ASICS Gel Challenger 12 Women's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.8

No matter their foot type, all of our playtesters felt supported by and comfortable in the Asics Gel Challenger 12s. With wider feet, Tiffani often has issues with the fit of Asics shoes, but she had a good experience for this review. She said, "I was pleased with the fit of these Gel Challenger 12s right out of the box. Asics shoes often feel too narrow, and I have to break them in before I find them comfortable. Although these shoes did feel a little snug for me width-wise, the uppers were soft enough to allow my feet to relax and didn't feel constrictive. The cushioning underfoot also felt soft, and it was adequate for me when I was playing points. However, when I was drilling and constantly doing repetitive motions, these shoes didn't feel as responsive as past Gel Resolutions I've tried or the Court FF 2s I tested earlier this year. Considering these are priced lower than both those models, that is not surprising. Ventilation and arch support felt right in line with most tennis shoes."

Even though Julie has narrower feet, she agreed with her teammate. She added, "I've been a longtime user of Asics footwear, but this was my very first time slipping my feet into a pair of Challengers. First things first, there was absolutely no break-in for me in these shoes, and I never experienced any kind of arch pain on court. I enjoy shoes that are shallower because of my narrow feet, but the width of this shoe wasn't an issue. It has a comfortable medium width, but my feet were held in place correctly. The uppers were nice and flexible for added comfort, and the mesh fabric provided plenty of ventilation. These shoes weren't the most comfortable option out there, but comfort definitely wasn't neglected considering the value."

Brittany was also new to the Gel Challenger line. She said, "When I first slipped these shoes on I was surprised that the fit was different than Asics’ top models, like the Solution Speeds, Gel Resolutions and Court FFs. These Gel Challengers 12s fit wider, although I would not classify them as wide shoes, and there was plenty of room in the toe box. The uppers were also on the softer side, which translated to zero break-in and no hot spots or rubbing. I would classify the cushioning as medium. It was not as plush as the top models, but still offered plenty of comfort."

A couple of hours on court was enough time for Michelle's skepticism to turn into pleasant surprise. She explained, "I'm not going to lie; I can be a bit of a shoe snob. When I found out we were testing one of the more 'value-oriented' models from Asics, I wasn't sure I would be a fan. When I stepped on court with them on for the first time, I felt that familiar tingling and numbness that I feel under my feet in most Asics shoes. Because of that, I wasn't too thrilled to keep going. Luckily, from then on, things went well. I had no rubbing or blisters from these shoes, which is unlike what happens sometimes in other Asics models. The tingling went away after an hour or two of a wear. The cushioning felt similar to that of a Gel Resolution. It may have been a bit firmer, but not uncomfortable. I did notice a few instances when my arches were looking for a tiny bit more support, so I just put in some aftermarket insoles. The uppers felt soft and held my feet well. They did open up a bit as the playtest went on, but honestly, I had no real complaints after the first week of wear. These shoes seemed to be pretty solid and did everything relatively well."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

Even our testers who are hardest on their shoes felt well balanced in the Asics Gel Challenger 12s. With a previous ankle injury, Brittany tends to focus on a shoe's support and stability. She said, "I honestly didn't have a lot of issues with the Challenger 12s. When it came to support, I had a little movement within the shoes from time to time. I dealt with this by using the last eyelet to get a more locked-in feel. There was just enough stability for me. My ankles felt secure when moving aggressively, and I never felt like I was going to tip over or roll an ankle. However, I will be interested to see how the uppers hold up after a couple months. I have concerns that the uppers might stretch out and lose a little bit of that support and stability."

Tiffani also found the support she needed. She said, "There's a healthy midfoot TPU shank in these Gel Challenger 12s, and it did its job. I felt really secure moving side to side, and I never worried about tipping over in these shoes. I mentioned earlier how the uppers were soft enough that they didn't strangle my feet, but they struck a good balance of being soft and supportive enough. I wasn't sliding inside the shoes and could move with confidence."

After a slight break-in, Michelle noticed the uppers gained flexibility, yet the support didn't let her down. She said, "I thought the Gel Challenger 12s were supportive and stable. Since they are modeled after the Gel Resolutions, which are some of the most supportive, stable shoes on the market, that was no surprise. The uppers held my feet in, and even after they broke in and opened up a little, I found I could still tie them tightly enough to feel supported. Stability was fine as well. At times I felt a bit high off the ground in these shoes, but I was never really concerned about rolling an ankle, and I didn't have any stability issues."

