Asics Gel Challenger 12 Men's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 4.2

The Asics Gel Challenger 12 shoes felt comfortable right out of the box, but our playtesters found that the uppers stretched over time. Still, Mark was very impressed by these shoes in this category. He said, "The Asics Gel Challenger 12 provided my feet with a high degree of comfort throughout the month-long playtest. The location and height of the arch were just fine for me as well, but the level of ventilation was not quite on par with the comfort level. As far as the fit goes, both the width and length were perfect for my size 11.5 — at least at first. After a few hours of wear I began to notice that the upper was pretty stretchy, and the fit sort of changed over the course of the playtest. I tried to resolve this issue by lacing the shoes tighter, but this did not entirely remedy the situation because the laces would not stay secure. At that point, I ran the lace over the top, instead of under the upper, which locked down the laces when I pulled them tightly, and that did give me a secure fit."

Chris agreed with Mark on several points and added, "The Gel Challenger 12 shoes offered excellent all-around comfort. The uppers were supple and flexed comfortably with my feet. I liked the level of cushioning and never felt any undue shock from tough landings during hard court play. The shoes did open up considerably after break-in, and I felt like I could have gone down a half size for a more secure fit. I had to lace the shoes as tightly as possible to stop my feet from sliding around inside them, which would lead to soreness on the bottom of my toes. Ventilation is also an area that could be improved; I was eager to get the shoes off after a hitting session."

No stranger to Asics shoes, Troy was expecting step-in comfort, and these Gel Challenger 12s did not disappoint. He explained, "I have been wearing Asics for the past seven years, and the Gel Resolutions have been my shoes of choice. I have always loved the performance, but the main thing that keeps me with Asics is that the shoes provide comfort in addition to stability and support. As I expected, the comfort was great with these Gel Challenger 12s. As soon as I put these shoes on my feet, I could tell that they have a lot in common with my go-to Gel Resolution 7s. I might even go as far as saying that the Gel Challenger 12s are more comfortable, but they aren't quite as supportive. The upper material felt nice and soft on the top of my feet, and there was just enough padding in the midsoles to protect me from harsh landings. The mesh in the toe box made these shoes breathe better than the Gel Resolution 7s. The downside was that the toe box began to stretch out after a couple of weeks of playtesting, and I started to slide around a bit. I tried to remedy this situation by removing the stock insoles and putting in thicker ones. This helped to fill in the space inside of these shoes and gave me a more secure fit."

Jason also found these shoes extremely comfortable. He said, "This Gel Challenger 12 feels like a broken-in Gel Resolution. The uppers are soft and flex in all the right places from the very first time on court. I'd say there is slightly less cushioning than that of the top-end Asics shoes, but it still provides more than adequate underfoot cushioning. I liked the lower arch support and had no problems with the medium width."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

According to our team, as the Asics Gel Challenger 12s opened up throughout the playtest, they became slightly less stable. Chris described, "For the first few wears I was loving the support I found in the Gel Challenger 12 shoes. However, once they opened up after break-in I struggled to get a secure fit and was sliding around inside them. I wore two pairs of thick socks and cinched the shoes as tightly as I could get them, and only then did I start to tap into the secure feel I had at first. In terms of stability, the shoes offer more give than a Gel Resolution 7 and feel a little faster as a result."

Troy found the Challenger 12s to be middle-of-the-road when it came to stability. He said, "Sacrificing some support and stability for added comfort and ventilation, these shoes are not quite as stable and rigid as the Gel Resolution 7s. I never felt like support and stability were big issues, or that I was going to roll my ankle, but I just didn't feel quite as secure as I do in my Gel Resolution 7s. The main issue I found was that the uppers stretched out after a couple of weeks of playtesting. My toes had a lot of wiggle room, and I could feel my feet moving whenever I made an aggressive lateral stop. The support improved once I replaced the stock insole with a thicker one, which helped create a tighter fit. I knew going into this playtest that these Gel Challenger 12s were going to be less rigid than the Gel Resolution 7s, so I can't complain too much. If I need maximum support and stability I can purchase Gel Resolutions, but for a little more flexibility and comfort I would go with these Gel Challenger 12s."

Jason felt right at home with the level of stability that these Challenger 12s provided. He said, "I felt like the stability was nice and solid. When I was moving and changing directions quickly, I could plant my feet and push off without feeling like the uppers were giving out. However, I noticed that I was getting some slight heel slippage. I think that just one more eyelet would take care of the issue."

