Asics Gel Excite 9 'White Olive Oil'
Colorway: White/Olive Oil · Style code: 1011B338-101 · Release date: January 2023 · Price: $2682 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Asics Gel Excite 9 'Black Carrier Grey' (1011B338-001) · Asics Gel Excite 9 'Black Hazard Green' (1011B338-003) · Asics Gel Excite 9 'White Tower Grey' (1011B338-100) · Asics Gel Excite 9 'Deep Ocean Amber' (1011B338-409) · Asics Gel Excite 9 'Midnight Green' (1011B338-410)
ASICS keeps a shoe at the bottom of its road range for people buying a first pair or replacing one without thinking hard about it, and the Excite has held that slot for years. It is not built from the FlyteFoam families that carry the more expensive models. The midsole is AmpliFoam, chosen for flexibility and durability rather than rebound, with GEL placed at the heel to take the landing.
The ninth version put its update into the upper. A new jacquard mesh replaced the previous material and reads softer and more breathable, and the ankle collar picked up additional padding. Nothing changed structurally, which is more or less the point of an entry-level line.
Reviewers describe it as a shoe for short easy runs and gym use rather than long mileage, with a smooth heel-to-toe transition, no break-in period and a narrow fit that gives wide feet trouble. At the price that reads as a fair trade rather than a compromise.