MIDSOLE

This midsole of this design is constructed from Asics Amplifoam cushioning for a surprisingly lightweight and responsive ride. When you slip your feet into this shoe, you will immediately feel your feet squish into this super soft midsole.

What’s great about this style of lower-density midsole material is that while it’s super soft, it won’t break down as quickly as your typical EVA foam. Plus, with a soft midsole, it provides runners with a fuller range of motion when compared to stiffer midsole materials.

This midsole also adds a touch of Asic’s proprietary gel cushioning in all of the right places. It has a reinforced heel with an added layer of gel cushioning that is perfect for heel strikers.

When you land on your heel, the added gel cushioning in the midsole helps to reduce the impact with the hard ground. In turn, you will be able to run for longer distances without feeling pain in your feet and joints.

The construction of this midsole maintains a lightweight and energetic ride with additional padding in high-impact areas to keep your feet and joints nice and comfortable on those long-distance runs.

OUTSOLE

The outsole of the Gel Excite is designed to take quite a beating. 90 percent of the outsole of this shoe is composed of injection rubber, and the remaining 10 percent of this outsole is composed of an exposed midsole to help boost your overall flexibility. More rubber means that this shoe is incredibly durable, but it also means that it makes the shoe a little bottom-heavy.

Runners will need to determine whether they want a shoe with high traction and durability, or something more lightweight and nimble.

The Guidance Line technology is built right into the outsole that provides vertical lines that help keep your foot more stable as your run. For runners that overpronate or underpronate, this system helps to keep your gait cycle nice and even.

While other stability running shoes offer hard edges that push up against your foot, the Guidance Line system stabilizes the center of your foot for a supportive ride that feels more natural.

The durable rubber outsole also grips the road incredibly well. If you are running on slick sidewalks, the grooves built into the rubber increase your stability so you never need to slow your pace when the ground is a little slippery.

UPPER

The upper of the Gel Excite 8 has undergone a bit of a makeover. It is composed of a single layer of engineered mesh that keeps your feet cool and dry. The seam-free construction of this mesh upper will not rub against your foot, even on those first initial runs.

This design also offers very modest synthetic overlays on the midfoot area to help keep your foot locked in place without feeling overly bulky or heavy.

The heel counter of this upper has a few advantages, as well as a few problems. Overall, this upper is incredibly lightweight and breathable and will keep your feet cool and comfortable on those long runs.

The heel counter, however, is quite stiff and unforgiving. This stiff heel counter does a really great job at locking the shoe in place so that it doesn’t shift around while your run.

The downside of this stiff heel is that the collar doesn’t provide quite enough padding to prevent rubbing and chafing on your heels. If you aren’t wearing thick socks, be prepared for a few blisters as you break in this shoe!

PERFORMANCE

Overall, I would highly recommend this shoe for newbie runners. If you are looking to start a new running program and aren’t quite sure what style of running shoe that you need, the Asics Gel Excite 8 is a perfect place to start.

What makes this shoe perfect for newbies is that it provides very modest stability features that help guide your foot into a nice and even gait cycle without overly bulky and heavy materials.

This introductory shoe will make it easier to determine if you need something with a few more stability features or less. Plus, it provides ample cushioning and reinforced cushioning in the heel that is great for heel-strikers.

While it’s great for newbie runners, it’s also a great choice for more experienced runners that want something cushioned, comfortable, and easy to wear on tempo runs.

The specs of this shoe are designed to provide a smooth ride that gets you excited about running and doesn’t necessarily pack on features to help you smash records. If you run because you just love running, the Gel Excite 8 will make you love running even more!

FIT

While Asics is known for its accommodating fit, the sizing of this option seems to be a little off. There were a few users that found that this shoe ran a little large. If you wear a size 8 in other Asics shoes, it may be in your best interest to size a half size down to ensure a proper fit.

If you are new to Asics, be sure to check out their excellent sizing calculator. This unique feature on the Asics website asks you to plug in the brand of shoe that you wear and then calculate what size will work best for you. I found that even when utilizing the sizing calculator, it’s still better to opt for a half-size down.

One of the things that I love most about the overall fit of this shoe is that it provides a nice and roomy toe box that allows your toes to naturally splay inside of the shoe for added stability. With a stiff heel counter and a nice and roomy toe box, your feet will be able to flex naturally without shifting around inside of the shoe.

It also boasts a removable Ortholite sock liner that helps to wick away moisture to keep your feet nice and dry. By removing this sock liner, your can swap it out for a custom orthotic without losing any interior space.

PRICE

One of the best features of the Asics Gel Excite 8 is that it comes in at a super affordable price point under 100 bucks. If you are on the hunt for a super affordable stability shoe, it doesn’t get much more affordable than this.

Even with a super low price point, this shoe offers excellent durability that is built for long-distance running, and plenty of cushioning and stability features to keep your feet nice and protected without draining your bank account!

Runners were pretty excited about the performance of the Gel Excite 7, so Asics didn’t tinker much with the overall design of the Gel Excite 8 - thank goodness!

All of the performance features, such as the Amplifoam midsole, Guidance Line Technology, and added gel cushioning are exactly the same. The only change that Asics made to the design of this updated shoe is the construction of the upper.

Previous uppers were a little on the stiff side and ran incredibly hot. The Gel Excite 8 is composed of a single layer of multi-directional mesh that helps to move hot air up and away from the foot. The upper of this design provide a fuller range of motion and is also offered in more exciting color options as well.

At the end of the day, the Asics Gel Excite 8 is a shoe that makes your daily runs just a little bit more enjoyable. It provides runners with ample cushioning in the midsole, an energetic outsole that boasts high-end durability, and an accommodating upper that works to keep your feet cool and dry.

If you are just starting out on your running journey, or simply love running for the sake of running, this shoe is an excellent choice. The simple design of this shoe isn’t built to smash records or help you run faster. It’s a simple yet supportive shoe that is designed for newbies or nice and easy tempo runs.

If you are on the hunt for an affordable running shoe that provides modest stability, excellent cushioning, and superior durability, the Asics Gel Excite is worth checking out!

I highly recommend this shoe for new and inexperienced runners that don’t quite know what they need in a running shoe. Once you give this modest stability shoe a try, you then determine whether your need more or fewer stability features or if you would benefit from less (or more!) midsole cushioning.