Nike Vomero 5 vs ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 Sizing: Same Size?

Both the Nike Vomero 5 and the ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 fit true to size, so you can wear the same number in each. The difference is in how they feel. The Vomero 5 is roomier through the toes and forefoot, while the Kayano 14 holds the foot more closely, especially across the midfoot.

That means a men's US 9 in one is a men's US 9 in the other, and for most people the decision stops there. But if your feet are wide, high-volume or very narrow, the small differences in shape are worth a few minutes of thought before you order.

The conversion at a glance

• Normal-width feet: true to size in both.
• Slightly wide feet: true to size in both.
• Narrow feet: true to size in both, with the option of half a size down in the Vomero 5 if the regular size feels too roomy.
• Wide feet: true to size or half a size up in either shoe.
• High-volume feet: the Vomero 5 may need half a size up if the midfoot feels restrictive; the Kayano 14 can stay at true size or go half up.
• Between sizes: smaller size in the Vomero 5 for a close feel, larger size in the Kayano 14 if your foot is wide or high-volume.

How the Vomero 5 feels on foot

The Vomero 5 is a retro runner with a layered upper and a soft, cushioned ride, and it has more room than most Nike performance shoes. The toes have freedom, and the forefoot opens up more than in the ASICS. The shoe also softens a little with wear, mostly through the layered upper, but not enough to change the size you buy. Our Nike Vomero sizing guide covers the other Vomero models, and one of them, the Zoom Vomero Roam, does run snug.

How the Kayano 14 feels on foot

The Gel-Kayano 14 is a retro stability runner, and it is cut to hold your foot in place. The forefoot and midfoot follow the foot's shape and the toes have less side-to-side room. The midfoot is the most fitted part of the shoe. If you feel pressure there, adjust the lace tension before you change the size. Length is reliable: you should have about a finger's width between your longest toe and the front of the shoe at your true size. More detail is in our Gel-Kayano 14 sizing guide.

Length, width and volume

Length

The two shoes match. Both brands label a men's US 9 as 27 CM (JP), but they measure the foot differently: Nike puts US 9 at a 26.2 cm foot, ASICS at 27 cm. Heel hold is secure in both at your correct size.

Width

Neither shoe is a wide shoe. The Vomero 5 simply has more freedom at the toes, so slightly wide feet usually feel less squeezed there. ASICS sells wider versions of many running models, but the retro colorways you see in lifestyle stores are mostly standard width, so check the listing before you count on 2E.

Volume

The Vomero 5 can feel restrictive through the midfoot for some high-volume feet. The Kayano 14 feels tight across the midfoot at first, but lace tension adjusts that more easily than the shape of the toe box. Different problems, different fixes.

Break-in expectations

Both shoes loosen slightly with wear, not enough to change the size you should buy. The Kayano 14's midfoot eases a little. The Vomero 5 softens, particularly through its layered upper. Neither should hurt on day one. If either does, the size is wrong.

Size charts for both brands

Here are the charts from our data. Foot length is the foot each brand's chart assigns to that US size: Nike lists 26.2 cm for a men's US 9, ASICS 27 cm. The CM (JP) label on the box is where the brands differ slightly at some sizes, for instance men's US 11 is 29 at Nike and 28.5 at ASICS. UK and EU also vary by brand.

For other brands, use the conversion chart or the shoe size calculator.

Using them as a size reference for other shoes

If you wear the same size in the Vomero 5 and the Kayano 14, you will probably be consistent with a handful of related shoes. The Nike P-6000 and the ASICS Gel-1130 are also reported by some wearers at the same size. New Balance can differ: some people who are a 9 in these shoes prefer an 8.5 in the 530 for a closer fit, so check our 530 sizing guide. And the GT-2160 fits very similarly to the Kayano 14, so the same size works there.

Men's and women's sizing

Add 1.5 to a men's size to get the women's equivalent. A men's 8 is a women's 9.5. For women who buy the Kayano 14 in a women's size, the foot-length column in the chart is what to look at: on the ASICS chart a women's US 9 is 25.75 cm. Wide-footed women can often stay at true size in the Vomero 5 and consider half a size up in the Kayano 14. See men's to women's shoe sizes for the conversion.

Which one suits your foot better?

This is not a ranking, since both fit true to size, but here are a few patterns.

• Prefer a roomy toe box and a soft feel: the Vomero 5.
• Prefer a secure, locked-down midfoot: the Kayano 14.
• Thick socks or orthotics: the Vomero 5, as long as the midfoot is not tight; otherwise half a size up in either.
• Narrow feet: either, with the Vomero 5 as the one you can size down in.

How to check your own size

Measure the longer foot in the evening, stand on the paper, and match the result to Foot length in the chart. Then try the shoes with the socks you plan to wear and walk around. You want a finger's width at the front, a heel that does not slip, and no pinching at the sides. See how to measure your feet for a step-by-step method, and how running shoes should fit for what good looks like.

Reading the two uppers

It helps to know why identical numbers can feel different. A shoe's fit comes from three things: the last it is built on, the materials of the upper, and the way it is laced. The Vomero 5 uses a layered upper that adds structure but also has a soft hand, and the layers give the forefoot a looser, more cushioned feel. The Kayano 14 is built to stabilize the foot, so its upper is cut closer around the midfoot and the lacing system pulls the sides in. Same length, different tension.

For that reason, comparing them by feel in the first minute is misleading. Judge by three things: length at the front, heel hold, and whether anything pinches the sides of your toes. Midfoot snugness alone is not a reason to size up in the Kayano 14.

Lacing tweaks that save a size

• Pressure on top of the foot (Kayano 14): skip an eyelet over the highest point of your instep, or loosen that section only.
• Loose heel (either): use the top eyelet for a heel lock before you consider dropping a size.
• Roomy toes (Vomero 5): tighten the lower laces slightly to pull the forefoot back. If it is still too roomy, half a size down is an option for narrow feet.
• Tight sides at the toes: lacing will not fix this. That is a width problem and calls for half a size up.

Who should go half a size up

People with wide or high-volume feet are the main group. If your forefoot spreads past the footbed of a standard shoe, or if the top of your foot is high, you will notice it first in the Kayano 14 midfoot and then in the Vomero 5 midfoot. Half a size up buys room in both, and heel hold in each is secure enough to take it.

Runners who log longer distances also tend to prefer half a size up, because feet swell as a run goes on. That is a general running rule rather than a quirk of these two shoes; the half-size guide explains it in more detail.

Final recommendation

Buy your true size in both. If your feet are narrow and the Vomero 5 feels roomy, half a size down is reasonable. If your feet are wide or high-volume, half a size up is a sensible hedge in either. When in doubt between two sizes, go smaller in the Vomero 5 and larger in the Kayano 14.