Asics Gel Resolution Tennis Shoe Review

The Asics Gel Resolution doesn't look like your typical tennis shoe. With Asics' strong running heritage, it's no surprise that the shoe looks like it is built for running fast, which is something tennis players do plenty of. At least we like to think we do.

If you look beyond its shiny exterior you'll find that the Gel Resolution isn't built just for running -- it's also built to fit like a glove. The Biomorphic Fit Upper and Personal Heel Fit are designed to mold to your feet. The shoe is also built to cushion and direct your feet upon impact. The Gel Cushioning System absorbs shock, the Impact Guidance System (I.G.S.) helps the foot's natural gait, and the SoLyte midsole material provides lightweight cushioning.

But does its build satisfy tennis players? The TW playtesters took the Gel Resolution out of the box and on to the hard courts to see if it fit their tastes.

Comfort

For cushioning, the Resolution features a synthetic leather and mesh upper combined with Asics' Gel technology and SoLyte in the midsole. For Eileen the Resolution fit like a glove. "The cushioning was great. The fit was perfect everywhere on my medium width foot. I love playing in this shoe, and it is also very comfortable for everyday wear."

Tiffani found the cushioning to be very responsive. "I loved the cushioning in the Gel Resolution. What's so outstanding about the cushioning is how responsive it was. When I was running on the court, I could feel the Gel react to cup my foot. This is different than cushioning systems that encompass the foot with extra padding. With the Resolution, I didn't feel that marshmallow-style cushioning; instead I felt it had a low-to-the-ground, performance feel with cushioning that responded when I needed it. For fit, I did go up a half-size because I have wide feet, but this is common for me." Carol prefers more pillow-like cushioning in her tennis shoes. "They were comfortable, but I felt that they did not have adequate cushioning when compared to my New Balance shoes."

The flexible uppers became problematic for DeeDee. "These shoes were very comfortable; however, after playing in them for about a half hour, it felt like the shoes expanded at the balls of my feet, causing my pinky toes to rub against the shoes."

Arch Support

Our playtest team was pleased with the support in the Gel Resolution, for the most part. Carol needed more help for her high arches. "The arch support was adequate, but because I have an abnormally high arch, I added an arch support." For DeeDee it was just right. "These were just right for my high arches. I have a hard time finding shoes with the right arch. I didn't have to add anything to the insoles." Eileen agreed. "The support was just right for my medium height arch." Tiffani was comfortable at all times. "The medium arch supports fit my flat feet well. Sometimes an arch can cause me pain if it pushes my foot too high. I never noticed the arch, which is a good thing."

Foot Support/Stability

The Resolution features Biomorphic Fit and Personal Heel Fit technologies in the upper. For DeeDee, the upper was too flexible. "The combination of fabric and leather made the shoe a little too flexible. I could tighten the laces to obtain a tight fit, but the fit loosened while I played. I did feel like my foot was going to roll over, but just slightly. My feet did slide around inside the shoe after about a half-hour because the shoe loosened." Carol, though, appreciated the suppleness of the shoes. "I felt stable, even though the shoes felt light -- similar to running shoes. The shoes were flexible, snug in the heel, and there was adequate space in the ball of the foot."

Tiffani, too, was impressed. "Even though I went a half-size up, I wasn't sliding around in my shoes. I could lace them up nicely, and the PHF (Personal Heel Fit) made my feet feel securely locked into the shoe. The shoes simply moved with my feet. That sounds simple, but not every shoe I've tried can successfully do that. My confidence was boosted because I felt the shoes fit well, and I moved around the court without any worries." Eileen was also pleased. "The height of the shoe and the level of support was perfect. I always felt secure starting and stopping. I didn't feel any sliding around inside the shoes."

