Weight: 205g (Womens) 245g (Mens)

Heel-toe offset: 4mm (heel 28.8mm, forefoot 24.8mm)

Class: Lightweight neutral

Cost: AU $160

The Gel Lyte is part of the Asics ’33 series’ of shoes.

These shoes caught my eye, in all their pink glory, when I was in the Asics store in Sydney, shopping for a new pair of Hyperspeeds. I had to try them on. They were so comfortable, flexible, cushy and soft. They felt instantly broken in. I had sore feet at the time, and these shoes felt like pillows compared to the stiff, hard hyperspeeds.

Pip and I did laugh when the sales guy told us, “you’ll get 400km out of these babies”. Oh I hope he’s wrong, otherwise I’ll need 10 pairs to see me through a year. Lucky I’m quite light, with an efficient stride.

I bought both pairs. 

My first run in the gel lytes was my recovery run after the Melbourne marathon. They felt very slow…. And despite only weighing just over 200g, they felt heavy. Then it dawned on me…. that I had just ran a PB marathon 2 days prior. Of course my legs felt slow and heavy!

I have been running quite consistently in these shoes for about 3 months now. I don’t think I would like to race in them, as they don’t feel particularly fast…. however I have read that other runners like this option as a lightweight racer. I prefer harder shoes that let me ‘feel’ the ground more for racing,  but they have become one of my favourite pairs of shoes for recovery runs/slow sessions and daily training. I have worn them on short runs (5km) and on runs of 20km or more. I think they would also be suitable for the marathon.

Due to the 4mm heel-toe drop, they have been compared to shoes such as the Saucony Kinvara, and may therefore suit runners who like this shoe. The sole is Solyte foam with high abrasion rubber added, so should be more durable than that of the Kinvara. Hopefully they should not wear out as fast. I also have not noticed the grooves of the shoes picking up rocks, as other wearers have reported.

The upper is mesh on mesh, making the shoe very lightweight and breathable. I have not had any hotspots, friction or blisters in this shoe!

I already have the Nimbus, Skyspeed and Hyperspeed in my neutral-shoe running wardrobe, and the Gel Lyte is a welcome addition. I usually take a size 8 in my running shoes, and the Gel Lyte is no exception.

I think it will suit runners who like the Saucony Kinvara, looking for something more durable, or other neutral runners looking to move towards a  lower-profile, more leightweight option.