be left of the inventory. I have a pair of Venture 5s as well and they and the Kahanas have a production date of late 2020.Prices have gone up for the Ks and the V5s significantly so finding them will likely be more and more difficult.I have a very "normal" 11M foot and these are extremely comfortable and seem to "learn" the foot as they break in. The arch support is great and I feel like my feet are being "corrected" with each stride and my natural tendency for a slight pronation is compensated for.As with many trail shoes (particularly the Venture 6) the inherent stability makes them great for the gym, too. Any reviews I've read pointing to durability issues with the sole peeling away I have not encountered. It may occur is a person's trail is over large rocks and such. I generally travel a local cemetery and grass/gravel/hills are all part of the route so it's not overly demanding of a shoe.I've had my Kahanas for over 2 years now and bought several pairs in different color combinations after falling in love with their comfort, style, and function. Now that they are "past tense" and what remains available are few I like having them for all my workouts in the gym, on the road, or the trail. If you can find a pair buy them. I'm 6'1" 195 solid pounds and they make me feel light as a feather and stable as an anvil for whatever I do.

i am a 120 lb 5"6 male, athletic build runner with over pronation size 9.5 feet. i do not have wide feet, they are men's D which is normal width. My left foot pronates less and my right foot pronates more. I run road and trail but much prefer trail and cross-country.I live in Interior Alaska where our summers can be hot and very dry. And yes, the sun is up all the time. We have alot of roads- asphalt, concrete, blacktop, gravel and dirt. We also have as you may guess a gargantuan trail system since utter wilderness is not that far away from town. So, i was looking for a solid trail shoe that could handle transition from road conditions to trails. The nearest trails are actually highly groomed and not that technical.After ALOT of research and trying on shoes at my local sports store and ones orderd- and returned to Amazon- I found the Asics Gel Kahana 8. I have run in Brooks for my last 5 pairs of shoes. Brooks is changing up their designs and making their shoes all weird and wonky. Experimenting is great but their shoes no longer works for me. I was hesitant to try any Asics since all their shoes are far too narrow. Luckily for people who have normal and wide feet, they have started to expand- literally- their offerings.I first tried the Asics Gel Trabuco 9 (the 10s have no real toe bumper). They were disappointing and, no surprise too narrow. the Kayano's are pretty good but are road shoes and would die on any thing more than a flat, groomed trail. There is no Kayano trail- BUT there are trail versions of the Gel GT 2000 9s. these are glorified road shoes and would not do well on rougher terrain. then there are the Fujis ...and so on. Long story short, for Asics the highest level quality trail shoe you can get that offers stability (for pronation) are the Kahana's. All the others- Sanoma, Scout and so on are not quite as good. The Venture is the next down the quality continuum.Between the Kahana and the Venture, the Kahana is more supportive.Fit:A little tight at first. In fact they are painfully tight and will cut off circulation to your feet unless broken in a little. These are Asics after all so expect them to be a little snug. So, you need to be carefull breaking them in. Do a little at a time over several days. They are firm shoes but the material will begin to adjust to you. I broke them in over several days wearing them in my house a half and hour at time. Then, I took them out on the trails to test them on various conditions. If the Kanahas still do not break in for you after 2 or 4 days being still too tight, send them back. Overly Snug shoes are not good to wear.Ride:The Upper:Unlike many newer Asics and Brooks that spray paint on decals on the sides that are supposed to offer support- news flash they do not, it's just paint!- the Kahanas have actual material on the sides of the shoe to help support your foot. it makes the shoe hotter, but it helps stability. The gap that covers the tongue is too wide. The tongue is not gusseted so debris can get into the shoe if you run in dusty or gritty conditions. The laces are okay but slide around too much under the loops as you tie your shoe. You really have to crank down to get good lock down which is ironic since the shoe is generally snug. if you use all the eyelets, the laces re not long long enough to tie.the heel counter is nice and solid helping the heel lock down. I had minimal heel slippage mostly since the lacing ironically does not lock your food down as much as you may think- I think its because the gap in the instep is too largeThere is not a toe bumper per say- but the material around the toe is 1, there unlike a lot more "sock like" shoes are are coming out now. it would protect your toes against a mild bump but I'd be less sure about a really hard hitThe Kahanas need a few days break in. they are heavy, not very responsive shoes with little "Spring" or energy return. They do absorb shock but do not return much so are not very springy or light on the feet.So, you have to work more. These are not recovery shoes. they are better for daily training for short to mid distance on flat to rougher trails but nothing too technical.Stability and Traction:The arch support could be better. That said, the root rests fairly naturally in the sole and the shoe allows the food to situate properly through the gait cycle. My pronating feet do not wander or roll in. these do a good job and providing motion stability.Traction:This is where the story changes per different kinds of terrain.On road and concrete: Good.On dirt: Okay to GoodOn grass: Generally good, a little slippy on flattened, big leaf grass.On gravel: Variable. Be careful on mixed dirt and gravel especially on turns and changes in inclination.On mild trails: Good, holds up under a variety of conditions and surface but be mindful of mixed substrate - that's a fancy way of saying one kind of ground material on top of another material. like gravel on dirt, loose sand on hard earth. That kind of idea where the top "Stuff" is slippery when on top of the bottom "Stuff"On very very very fine dust: BAD! in Alaska we have all kinds of soil but one very common one is this super fine stuff left over from all the glaciers that used to be here. It's like quick sand and can be very hard to run in for any shoe no matter how fancy. The Kahanas lack of technical trail-grade traction made it very hard to ascend a slope of the fine dirt powder, or run across it. it was better to attack it in angle. When this kind of dust is wet it is like thick, sticky pools of dog poop. It's disgusting.On pretty nice groomed trail: Good.Wet plus any of the above .... generally less traction.Technical trails - not advisable. These are all around pretty good shoes but not up to spec for technical trails. if you run Kahanas in such conditions you may get hurt and like I say ... Alaska + hurt = not a happy day.it was pretty hot and the Kahanas are not cool, breathable shoes. No rock plate, no actual real toe bumper, traction and upper have issues. laces are an issue. A bit too hot. Not too responsive of a shoe and the stability is better at moderate conditions.All that said, what makes these shoes good is their all around performance in fair to moderate conditions for runs that are also moderate in terms of mileage. In that regard, they are actually surprisingly good. Plus the price. I usually pay $130 for a pair of high-end shoes that last years. The Kahanas while not the most advanced running shoe, cost half of that and will probably last only half as long at best. So, meh, it kind of evens out price wise. They are quite stiff when new. Give them time to break in and if they still fight you after a few days of careful breaking them in, don't mess around and send them back. I'm keeping mine since there are enough good. moderate trails near me to make it worth it. I'd get a different shoe to really hit the crazy and wild stuff.Update:After running in these a few more days, the fact that they are not responsive shoes - they have little to no rebound and minimal shock absorbancy- began to become a problem. It was very tiring wearing these shoes. They acted like a pair of running shoes that were past their prime and ready to be replaced. That and the shoes are heavy which exasperated the effect. I can not say I am too surprised but I am a bit dissapointed that the pros about the shoes did not outweigh the cons. I am sending them back.