Asics Wmns Gel Kayano 30 'Sheet Rock'
Colorway: Sheet Rock/Piedmont Grey · Style code: 1012B357-021 · Release date: June 2023 · Price: $2682 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: ASICS Wmns Gel Kayano 30 'Triple Black' (1012B357-001) · Asics Wmns Gel Kayano 30 'Black Sheet Rock' (1012B357-002) · Asics Wmns Gel Kayano 30 'Black Blue Glow Yellow' (1012B357-003) · Asics Wmns Gel Kayano 30 'Black Lilac Hint' (1012B357-004) · Asics Wmns Gel Kayano 30 'Black Thunder Blue' (1012B357-005)
Thirty versions in, ASICS changed how the GEL-Kayano does its job. For most of the line's life stability came from DuoMax, a firmer block of foam on the inside edge of the midsole. Version 30 removed it and substituted what the brand calls the 4D Guidance System: a platform 5mm wider than before, sidewalls raised around the foot, and midsole sculpting that steers the stride through shape rather than resistance.
The cushioning changed just as much. Stack went from 25mm and 15mm on the 29 to 40mm at the heel and 30mm at the forefoot, filled with FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco, and the visible GEL units at the heel disappeared. The GEL is still there, but internal and reformulated as PureGEL, which ASICS rates as roughly 65 percent softer than the previous compound. Weight barely moved between the two generations.
The result is a softer, taller, more flexible shoe that still lands in the stability category. The line has run continuously since 1993, when ASICS designer Toshikazu Kayano built the first version. Sheet Rock and Piedmont Grey is about as understated as it gets.