Asics Sizing: Do Asics Run Big, Small or True to Size?

Asics shoes fit true to size. Order the US size you wear in Nike or New Balance and the length will be right in nearly every Asics model, from the Gel-Kayano running shoe to the retro Gel-1130. The differences are in how closely each model holds your foot: performance runners and some retro models feel snug and structured, while mesh-heavy lifestyle pairs feel open and relaxed.

Asics is also one of the few big brands that still sells its main running shoes in several widths. If your feet are wide, that is usually a better fix than buying a longer shoe.

Two product families, two kinds of fit

Asics splits its catalog into performance running shoes and SportStyle, its lifestyle range. The two share sizing, but they are designed for different jobs, and that changes how they feel.

Performance running: Gel-Kayano, Gel-Nimbus, GT-2000, Novablast

The running line is built to hold the foot still while it moves. Expect engineered mesh uppers, a firm heel counter and a secure wrap through the midfoot. The Gel-Kayano is the brand's long-running stability shoe, the Gel-Nimbus its plush neutral cruiser, the GT-2000 a lighter everyday stability option, and the Novablast a bouncy neutral trainer with a noticeably snug upper.

All of them are true to size in length. The open question for runners is how much room you want for long efforts. Feet swell over an hour of running, and toes need space on downhills. Many distance runners take a half size up from their casual sneaker size in their running shoes. If you mostly run shorter distances or like a close race-day feel, stay at your measured size.

SportStyle: Gel-Kayano 14, Gel-1130, GT-2160, Gel-NYC, Gel-Lyte III

The lifestyle models are mostly retro runners: old performance designs reissued for everyday wear. They fit true to size too, but their character varies a lot. The Gel-1130 is roomy and airy. The Gel-Kayano 14, GT-2160 and Gel-NYC are closer, more structured fits. The Gel-Lyte III, with its split tongue, sits snug through the midfoot and is the least friendly of the group for high insteps.

Model-by-model starting points

These are our starting sizes for popular Asics models, based on the common consensus among wearers. Always start from your measured size.

For the two most-searched lifestyle models, see our dedicated guides to the Gel-Kayano 14 and the Gel-1130.

Widths: the best thing about Asics sizing

Many Asics running shoes come in more than one width, with the Gel-Kayano, Gel-Nimbus and GT-2000 the most widely stocked. For men, standard is D, wide is 2E and extra wide is 4E. For women, standard is B, wide is D, and some models also come in narrow 2A or extra-wide 2E. The letter changes the width and volume of the shoe while keeping the length the same.

The 6E row is part of the general width scale; you won't find it on Asics running shoes. Lifestyle models are a different story: the SportStyle range is generally sold in standard width only. If you have wide feet and love the look of a retro Asics, the Gel-1130 is the most forgiving choice. Width availability changes by size and region, so check the product page on asics.com before ordering.

More on reading these letters in our shoe width chart.

How Asics compares with Nike, New Balance and Adidas

For length, use the same US size across the big four brands. Where Asics differs is shape. Compared with Nike, most Asics models feel a little more foot-shaped and less pointed at the toe. Compared with New Balance, the structured Asics runners feel closer through the midfoot, while the Gel-1130 is about as roomy as a New Balance 574.

The trouble starts when you shop by EU or UK numbers. Brands publish their own conversions, and they don't agree:

• A men's US 9.5 is an EU 43.5 at Asics but an EU 43 on the Nike chart.
• A men's US 9 is a UK 8 at both Asics and Nike, but a UK 8.5 at New Balance and Adidas.

So a European shopper who wears "EU 43" in Nike and orders EU 43 in Asics gets a US 9 instead of a 9.5. Convert from your US size or your foot length instead. The brand size comparison tool lines these up for you.

Men's and women's conversions

Asics uses the standard 1.5-size gap between men's and women's US sizing. A women's 9.5 is a men's 8, and both share EU 41.5 on the Asics charts below, which is a quick way to check a conversion. A women's 8 is a men's 6.5.

The width baseline also shifts. A men's standard D is wider than a women's standard B, so a woman wearing a men's or unisex pair in her converted size will usually feel more room at the sides. That works in your favor if your feet are wide. For narrow feet, choose the women's version when the model is offered in women's sizing.

Stuck between two sizes

Asics runs in half sizes across most of the range, and the jump between them is small, so being "between sizes" usually means your foot sits near the edge of one row in the chart. How you break the tie depends on the shoe and on what you'll do in it.

• Running, especially long runs or hot weather: take the larger size. Swelling and downhill toe strike punish a short shoe more than a slightly long one punishes you.
• Snug lifestyle models (Gel-NYC, GT-2160, Gel-Kayano 14): take the larger size if your feet are wide or high-volume, the smaller one if they're narrow.
• Roomy lifestyle models (Gel-1130): take the smaller size unless your feet are wide.
• Gym and court training: take the smaller size. Side-to-side movement needs a shoe that doesn't let your foot slide.

If one foot is clearly longer than the other, size for the longer foot and use lacing or a thin insole to take up slack on the other side.

Asics size chart

These are Asics' published conversions with the foot length each size is built for. Measure your foot, find the closest centimeter value, and read across. If you fall between two sizes, take the larger one for running shoes.

How much room a good Asics fit should leave

A well-fitting Asics feels secure at the heel and midfoot with a little natural room in the toe box. Aim for roughly a thumb's width (about 1 to 1.5 cm) between your longest toe and the end of the shoe when standing. Running shoes benefit from the upper end of that range; lifestyle pairs can sit at the lower end.

Mesh uppers soften slightly over the first few wears, especially around the collar, but they do not stretch in length. A pair that pinches hard on day one will not become comfortable. Mild pressure across the midfoot in a structured model like the GT-2160 often settles within a week; sharp pressure on the little toe rarely does.

To get your number right, measure standing, in the evening, with your usual socks, and size from your longer foot. Our foot measuring guide walks through it.

Our recommendation

Order Asics in your usual US size. Stay there for lifestyle pairs, with two adjustments: half a size down in the roomy Gel-1130 if your feet are narrow, and half a size up in the snug Gel-NYC, GT-2160 or Gel-Kayano 14 if your feet are very wide. For running, consider a half size up if you run long, and if your feet are wide, choose a 2E or 4E width in the Kayano, Nimbus or GT-2000 rather than buying a longer shoe.