Asics Gel Resolution 6 Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.1

The Gel Resolution 6 raises the bar yet again when it comes to comfort. The standout feature for Karly was the excellent cushioning. She explained, "There was soft, plush material throughout these shoes that molded to my feet. My feet are on the wider side, and these shoes have a narrow fit, but they gelled to my feet just fine. It took a few hours for them to loosen up and become more flexible, but with all the padding they weren't uncomfortable during the break-in period. Like the previous generations, the Gel Resolution 6s have a lot of comfort that anyone will enjoy."

After playtesting the previous three generations of the Gel Resolution series Brittany was eager to see how this update compared. She reported, "For me, these shoes had the shortest break-in time of all the Gel Resolutions I have playtested. It took just 15 minutes before I was completely comfortable. I thought the uppers weren't as stiff as previous versions, and the toe box was slightly wider. There was still the plush cushioning I have come to expect from Asics shoes, especially under the heel. I enjoyed the fact that I experienced no pinching or rubbing with this update."

"I really enjoyed the Gel Resolutions 6s and am getting nit picky with my comfort comments, but I just had some small issues," began Michelle. "I really wanted to give these shoes a perfect comfort score, but I dealt with some numbness under the pads of my feet during my two-week break-in period. I had the same issue with the Gel Resolution 5s. I attribute the numbness to the snug medium fit of these shoes. The break-in was worth it, though, because I loved the locked-in feeling, and the gel cushioning that surrounded my feet was awesome. After two weeks of wearing these shoes I had a bit of rubbing on the top of my left foot where the last eyelet is. It didn't seem to matter which socks I was wearing, so I just taped my foot for a few days -- it wasn't a huge bother and did eventually go away. On the positive side of things, I felt like these shoes offered even more cushioning than the previous version, and my small issues were easy to overlook because these shoes offer such an exceptional on-court comfort experience."

Tiffani also made note of how the Gel Resolution 6s fit. She said, "When I slipped my feet into these shoes I noticed two things. The plush cushioning was one, and the narrow fit was the other. With my wider feet the two canceled each other out in a way. I loved the feel of the cushioning, but the pressure on the sides of my feet until the shoes broke in almost took away from that awesome cushioning. After about six hours the uppers softened up enough and my feet didn't feel squeezed, then I could appreciate that lasting comfort underfoot. I ended up really enjoying the comfort of the Gel Resolution 6s, but it took some work to get there because of my wide feet."

Ventilation - Score: 3.4

Ventilation has never been the strong suit of the Gel Resolution line of shoes, and our team agreed that the ventilation of these shoes was just OK. Because the Gel Resolution 6s are so durable and supportive, no one really took issue with the breathability. Brittany found the ventilation to be around average, saying, "Although there is some mesh on the uppers, I wanted a little more air circulation when I was playing. My feet never overheated when I played, but I was also playing in the cooler winter months and couldn't test the breathability fully. However, when I finished wearing the shoes I always took them off right away to give my feet some cool air."

Tiffani said, "I never had any issues with overheating while I was playing. As with most tennis shoes, I like to take them off after playing, but overall I'm happy with the level of ventilation in the Gel Resolution 6s."

Michelle added, "I'm not finding the 6s to be the most ventilated shoes we've playtested. I wouldn't say they were super cool or really hot -- just around the middle of the road in terms of breathability."

"The Gel Resolution 6s weren't terribly hot, but as soon as I began moving my feet I could feel the shoes start to heat up," Karly said. "My feet tend to run hot so that didn't stop me from wanting to wear them. It was worth putting up with their warm temperature for the phenomenal cushioning. I just didn't keep them on long after the hit was over."

Arch Support - Score: 3.8

The lower arch support of the Gel Resolution 6s seemed to adequately serve all four of our playtesters. With her lower arches, Tiffani could feel the support in her shoes. She said, "Even with my flatter feet I enjoy some arch support, and the Gel Resolution 6s offer a healthier arch support than most other tennis shoes available right now. I did need to break-in the flex of the shoes somewhat to fully appreciate the arch support. For the first few hours I had to wear these shoes for about 15 minutes before my feet settled into the arch support."