Mark added, "Once I was able to get a secure fit by changing the configuration of the top lace, I never thought about the stability. These shoes supported every on-court change of direction, lateral or otherwise. The Gel Challenger 12s feature a firm midfoot shank that is not exposed to the court surface, which definitely helped keep my feet from twisting during play."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

Our playtesters found that the outsoles of Gel Challenger 12s held up their end of the bargain. Jason loved the durability of Asics's AHAR rubber, saying, "No complaints here. These shoes held up very well for the 12 to 14 hours I wore them during this playtest. Are they as durable as the Gel Resolution? No. But for less than $100, they have great durability."

Like Jason, Chris was quite impressed with this shoe's durability. He added, "My pair of Gel Challenger 12s held up very well. The outsoles proved to be nice and durable. Considering the price point of these shoes, I was impressed by how long the outsoles resisted wear. The toe area is more vulnerable than that of a Gel Resolution 7, or even a Solution Speed FF, and heavy toe draggers can expect to see some wear in short order."

Troy added, "I found the outsoles of these shoes to hold up well. They weren't quite as thick, or as durable, as the outsoles on the Gel Resolution 7, but they were more than adequate. I found the most wear on the tip of the toe and the lateral edge of the forefoot. Those regions had some slight balding, but no major concerns for durability. The toe guard does a good job of protecting the tip of the shoe, as there is a lot of rubber to guard against dragging."

Mark put his Gel Challenger 12s through the wringer, and they're still kicking. He explained, "I have approximately 25 hours of hard court play on them, and by the looks of the outsoles, I have more than another 25 hours left in them. For tennis shoes that do not come with an outsole warranty, the Gel Challenger 12s are very durable. The toe cap is built up nicely, so if you are a player who is flexible enough to get over the top of the shoe and do not want shoes priced north of $100, the Gel Challenger 12s are worth a try."

Traction - Score: 4.2

The Asics Gel Challenger 12 shoes provided good grip on the hard court for our playtesters. Mark said, "The outsole material and tread design are very similar to Asics's flagship Gel Resolution 7s, and besides offering a high degree of durability on hard courts, they also gave me confidence when I was changing directions wearing the Gel Challenger 12s. Even if the court surface was not clean, which can be an issue for me, I never had to deal with an unpredictable loss of traction."

Troy found the level of traction to hold up to the standard of other Asics shoes on the market. He said, "As with most Asics shoes featuring the AHAR or AHAR Plus rubber outsole, I loved the level of traction the Challenger 12s provided, especially as time went on. Right out of the box, these shoes offered a lot of grip on the court, and I felt like I could change directions with ease. I enjoyed the level of grip and noticed some added give as the playtest wore on. I am not really much of a slider on hard courts, but I do appreciate a little give when changing directions. After a couple weeks of wear, the outsoles started to feel perfect for my preferences."

Jason found suitable traction for his game. He noted, "The Gel Challenger 12s felt a little stickier than the Solution Speed model, and the outsole provided nice traction on our indoor hard court. I would've preferred a bit more give, but there's really not much to complain about."

Chris added, "I had fewer issues with traction than I did with getting locked in well enough to be able to put the Gel Challenger 12s to the full test. With that said, I was able to slide pretty easily in these shoes, which helped me come smoothly out of a quick stop. When looking to get going in a hurry, the shoes provided ample grip to grab the court and help me find that fast first step."

Weight - Score: 4.4

With the Asics Gel Challenger 12s weighing in at 12.6 ounces (size 10.5), our playtesters loved how quickly they could move on court. Chris was impressed by the weight of these shoes. He described, "The Gel Challenger 12s felt pretty light and fast on court. I think the fact that the shoes flexed well helped them hide their weight. Considering the outsole durability and level of comfort, I was very happy with the weight I could feel when playing in the Gel Challenger 12s."

Jason also gave these shoes high praise. He said, "The Gel Challenger 12s definitely feel light and speedy. These are the 'diet' Resolutions in just about every sense of the word. I felt fast in them and didn't give them a second thought once they were on my feet."

Troy found the Gel Challenger 12s to have a good all-around weight. He said, "There was a significantly lighter feel to these shoes compared to my Gel Resolution 7s. The added mesh in the uppers and a softer feel out of the box made these shoes feel light and fast, and they flexed well while I was running. As I broke them in they felt very low to the ground, which enhanced the court feel and allowed me to be quick with my first step. I think these Gel Challenger 12s are a good middle ground between the Solution Speed FFs and Gel Resolution 7s in terms of weight."

Mark thought these shoes felt very maneuverable around the court. He said, "On paper, the Gel Challenger 12s qualify as being lightweight, but that does not always indicate how easy it is to move around the tennis court while wearing them. I am happy to report that the Gel Challenger 12s are not only lightweight spec-wise, but they also have a very maneuverable and speed-oriented feel to them."

Overall - Score: 4.0