My Gel Kayano 16s (Read 1450 times)

Are really starting to piss me off.

Is anyone else who wears these shoes having trouble with the upper getting bunched up while you run?

Any ideas on home repair for this problem?

I liked my Kayano 13s so thought I'd get the same joy from a new pair of 16s. Wrong. I don't have a problem with the upper, just the asymmetrical lacing. It's been a pain in the ass. Many reviews say it helps fit but I've found it actually caused inflammation to the top of my feet since they swell on longer runs. My "home repair" is to lace them as loosely as I can. Thankfully the memory foam allows me to get away with it and the inflammation is no more. I just hope Asics doesn't trickle the asymmetrical lacing too far down the product line because I'm not buying it.

I imagine lacing them loosely won't help the bunching but think this asymmetrical lacing system might not allow even tension across the upper and thus cause the bunching.

The asymmetrical lacing has given me a lot of problems as well and gave me some bruising on the top of my feet. I switched to Lydiard lacing, which really helped with that. You might want try that.

Now I mix it up with a variety of trainers, some neutral and some stability. My theory is that I gradually 'train' my feet to need less and less stability and I try to improve my form and posture. So far it has been working.

 

I'm doing the same thing, mixing it up and buying running shoes at least a full size larger than my street shoes. I was initially "prescribed" Kayano's because of my weight. That was almost 40 lbs ago. I picked up a pair of Cumulus 11s on clearance and like them more than the Kayanos.  Still, considering what I paid for the Kayanos I'm going to finish them off with another 100+ miles. They're holding up fine.

Sean, I'm going to give Lydiard lacing a go on those Kayanos.

I'm doing the same thing, mixing it up and buying running shoes at least a full size larger than my street shoes. I was initially "prescribed" Kayano's because of my weight. That was almost 40 lbs ago. I picked up a pair of Cumulus 11s on clearance and like them more than the Kayanos.  Still, considering what I paid for the Kayanos I'm going to finish them off with another 100+ miles. They're holding up fine.

Sean, I'm going to give Lydiard lacing a go on those Kayanos.

I bought my first pair of Kayano's year ago when I was a heavier and have just stuck with them because, well, why ruin a good thing? But I think its time to move on.

 

I'm glad that diagram worked!! ;o)

 

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "upper getting bunched up"...???  Do you mean to say that the "tongue" is getting wrikled up?  Or actually the upper is pushing your foot down?  Usually if thte material gets wrikled up or being pushed together, the first thing I'd think of is whether the sizing is not correct.  I mean, if the shoe fits, any of those unnecessary movement should not be created.  If the shoe doesn't fit well, sometimes even socks would get wrinkled up as well. 

 

There are so much materials and sawing going on on the upper of running shoes nowadays.  Sometimes those reinforcement material can get wrinkled up and dig into your foot (is this what you mean?).  I have a great example of this years ago--I simply cut off the thread, cut of the part that digs into my foot, saw it back up (don't leave it unthreaded).  Never created the same problem again.  I should have taken the images of before and after but I only have the after image but it should give you an idea.

 

Sometimes QC spec may not be that great and, for example, the tongue may be a bit crooked and, in this case, the end of the tongue can sticks out and, as thick as some tongue can be, it really creates extra unnecessary "pressure point".  One time, I had this problem with this particular model and I had to go all the way deep and try to chop off the excess tongue.  Once it's done, no more problem. 

 

First you need to articulate the problem, what's happening there and where does it hurt in what way--then isolate the cause of it.  You may or may not be able to eliminate the cause; if you can, you'll get to keep the shoe.  But if you can't--in a case of the last of shoe not fitting your foot shape--then you might need to consider getting a new pair.

The diagram worked very well, Nobby, thanks!

As for where exactly the problem is, it is in one shoe (the left) where the tongue attaches to the rest of the shoe. The weirdest part of this is that it just started happening, and these shoes have about two hundred miles in them. I wouldn't think two hundred miles would be enough for the shoe to break down, but perhaps it is?

I've tried feeling around in there but I don't see a structural problem, and the bunching doesn't start until I am on the run... I don't know, I'm kind of thinking I should just forget about it and switch to a different shoe.

It is wrong to prolong a man's enslavement to the cruel and ruthless Kayano Soze.

Amen, brother, these thing suck.

I've had Kayano 14s, 15s, and now 16s (1 pair of each).  I've never had problems with them, except maybe the asking price. I too am considering going with less stability over time.

I have made the switch away from them and am currently running in the slightly lighter Nike Equalons. I'm digging them so far and they are not giving me any of the strange top of the foot problems I was getting with the Kayano 16s.