The arches fit low for Karly, but she didn't mind that at all. She said, "My feet are flat, so low arch support doesn't normally bother me. However, even though the arches were low, the insoles had some of the best cushioning I've felt in tennis shoes. The shoes molded to my feet perfectly, and I never experienced any pain or aching."

Michelle, who has higher arches, found the arch support of these shoes to be pretty low as well. She said, "Arch support never really was an issue and never bothered me too much. I think the snugger fit helped hold my feet in place, leaving my arches well supported. Toward the end of the playtest I was contemplating adding an aftermarket insole just to get a little more arch support for my higher arches."

Even with the arch support being on the lower side, Brittany didn't have any issues with her medium arches. She added, "I felt just a bit of support, and that was all I needed. I never had any issues while playing."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.3

Aside from the high levels of cushioning, our team raved about the support and stability of the Gel Resolution 6s. "I felt so confident moving in these shoes," said Michelle. "I knew I could push myself to my limits because these shoes really supported me. Me feet always felt locked in and snug, and once I was laced up I was ready to go. The support and stability are awesome and probably my favorite aspect of these shoes (along with the cosmetics)."

Similar to her experience with the previous version, the first time Karly played in the Gel Resolutions 6s she was unsure of their low fit. She explained, "I am not used to playing in tennis shoes where the material wrapped so low around the ankles. However, that fit had no effect on the stability or support. The previous version of these shoes offered tremendous support, and the Gel Resolution 6s did the same. The uppers were extremely stable. When I moved side to side these shoes felt secure, and they were never flimsy or unstable. I felt confident making aggressive cuts on the court and I never worried about rolling an ankle. It might take a while to get used to how these shoes fit low around the ankles, but trust me, these shoes are just as supportive as mid-cut shoes!"

Tiffani also felt pretty confident moving around in these shoes. She said, "Initially I had to tie my shoes a little bit looser because the fit was so narrow for me, but as my shoes broke in I found that I had to tie them tighter to achieve the same level of support. I also used the extra eyelet to keep my heel locked in place. The stability was excellent. I never felt like I was in danger of rolling an ankle and I could move side to side or jump up for an overhead without any worries."

Brittany felt pretty secure inside her shoes but did note an issue with the fit in the heel. She explained, "I found the toe box a bit roomier, and my forefoot had a little extra room, but I still felt secure. The mid-foot and ankle support was excellent, and I felt comfortable moving around aggressively in them. My one issue was that I was unable to get a secure fit around my heels. Even when I used the extra eyelet my heels were constantly slipping out of my shoes. When I tied my laces extra tight my feet felt squeezed, and I would have to loosen the laces. It was most noticeable when moving forward; I had several instances where one of my feet almost came out of my shoe."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.5

Asics has done a great job reducing the weight of the Gel Resolution 6s while maintaining durability. After a month of pushing these shoes to their limits, our playtesters had no doubts that they were just as durable as previous versions. As Karly mentioned, "I played in my shoes for about 20 hours and have yet to see any significant wear and tear. The outsoles held their shape extremely well, and I'm sure that there's an extra 20 hours or more of life left in these shoes. The Resolutions will continue to have a great reputation for exceptional durability with this new version."

Tiffani agreed. She noted, "I'm seeing the slightest amount of smoothing under the balls of my feet, which is where I wear out my shoes first. There is not much wear there at all, so I'm happy with how these outsoles are standing up to our gritty hard court at Tennis Warehouse. The outsoles are a bit slick, which might be an indicator of how well they will wear. Sometimes the harder, more durable outsoles are slicker, which could be the case with these shoes."

"The outsoles are holding up well for me," said Michelle. "I'm seeing some wear on the lateral edges, but nothing too bad. It looks like I have a lot more court time in these shoes. With the outsole guarantee, you really can't go wrong!"

The durability of these shoes was excellent for Brittany as well. She said, "These are easily among my top rated sole durability shoes, if not my top rated. There was pretty much no wear at the end of the playtest. The outsoles look brand new! I would say these are right on target with past generations."

