Breakdown

Comfort: 8.4

Although most of our team experienced a substantial break-in period, the comfort factor of the Gel Resolution X was worth the wait. The underfoot cushioning felt plentiful, and the roomier fit allowed for a more comfortable experience on the whole. For Chris and his narrower feet, the expanded fit of the shoes was not the sort of update he was hoping for. He explained, "I found the Gel Resolution Xs to fit a bit generous on me compared to previous versions. I have narrow feet, and I found the midfoot through forefoot fit to feel roomier. I had some room at the ends of my pair of shoes, so I will go down a half size in the future to see if I can find a more secure fit. Also, the shoes require more of a break-in than previous versions. I felt the shoes were flexing and moving with my feet better after about four hours of hitting. I never felt any rubbing from the raised ankle collar on the medial side of the shoes, which was a concern when I first saw them. I expect excellent cushioning from Asics shoes, and the Gel Resolution Xs met my expectations. I also liked the level of the arch support, and never had any comfort issues under my feet."

For Oak, it took some digging to really get to the comfort these Gel Resolution Xs possess. He said, "These shoes need a bit of a break-in period, if you haven't heard that already. Durability has always been the name of the game with this family of shoes, but wow, these Gel Res Xs take it to a whole new level and then some. They are just absolute bricks in terms of their rigidity and construction — some of the most beefy and intimidating shoes I have ever tried. The cushioning is more than evident, but the shoes are so stiff I really did have some trouble even getting to the cushion. The ventilation feels plentiful, and I never felt like my feet were too cold or too sweaty. The arch support was not skimped on at all and is thankfully not obtrusive for someone like me with flat arches. The fit is definitely roomier compared to the previous versions of the shoes, and if I were buying these shoes for myself, I would probably size down a half size from a 9.5 to a 9. I actually enjoyed the additional room in the forefoot, but the additional room in the heel didn't feel quite as secure when it came to that locked-down feel I've come to expect from Asics." 

Jason was thrilled with the slightly more accommodating fit for his wider feet. He noted, "The roomier fit in the forefoot wasn't just from side to side, but it felt like it had more volume overall. I was skeptical of the mid-top medial side, but it did add to the comfort by eliminating some rubbing on my ankles that I had in the previous versions. The underfoot cushioning felt similar to the Gel Resolution 9s, which was fine with me because I had no problems with that level of cushioning. My main negative here was the soreness I was getting because the shoes were pretty stiff. They needed a good eight-plus hours of break-in for me." 

Ever the tinkerer, Troy found himself making some adjustments to the shoes and their fit, which is an upside of the customizable lacing system. He described, "I was overall pleased when it came to the comfort of these Gel Resolution X shoes. I would say they felt a bit heavy-duty when I first wore them, but after about a week of break-in they contoured well to my feet. The cushioning was good for the most part, and I found them to feel slightly more cushioned and padded under the foot compared to the Gel Resolution 9s. That said, the midsole cushioning doesn't absorb quite as much shock as the Asics Court FF 3. The arch support felt slightly low for me, and I was experiencing some plantar fasciitis, so I chose to use my after-market orthotics to help with the arch support. Another side note, I found the DYNALACING system to feel a bit restrictive, and it caused some unwanted pressure on top of my feet. After a couple of weeks of testing these shoes, I unlaced them and removed the lacing strap; this allowed me to use the middle eyelet like you traditionally would, and it opened up the fit of these shoes in the middle for a more comfortable feel." 

Foot Support / Stability: 8.8

While the fit was divisive among our playtest team, everyone seemed to be on the same page regarding the Gel Resolution X's support. The huge amount of stability offered went a long way for our testers, although the ankle-heel lockdown didn't feel quite as secure as some would have liked. For Troy, the support was ample enough to allow him to trust his movement. He said, "Overall, I found the support and stability to be very good with these shoes. In terms of lateral stability, these shoes delivered. I felt low enough to the court in the forefoot area, and with the Dynawall system, the lateral rigidity let me push off with full force. Once I broke these shoes in and altered the lacing system slightly, I found a good amount of support around my feet. If I had to knock these shoes in terms of support, it'd be the ankle region (I think this was a common theme with the playtesters). I felt like the opening around the ankle was just a bit too wide. Even when I used the last eyelets and cinched these shoes as tightly as I could, I felt my heels slipping up and down as I moved around the court. I never rolled an ankle or anything like that; it just felt weird as I was moving forward to track down a ball."