While the Gel Challenger 12s were sufficiently supportive for the rest of the team, they fell just a bit short for Julie. She described, "The flexible uppers were comfortable, but being an aggressive mover, I wouldn't make the Gel Challenger my shoe of choice for my next tournament. At first I was pretty surprised with the good support and stability, but with time the uppers opened up and became too flexible. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle, but it felt like I was losing some time on my changes of direction because my feet weren't as locked in as I like them to be."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.9

Our month-long playtest wasn't enough for our playtesters to wear out their Asics Gel Challenger 12s. Michelle was impressed, saying, "The outsoles look identical to the Gel Resolution to me. I'm guessing maybe the rubber isn't as durable, but you could have fooled me! I was happy with how well the shoes held up. I had assumed I would wear down the rubber in a couple of weeks."

Brittany only noticed minimal wear on the outsoles. She said, "I was impressed with how well the AHAR rubber outsole lasted throughout the playtest. I used the shoes around 10 hours for mostly singles and drilling. At the end of the playtest I only saw some slight smoothing at the tips of the shoes. There is still plenty of life left in my Gel Challenger 12s. I also thought the toe bumper was top-notch, with plenty of protection. Compared to the Gel Resolutions, they are slightly less durable."

Likewise, Julie didn't need to worry about these shoes wearing out prematurely. She said, "Asics rarely disappoints when it comes to durability, and once again, the outsoles held up really well during this playtest. I played with these on my feet for about eight hours, which is usually more than enough for me to notice signs of wear, but not in this case. I drag my feet on serve returns, and I noticed that the toe durability was outstanding as well. I give Asics another thumbs up for durability!"

While Tiffani didn't have many complaints, she didn't think the Gel Challengers were quite as durable as the Gel Resolutions. She said, "The outsoles are holding up just fine in most areas. I usually see some balding under the big toe and the medial edge of the forefoot, but those areas show only minor wear after about a dozen hours on the court. My toes are wearing out a bit faster, though. It's not the top of the toe bumper, which can wear out quickly for me if it's not built up enough. Rather, the area right under the tip of the shoes wore more than rest of the outsole. I would still say the durability was good for me, but I wouldn't put in the same class as the Gel Resolutions."

Traction - Score: 3.7

For the majority of our testers, the Gel Challenger 12s provided everything they needed to move confidently around the court. The level of traction met Brittany's expectations. She said, "I honestly didn't think about the traction during the playtest. I got the grip I needed on aggressive changes of direction, and there was just that slight amount of give that keeps me from feeling stuck. I really have no complaints in this area."

Michelle agreed, adding, "With the same outsole pattern as the Gel Resolution, these Gel Challenger 12s offered a good amount of traction. It wasn't too sticky or too slippery. I didn't think much about the traction, which means it offered me everything I needed. I never slipped or got stuck. No complaints here."

In comparison to Asics's premium footwear, Tiffani noticed a few superficial differences. She said, "I often find Asics shoes to be rather loud on the hard courts. These outsoles squeaked some but not nearly as much as the Court FF 2s. The level of grip and give was good for me, and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary throughout the playtest."

On the other hand, Julie wasn’t happy with the traction. She explained, "Because I'm a very aggressive mover, I wanted better traction. I experienced some sliding, which I don't usually mind, but it wasn't always controlled and even unexpected at times. Players who aren't as aggressive with their movements as I am shouldn't experience this issue, but because I can sometimes get a little extreme, I need premium traction."

Weight - Score: 3.8

At 10.8 ounces (size 8.5), the Asics Gel Challenger 12s are considered lighter than average, but the scale only tells one part of the story. Brittany elaborated on that point, saying, "The weight of the shoes surprised me. Although the Gel Challenger 12s played just slightly lighter than average, their actual weight indicates that they should be very light and speedy. I honestly thought the shoes played a little heavier than their measured weight. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and I never felt like the weight hampered my movement. It's just something I noticed."

Michelle disagreed about how these shoes felt on court. She said, "These definitely weren't light shoes, but I never felt weighed down either. With similar DNA to the Gel Resolution, I thought the weight was just right for the support, stability and cushioning that these shoes offered. I felt speedy in the Challenger 12s, but not as connected to the court as I do in some of the lighter, quicker shoes."

Julie didn't have any concerns about the balance of weight and support. She said, "Weight-wise, these shoes were heavy enough to have great durability and light enough to keep me dynamic on my feet. I even think Asics could have added more weight for better lateral support."

While Tiffani didn't think the Gel Challenger 12s felt especially speedy, she was pleased with their balanced performance. She said, "These Gel Challenger 12s didn't feel nearly as quick as Court FF 2s even though they weigh less, and that could be because they're not quite as streamlined in their design. These shoes felt middle of the road in terms of weight, and they offered a good balance of performance features. In the Asics line-up, I would put them right in the middle of the spectrum. They feel lighter than the Gel Resolutions but heavier than the Solution Speed 3s."

Overall - Score: 3.9