Asics Gel Contend 8 'French Blue'
Colorway: French Blue/Black · Style code: 1011B492-410 · Release date: December 2023 · Price: $2682 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Asics Gel Contend 8 'Black Carrier Grey' (1011B492-001) · ASICS GelContend 8 Sneakers (1011B492-012) · Asics Gel Contend 8 'Piedmont Grey Blue' (1011B492-020) · Asics Gel Contend 8 'White Blue Expanse' (1011B492-104) · Asics Gel Contend 8 'Rain Forest' (1011B492-300)
The Contend is the entry point to the ASICS road range and sits alongside the Excite as the pair of budget trainers the brand sells in volume. The difference between them is small but consistent: the Excite carries more cushioning and a softer ride, while the Contend uses thicker rubber coverage that makes its outsole the more durable of the two. Version eight kept AmpliFoam underfoot with a rearfoot GEL unit, and testers measured that foam as firmer than the category average: fine for easy runs of a few miles, wearing beyond that. The jacquard mesh upper is the shoe's best feature, breathable and well padded without needing a break-in period. French blue with black is a colour choice made for a shoe that will be bought off a rack rather than pre-ordered, and the model's whole proposition is that it is good enough at everything and cheap enough not to agonise over.