Jason was a bit let down in the realm of support overall, but he could still slide if necessary. He said, "The support is where I was most disappointed in this update. The foot opening is fairly wide, so I was unable to get a really locked-in fit and feel. I had some heel slippage issues when pushing off toward a short ball, but the stability continues to be top-notch. I am recovering from a recent ankle sprain, but these shoes had me feeling confident enough to plant and slide, which I had no issues with.”

The support of these Gel Resolution Xs was almost too much for Oak, but he still appreciated the obedient nature of the shoes. He explained, "These shoes have an unbelievable amount of stability. I suspect that for some players this will actually be too much stability, and I feel like the Gel Res has now surpassed the Court FF 3 in terms of its beefiness, sturdiness and level of support. These Gel Resolution Xs feel like they sacrificed their all-around playability for absurd levels of support and stability. The Gel Resolution now feels like a shoe that emphasizes choosing a style of movement before acting it out. Thankfully, the shoes are obedient when you do pick a particular input, be that offense or defense. As such, the Gel Resolution Xs are the epitome of support and solidity, but that may be too much for some players who aren't looking for that upper echelon of structure." 

While Chris felt the support was hindered by the fit, the stability went a long way toward boosting his confidence. He said, "I found the stability of the Gel Resolution Xs to be excellent. Once the shoes were broken in and moving with my feet, I felt very stable in them. Support was a little lacking, but that was down to the fit of the shoes. Even when using the outer set of eyelets on the lateral side of the lace system, I wasn’t able to cinch the shoes tightly enough to prevent my feet from sliding around inside them."

Overall Sole Durability: 9.3

Durability is perhaps where the Gel Resolution Xs shone the most, and everyone on our team noticed little to no wear on their shoes by the end of the playtest. Chris thought the durability was excellent. He said, "As with previous versions of the Gel Resolutions, I found this update to be very durable. At the end of the test, both the outsoles and toes were holding up well. I had tread left on the outsole under the big toe of my right foot, and I typically wear this area smooth very quickly. Likewise, the uppers above my toes had some scuffing but no significant wear." 

Oak found the shoes to be unusually rugged, even by Asics' high standards. He said, "I imagine these shoes have a half-life of a couple billion years or so! No, but seriously, these are some of the most durable shoes I have ever seen, and this is coming from a line that has defined itself by its durability. I have put in more than 25 hours over the course of a few months and the Gel Resolution Xs still look pretty much brand new. I am shocked at how well they have held up. The Gel Resolution Xs are unbelievable in terms of how strong their construction is. They're just absolute bricks really, and I mean that as a compliment. I feel like you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who could really burn through these outsoles or uppers. I'm curious to see if anyone on the pro tours ends up switching to them."  

The Gel Resolution X's outsole showed pretty much no wear for Jason. He described, "The outsole is once again proving to be quite durable for me. I was able to get about 12-plus hours on these, and I can't see any wear and tear on the rubber material." 

Troy also had absolutely no concerns in this category. He said, "Overall, I have no complaints when it comes to durability. The outsoles were very tough, and although I didn't actually cut the shoe in half to see how thick they actually are, it felt like they were pretty beefy. I wore these shoes quite a bit during this playtest, both because I liked the comfort and because I felt so secure in them. If I had to estimate, I probably played in these shoes for 30 hours or so, and the outsole rubber held up tough. There was some slight balding of the tread on the medial side of the toes, but for the most part, there was a lot of rubber left to burn. I don't typically turn my foot over far enough for the upper material to drag or cause friction with the court, so for me, the upper material had a nice balance of being durable but also having some flexibility to it and maintaining good comfort." 