Overall Sole Durability

The non-marking outsole is made of Asics' High Abrasion Resistant Rubber. On the hard courts Tiffani saw moderate wear. "I was wearing down the shoes on the main pivot point and on the medial side of the forefoot, which is the norm. Although, the shoes were also showing wear on the lateral side, which never happens. I suppose this could mean the shoes were helping to correct my tendency to pronate. The shoes don't have tank-like durability and don't have a guarantee, but I'd get a few months out of them, and I play about 8 hours per week. If durability is a big concern, I'd say this is a great match day shoe." Logging plenty of miles on the shoes was DeeDee. "I put a lot of hours on these, about 120 hours. There was slight wear at the balls of my feet, where the little nodules were worn down."

For Eileen, the shoe was holding up well. "The only part of the sole that showed minor wear was in the heel. The rest of the sole shows no wear at all after over 40 hours of play." Carol saw some wear after just a few sessions. "After about 16 hours there were signs of wear in the ball area of the shoes."

Toe Durability

With a built-up toe bumper, the Resolution offers some protection for toe draggers. Eileen had no problems. "The toe has held up great, with no breakdown anywhere."Tiffani agreed. "In 25 or so hours, I had worn the outsole flat to the upper in the toe area, but the added material was protecting the upper well. The medial side is well protected, too, and I didn't make a dent there, though I'm only an occasional dragger in that area."

Traction

The AHAR outsole in an all-court tread pattern provided the traction our playtesters need on the hard courts. Tiffani praised the long-lasting traction. "Because I felt grounded in these shoes, my movements felt pretty efficient, and the outsole held up its side of the bargain. I didn't slip or slide, even as the tread started to go bald in the forefoot. The rubber was soft enough to still grip the courts. The shoes worked pretty well in sub par conditions as well. During the playtest period, the wind was really blowing. This meant some miserable days of tennis and some dirty courts, but I felt like the shoes were gripping well even when the courts were dusty."

Carol could zig then zag when she needed to. "They felt like running shoes, and they allowed me to run. They also gripped the court well, making it easy to switch directions." For Eileen, the traction was excellent from the start. "The traction was awesome. Because the shoe was such a great fit and the outsole design gripped the court so well, stopping, taking off and changing direction was EASY. Again, this shoe required no break in period."

Weight

Asics placed SoLyte in the midsole of the Gel Resolution, making it lighter than the standard EVA and SpEVA midsoles. At 12.4 ounces (size 8.5), the TW playtesters were pleased with the lightweight feel. Carol said, "They seemed lighter than I am accustomed to with my usual New Balance shoes." DeeDee, too, could stay on her toes. "The Asics Gel Resolution was incredibly light on my feet."

Tiffani found a great balance of weight and durability. "They felt great. I've long been someone who has been a fan of shoes in the durable category, but I've been wearing some really lightweight shoes lately. The Gel Resolution found a great middle ground between lightweight and durable. I could dash around with no problems, and movement is key to my success on court." Echoing that sentiment was Eileen. "The weight was perfect. They were light, yet the shoes still had enough durability in the sole and enough cushioning in the midsole."

Overall

After the playtest, it's clear that the Asics Gel Resolution's build does please tennis players. Our playtest team found that these shoes are built for fast court movement. The overall impression was that the shoes felt light on the feet. Although there is not a durability guarantee, our playtesters were impressed with how the shoes held up. The cushioning impressed us with both comfort and responsiveness, and all agreed that the shoes felt great right out of the box.

Asics Gel Resolution Scores
The Up Side	The Down Side	Play Test Scores
Cushioning Comfort No break in required Lightweight	No durability guarantee	Comfort 4.5 Arch Support 4.5 Foot Support/Stability 4.6 Overall Sole Durability 4.3 Toe Durability 4.4 Traction 4.7 Weight 4.5 Overall 4.6 Scores (1-Horrible 2-Poor 3-Average 4-Good 5-Tremendous)

Playtesters' Foot types: DeeDee: Narrow width / High arch. Eileen: Narrow width / Medium arch. Tiffani: Wide width / Low arch. Carol: Wide width / High arch.

Review date: May, 2008. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2008 Tennis Warehouse.