Asics Gel Kayano 26 'Hyper Flash - Graphite'
Colorway: Graphite Grey/Piedmont Grey · Style code: 1011A628-020 · Release date: March 10, 2025 · Price: $258 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Asics Gel Kayano 26 'Lucky' (1011A772-600) · Asics Gel Kayano 26 'Black' (1011A541-004) · Asics Gel Kayano 26 'Black' (1011A541-002) · ASICS Gel Kayano 26 'Retro Tokyo' (1011A771-100) · Asics Gel Kayano 26 Extra Wide 'Electric Blue' (1011A536003)
Toshikazu Kayano had already worked on the Gel-Saga when ASICS asked him for a successor to the 1992 GT-Cool Xpress. He looked at the stag beetle, whose hard external shell protects the body while leaving it quick and light. The shoe that resulted arrived in 1993 as the Gel-Kayano Trainer, the company's first premium stability model, combining GEL cushioning with a Duomax medial post and an upper built to hold the foot in place.
Kayano stayed on the project through its thirteenth version, and the line has been updated annually since, which makes it one of the longest continuously running franchises in the sport.
The 26th came in 2019 and split its foams by zone: FlyteFoam Propel in the forefoot for return, FlyteFoam Lyte elsewhere to hold weight down, with the rearfoot GEL redesigned for a softer landing. A MetaClutch external heel counter wrapped the back and worked with the lacing to lock the heel down. Reviewers found the stability handled unobtrusively, though several read the overall ride as firm.