Asics Gel-Course Glide Performance Review

The most important thing you can get from any reviewer is complete honesty. So, in the spirit of being honest, I have a confession to make – up until about 10 years ago, I had no clue what Asics was or what it did. That might seem like hyperbole, but I can promise you that it’s not.

The first thing you need to know about me is that I HATE running – with a passion. If you’ve read any of my other reviews (which you should by the way! They’re all right here), you might be thinking “didn’t this dude play basketball?” and you would be right, I played basketball – but I didn’t play running. I loved being in the paint and hanging around the 3-point line (coaches didn’t love that all the time) but I despised getting up and down the floor. So yeah, a shoe company that is dedicated to running would definitely fly under my radar. And they would have stayed that way had it not been for my wife.

My wife comes from a completely different background. Her family loves running – like seriously, they LOVE running. My father-in-law has run 11 marathons in his life and Asics has been a go-to brand for him for decades at this point. So when he heard me talking to my wife about shoes just to walk around in, they were the first brand that popped into his mind. Doing like any good son-in-law should I took his recommendation and bought a pair of Asics for my family’s first Disney trip 10 years ago or so, and I have been a believer in them ever since (Editor’s Note: View our list of the Best Asics Shoes here).

Knowing Asics’ track record with walking and running shoes, I was super excited a couple of years ago when they announced their partnership with Srixon/Cleveland Golf. I was hoping they would be able to bring their combination of style, performance, and comfort to the golf course. And with the Asics Gel-Course Glide I can tell you that they most certainly did!

Style

As I said above, Asics is a company that makes running shoes and the Asics Gel-Course Glide definitely looks like a shoe that a running-focused company produced. That might offend some of the golf traditionalists but outside of the Jordan 12’s that I wear, these shoes are the ones that have gotten me the most compliments. I think that’s due to the simplicity of their styling.

Aside from the signature “Tiger Stripes” on both sides and the alternative ASICS logo on the heel, there isn’t a ton going on, which I think most golfers really appreciate. The Asics Gel-Course Glide is just a really great-looking shoe that happens to be a golf shoe.  

Traction

Sometimes while doing these reviews a shoe or a product can be a victim of circumstance, I feel that may have been the case while I was testing the Asics Gel-Course Glide. I wore these for the first time a couple of days after I had completely gotten my doors blown off by the UA Charged Curry Spikeless and to compare the two isn’t truly a fair fight.

That’s not to say that the traction here with the Asics Gel-Course Glide is bad – it’s just not overkill the way that the Currys are. At no point during my round with these did I feel like I didn’t have control, I just didn’t feel nailed to the ground in the same way as the best golf shoe I’ve tested to date.

Cushion

It should come as no surprise to anyone that a company that routinely produces shoes for marathoners and ultra-marathoners would be able to thread the needle on offering a comfortable option for people walking on grass for a few hours. I keep going back to Asics because they’re pound-for-pound some of the most comfortable shoes on the market, and the Asics Gel-Course Glide keeps with that standard. The use of an Ortholite insole paired with Asics-patented FlyteFoam gives the Gel-Course Glide shock absorption that is second to none in this space.

Support

While I have found the Asics Gel-Course Glide to be a supportive shoe during my rounds with them, I could see how others might have a different experience. Although the upper is supportive and allows ample wiggle room for us wide-footed folk, these shoes are cut low on the ankle. So if you’re someone with weak ankles or are prone to twisting your ankles while looking for your ball in the rough, these might not be for you.

Asics Gel-Course Glide Summary

Since my first family Disney trip, Asics has been in my walking shoe rotation and now with the Asics Gel-Course Glide, they’ll be in my golf course rotation as well. The Gel-Course Glides is a lightweight, breathable option not only for walking 18 holes but also for casual Fridays at the office.