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Product Overview
Overall
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Comfort
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Durability
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Stability
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Breathability
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Weight
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Fit and Size
Summary
If you are looking for a high-quality tennis shoe at a decent price range than you want to check out the Asics Gel Challenger 12. This shoe is going to provide you with excellent comfort, good traction on all court surface and lightweight.
However, the breathability of the shoe is not the best on the market. Also, as you keep playing with it the upper keeps stretching. Apart from these criticisms of the shoe, it’s a fantastic shoe to help elevate your game to the next level.
Pros
- Excellent comfort
- Lightweight
- Has many colour options
- Good durability
Cons
- Breathability needs improvement
- Upper expands as you play
Asics continues to take tennis shoes to another level when they released the high-performing tennis shoe the Asics Gel Challenger 12. This shoe is very unique with the way it is made and how it can enhance your game on the court.
However, the big question that most fans and players want to know is, can this shoe leave up to the expectation like the Gel Resolution, Court FF and Solution Speed?
This post is going to provide you with an in-depth review of this shoe and allow you to decide for yourself if this shoe is worth adding to your collection and spending your hard-earn money on it.
If you are ready like me, I suggest you make yourself comfortable because you are in for a nice ride. Let’s start with the design and cosmetic of the shoe. Shall we?
Table of Contents
Design
Right out of the box, the design and cosmetic of the shoe look stunning and very attractive. Honestly, you cannot resist looking at these shoes because the colours Asics selected and used are spot on. At least from my point of view.
If you were to ask me which is my favourite colour out of these shoes I would say the white/blue and the blue with a little black on it. If you are a player that sometimes struggle with confidence or self-esteem then maybe wearing such a cool design shoe like this one onto the court is going to help you a lot.
What a fantastic job from Asics for doing their homework very well when it comes to the design of the shoe. It is on the same wavelength as other tennis shoes such as the Asics Solution Speed FF and Nike Air Zoom Vapor X Knit.
Upper
In terms of comfort, this shoe is right at the top. However, the issue with the upper is that it stretches over time which can be very uncomfortable and unstable. This is something to look out for especially if you have a narrow foot.
Now let’s take a deeper dive into the materials used to make the upper. Firstly, it is made of mesh material which is going to provide you with excellent comfort.
This is great news for you if you tend to play intense matches regularly. You are assured that your feet would stay comfortable and secure throughout the match.
Furthermore, the use of mesh material is going to provide you with breathability. I would say the breathability is fairly okay but not the best on the market.
If you want some of the best breathability tennis shoes then I highly recommend you to check out Adidas Ubersonic 4 and Adidas SoleMatch Bounce.
And secondly, it has seamless construction which features an irritation-free fit. This is going to be very useful for you at dealing with rubbing. As you probably know rubbing can be very annoying and can slow your game down.
Toe Box and Tongue
If you are a toe dragger don’t worry because this shoe got you covered. The toe box area is wrapped up with PGuard which is going to provide you with good durability. Also, if you are an aggressive player then having this type of shoe on your list is going to be super useful.
Moreover, the tongue is an anti-gravel which does a great job at preventing any debris or sand from entering the shoe. Again making it more comfortable for you on the court.
Lacing System
When you look at the lacing system it looks similar to the Asics Gel Resolution 7 with the way it is constructed. Firstly, it has got extra holes for you to use if you want a more secure and nice fit.
On top of the tongue, it has a leather hole connected to it. This allows you to lace through it and it’s a good way to keep the tongue stable. This is nice to have as a player because you don’t want the tongue of your shoe to be disturbing you consistently throughout the match.
Although, I would say having an eyelet instead of the leather holes would make it more durable. I guess this is more to do with personal preference than a must.
Outsole
The outsole of this shoe is a bargain when you compare it with the price. They used the AHAR material which stands for Asics High Abrasion Resistant rubber. The purpose of this is to provide you with excellent durability. If you are a player that plays for 10 hours plus then this is the perfect shoe for you.
Furthermore, a Trusstic System has been incorporated into the outsole to help make the shoe lightweight whiles at the same time linking the forefoot and rearfoot.
This way it prepares you for propulsion so that you can move forward with confidence.
The outsole is specifically designed in high-stress areas which would supply you with excellent cushioning and grip without compromising the shoe durability.
And lastly, this outsole is designed specifically for tennis shoes, which does a great job at bringing the perfect level of grip and traction needed to glide around the court without sliding and slipping.
Weight and Size
Coming at a weight of 12.6 ounces and a size of 10.5. This shoe is definitely on the lightweight category. This is going to be super useful to your game because it would help you with your speed and make it more enjoyable to play with.
In terms of size, this shoe favours players who have a medium or wide foot. If you are in either of these foot sizes you would enjoy wearing this shoe. If you have a narrow foot you shouldn’t get discouraged because you want to check out these best tennis shoes for narrow feet. These shoes are worth the look.
Midsole
The midsole is a Solyte material which resides underfoot for lightweight cushioning, keeping you feathery on your feet and nimble on the courts. Also, beneath the Solyte material are the rearfoot and forefoot GEL Cushioning Systems.
If you don’t know what that is. It basically works to reduce shock during impact phase such as when you volley and lop or landing onto unforgiving surfaces.
And lastly, it has a removable OrthoLite sockliner which does very well to contribute towards the customised fit for this shoe and act as an extra layer of anatomical comfort.
Colour Options
Another key strength of this shoe is how it has countless of colours to select from. It’s worth looking through them and see which one you prefer and suit your tennis outfit.
Price
The last point to talk about is the price of this shoe. It is close to the $100 mark which is not bad when you compare it with the awesome features it brings to your game.
Final Thoughts!!
In conclusion, I hope you enjoyed reading this post about the full in-depth review of the Asics Gel Challenger 12. As you can see Asics has done a good job with the shoe by making it look nice and very comfortable to wear.
However, there is still room for some improvement such as how the upper expands as you play which can get uncomfortable for players with narrow feet. Also, the breathability of the shoe needs improvement.
With that said it comes at a fantastic price and excellent durability on the court. I would end by saying if you manage to pick this shoe up, I wish you a lot of success in your future matches.
