Asics Gel Kinsei Max 'Carrier Grey Illusion Blue'
Colorway: Carrier Grey/Illusion Blue · Style code: 1011B696-021 · Release date: February 15, 2024 · Price: $1026 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: ASICS Gel Kinsei Max 'Black' (1011B696-001) · Asics Gel Kinsei Max 'Black Sunrise Red' (1011B696-002) · ASICS GelKinsei Max Sneakers (1011B696-250) · ASICS Gel Kinsei Max 'Pale Mint Moonrock' (1011B696-300) · Asics Gel Kinsei Max 'French Blue Bright Orange' (1011B696-400)
Kinsei has always been ASICS at its most over-engineered. The line has served for years as the place the brand piles in everything at once (the most cushioning, the most GEL, the most componentry), sold to runners who want a shoe to feel substantial rather than efficient. The Max version takes that further, stacking foam high enough to compete with the tallest daily trainers on the market and setting a plate in the middle of the midsole so the pile does not simply collapse and stall at toe-off. That combination, soft foam plus a stiffening element, became the standard recipe for high-stack trainers in the 2020s after racing shoes proved it worked. Carrier grey over illusion blue keeps a large shoe visually quiet, which is a reasonable idea given how much of it there is.