Traction: 9.0

Traction proved to be another area where our team was on the same page, with everyone enjoying the easy grip of the Gel Resolution Xs and their ability to effectively maneuver on court with precision. Troy was able to trust his footwork with these shoes, and he didn't feel like the traction was ever working against him. He explained, "I had plenty of grip, from the first time I wore them to after a couple months of testing them. Like most shoes, I preferred the level of grip from the rubber outsoles after these shoes had been broken in for about a week or so. I felt like the traction was pretty much ideal for me; not too sticky and not too slick. Keep in mind I am not a hard court slider, so I can't really attest to how well they work for that." 

Since Jason's game tends to involve some sliding, traction is something that can make or break a shoe for him. He said, "I really enjoyed the level of traction I got from these shoes. They have enough grip for pushing off but also enough slickness to them that I was able to slide a bit with no issues. They feel like they might be a bit slicker than the Gel Resolution 9s, but not as much as the Court FF 3s."

Oak thought the Gel Resolution Xs had ample traction to help him maneuver and pivot effectively. He described, "The traction on these shoes feels more than satisfactory. They aren't as nimble as the 8s or 9s, but they don't feel like they need to be. The shoes allow for controlled slides, and they were responsive enough to keep me speedily moving through my shots during most points. I liked the push-off traction, or what I like to call the 'jump' of the shoes, that being the first initial step you take toward the ball. The overall traction wasn't anything exceptional, but it definitely could get the job done."

The Gel Resolution X's traction left nothing to be desired for Chris. He noted, "The traction in the Gel Resolution Xs was great. I liked that I could move aggressively and get all the grip I needed. The outsoles also had enough give to keep me from feeling too stuck to the court when I was looking to pivot or take small adjustment steps."

Weight: 7.3

Despite the uptick in weight from the previous versions, our team never felt like the Gel Resolution Xs were slowing them down too much on the court. For Chris, the shoes did feel "weightier," but that was to be expected given the changes made to their design. He said, "The Gel Resolution Xs felt a bit heavy compared to the 8s and 9s. I think I was more cognizant of them during play because they fit loose on my feet. The longer break-in period also gave the shoes a weightier feel during the first week of hitting. With that said, I felt like I was moving well in them. The cushioning had a responsive feel, and I was sprinting around the court well." 

While Oak was well aware of the shoes' inherent weight, that didn't stop him from being able to move with intention. He said, "Man, these Gel Resolution Xs are so intense. They're intense in terms of their construction, but they are very heavy shoes on top of all that. Thankfully, they're still fairly quick in terms of their handling. I actually don't mind a heavier shoe because I feel like it slows me down and helps me be more intentional sometimes with my footwork."

Jason noticed a slight drop in maneuverability while wearing these shoes. He described, "The weight is notable. You will feel the weight of these Gel Resolution Xs on your feet, especially if you are coming from a sub-13-ounce shoe. I'm not sure if the heel slippage contributed to the fact that I thought these shoes felt a bit clunky, or if it was just the weight — maybe both?"

As his Gel Resolution Xs broke in, Troy didn't feel negatively affected by their increased weight. He explained, "These shoes are definitely on the heavier side of the spectrum. Now, I will mention that I am OK with my court shoes being somewhat heavy as long as they deliver on the comfort, support and stability. With that said, these Gel Resolution X shoes were noticeably heavier than the previous version and most of the versions that I have tested over the years. I would say the weight of these shoes coming in close to 16 ounces for a men's size 10.5 is pretty beefy. I thought they felt a bit clunky in the initial phase of testing, but after a week or two of wear, they became a bit more flexible as I moved around the court, and the heft wasn't as much of a problem. After a few weeks of testing these Gel Resolution Xs and adjusting the lacing system, I didn't think about the weight of the shoes much because I felt comfortable and well supported."

Breakdown Summary