Toe Durablity - Score: 4.4

Our two toe draggers did their best to beat up the toes of their Gel Resolution 6s. With tough PGuard material protecting the toe box, the toes were well protected. Tiffani said, "There's a lot of protection on the upper. I have not done much damage to the toes or the uppers of my Gel Resolutions 6s. I have no toe durability issues with these shoes."

Other than some slight scuffing, there was virtually no damage to Brittany's bumper guard. She said, "The toe bumpers have held up to my dragging, and the height and width are perfect. Nothing but positives from me!"

Traction - Score: 3.9

The traction of the Gel Resolution 6s drew mixed reviews. Two of our playtesters had no issues with the traction, but two of our playtesters had some problems. Stopping and starting felt natural for Karly. She said, "I never slipped or lost my grip on the court, and these shoes allowed me to switch directions quickly without feeling stuck to the ground. After the first few hours of playing in my shoes I noticed the outsoles smoothed down a little, but I still felt confident that I wasn't going to slip when making aggressive movements. I didn't have any issues with traction throughout the rest of the playtest."

"Just like the durability and comfort, the traction of these shoes was excellent," stated Brittany. "The outsoles gripped when I needed grip and gave when I needed a little give. I felt comfortable changing directions and moving in every direction. I felt like I was sitting up a little higher in my shoes due to the cushioning. However, it didn't bother me while I was playing."

Like some other Asics shoes Tiffani has worn, she struggled slightly with the traction level of the Gel Resolution 6s. She explained, "For me, these shoes were a bit slippery. I didn't notice it on stops, but I found myself spinning my wheels a little bit when trying to make quick changes of direction. When I tried to take off quickly my feet would slip back a couple of inches. I never felt like I was in danger, I just felt that I was a bit slower in these shoes."

Michelle was hoping to give these shoes a higher score for traction, but she felt that the traction let her down a bit after she had worn the Gel Res 6s for a while. She said, "Initially, I thought the traction was perfect. As the playtest went on I noticed some significant traction issues. Just when I was feeling confident in these shoes the traction let me down. I had a near fall on the court in these shoes, which worried me a little. It happened when I was changing directions quickly and sprinting to the next shot. The traction just gave out on me. After that, I was a little more aware of the traction. While I did feel well connected to the court, I think that as I put more wear on these shoes the traction levels started dropping."

Weight - Score: 3.8

Weight can be a problem sometimes in shoes that are as durable and stable as the Gel Resolution 6s. Fortunately, that wasn't the case with these shoes. "I had no problems whatsoever with the weight of the Gel Resolution 6s," Michelle stated. "They were built to be durable, yet they still feel quick on the court. I think that because they offer that locked in, stable feel I never felt like I was wearing bulky or heavy shoes. The fact that they weigh less than the previous version is impressive and appreciated."

Tiffani thought the weight was just about right. She said, "These shoes aren't lightweight like, say, the Asics Gel Solution Speed 2s, but they're not heavy either. I like the Gel Resolutions 6s' nice blend of weight, durability, support and cushioning. These are the most cushioned shoes I've worn since the Diadora Speed Star K IIs, and I think the little bit of extra weight is worth the cushioned comfort."

"By no means were these shoes heavy," began Karly. "I just thought they were slightly heavier than their actual weight states. When comparing them to other shoes in the 12-ounce range, I'd say they don't feel quite as fast. Their plush padding and durable outsole added a little bit of a bulky feel, however, the weight wasn't noticeable when I was moving around on court. I was just surprised that their actual weight was less than what they felt like on my feet."

Brittany was surprised to find out this version was actually lighter than the previous version because she felt they were pretty comparable in weight. "Because these shoes are durable and supportive I expected the weight to be a tad heavier, and it was," she said. "I never really was affected by the weight, but I personally lean toward lighter weight shoes."

Overall - Score: 4.2

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Foot Types

Karly - Medium width / Medium-low arch

Brittany - Narrow width / Medium arch

Tiffani - Wide width / Low arch

Michelle - Medium width / High arch

Review date: March 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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