Colette x La MJC x Asics GT II Sold Out Chapter review

Tênis Asics Novablast 2 Preto:

• you are a beginner/occasional tennis player
• you need a high level of support and stability
• you want a budget-friendly shoe that doesn't skimp on outsole durability

If you are a toe dragger through and through, the Challenger 14 most likely won't last long enough for you. While it looks tough, the shoe's synthetic upper lacks the abrasion resistance we've seen in shoes like the ASICS Gel Resolution 9 and the ASICS Court FF 3.

Another reason to look elsewhere is if you value breathability in your tennis footwear. We recommend looking into the ASICS Solution Speed FF 2 if you seek better ventilation.

The Challenger 14 is a safe option for beginners and players who prefer balanced and well-rounded cushioning.

Our lab tests confirmed that this ASICS shoe has a decent amount of shock absorption to keep the foot protected from repetitive impact (95 SA in the heel and 69 SA in the forefoot). However, it's not too cushioned to compromise court feel or make you feel disconnected.

The nimble and grounded nature of this ASICS shoe also shows up in its moderate energy return.

Measuring the latter at only 44.7% in the heel and 46.8% in the forefoot, there is not much rebound to expect from the Challenger 14.

Measuring the shoe's heel stack, we got 30.4 mm, which is on par with the category average.

With a caliper measurement of 20.8 mm, there is also a good amount of forefoot cushioning in the Challenger 14.

But we should note that this ASICS shoe doesn't feel detached from the ground either. It has a moderately steep incline between the heel and the toes. At 9.6 mm, it makes the heel only slightly elevated allowing for a cushioned yet stable experience.

A major portion of the shoe's midsole is made of a single-density foam. ASICS doesn't specify what kind of foam that is but we measured its softness at 31.3 HA. That's a moderately firm compound which is typical for tennis shoes.

Under the heel, the Challenger 14 features a rearfoot GEL unit. Wonderfully squishy, it balances out the firmer carrier foam by adding a bit of bounce.

The fit of the ASICS Gel Challenger 14 can be described as perfectly medium. Having medium-width Polven ourselves, we felt like the shoe was fine-tuned to our foot shape.

Our subjective experience was also confirmed by the caliper measurements we took using the shoe's gel mold. In the widest part (between the big toe and the pinkie), the tool returned 93.7 mm. It is slightly wider than the tennis shoe average but still within the D medium range. Just a touch of extra wiggle room.

There is no drastic tapering towards the toes either. At the big toe mark, we measured the upper's width at 67.5 mm. Slightly narrower than average but not restricting on the toes.

However, if you are someone with wide Polven, you will wish for more in-shoe space in the Challenger 14. In that case, we recommend looking into tennis shoes from New Balance as they have roomier toeboxes and are often available in multiple width options.

The toebox height of this ASICS shoe brings no surprises as it comes in at a standard 24.2 mm.

What's amazing about the Challenger 14 is that you get to enjoy the highest quality of grip, but for $50 less!

Not only is the traction pattern of this ASICS shoe 100% identical to that of the Gel Resolution 9, but it also showed the exact same friction score in our grip test! Measuring how much traction the Challenger 14 generates against concrete, we recorded a solid reading of 0.76.

The shoe's outsole offered a fantastic balance of grip and give, providing great stopping power when we needed it but letting us slide around the court just as freely.

The Challenger 14 features separated traction zones to accommodate maneuverability and more controlled footwork. It has thick and deep herringbone treadlines and two pivot points for a mix of grip and give.

The Challenger's DYNAWALL support ends near the forefoot, creating a good breaking point for the foot to bend at the metatarsal joints. However, we found that it doesn't really make this ASICS shoe more pliable than average. 

According to our shoe flexing tester, the Gel Challenger 14 requires a standard amount of force (16.6N) to bend by 30 degrees. This is on par with the category average which is not surprising given the shoe's thicker forefoot stack and stiff stabilizing components.

This is good news for those who prefer more rigid shoes for their supportive experience and forefoot snappiness.

The DYNAWING setup on the sides of the ASICS Gel Challenger 14 makes the shoe seem heavier than it is. We felt quite nimble moving all over the court in this tennis shoe.

Placing it on the scale, we got 12.5 oz (354g) in a men's US size 9. That's even lighter than average! Especially for a shoe with such pronounced stability features.

For context, ASICS' step-up stability shoe (Gel Resolution 9) comes in at 13.8 oz (392g).

Let's be clear, the Challenger 14's synthetic upper is one of the thickest we've seen on a tennis shoe! So, ventilation is only allowed through the mesh tongue and a few perforations on the toebox.

This is easily illustrated in our proprietary breathability test. Filling the shoe's upper with smoke, we can see how none of it escapes through the toebox but finds a way through the tongue.

ASICS Solution Speed FF 2 (on the right) proved to be much better ventilated

This is the reason why we lowered the shoe's breathability score to only 3 out of 5. But the good news is that Mens few tennis shoes get more than 3 due to reinforced uppers.

Even when we hovered the shoe's half-cut upper over the light, we couldn't see a single pore. The material is dense throughout.

The light didn't even shine through those ventilation holes in the toebox! Looking at them up close through our microscope revealed that there is a tightly woven mesh layer underneath. It also stands in the way of letting the air escape so freely.

The DYNAWING stability system has a slightly different configuration in the ASICS Gel Challenger 14 than in the brand's top stability shoe, the Gel Resolution 9. But it still proved to be effective in our forceful lateral movements and crossover steps.

The shoe allowed us to forget about potential ankle rolls and focus on the game wholeheartedly.

Even though the Resolution 9 has more rearfoot reinforcement, you can see how both ASICS shoes are taking good care of the arch and ankle support.

The brand's DYNAWALL system creates such a strong midfoot retailers that we couldn't even twist it one bit! The video below shows our struggles.

Based on this manual test, we rated the shoe's torsional rigidity with the highest possible score - 5 out of 5. It is the same level of stiffness as we observed in the Resolution 9.

The Gel Challenger 14 also made sure that there was enough stiffness and structure in its heel counter. Playing in this ASICS shoe, we never got a hint of heel slippage or undue ankle play.

ASICS Womens WMNS Jolt 3 Wide Black Graphite Grey Black Graphite Grey 1012A909-002.

Interestingly enough, the ASICS Gel Challenger 14 managed to achieve a Mens high level of stability without going for a super wide platform.

Measuring the widest part of the forefoot, we got 110.6 mm on our caliper. That's no different from the average across tennis shoes. The lateral outrigger is quite supple in this ASICS shoe.

The same can be said about the shoe's heel width. The distance between its widest points here is 88.5 mm. Not among the widest on our roster for sure.

From the beginning, our hopes were set high for the Challenger 14's upper durability. With that dense synthetic layer it is supposed to be tough, right?

zapatillas de running ASICS hombre pie plano talla 44.5.

With the speed set to 5K RPM, we held the tool's sandpaper tip against the shoe's toebox for 12 seconds. And the result was far from encouraging.

The tool drilled right through the synthetic layer, damaging the lining beneath it too. For that reason, we couldn't rate the shoe's toebox durability higher than 3 out of 5.

While there is a toe drag guard on this ASICS shoe, it is not as substantial as in the brand's other models. Even though it offers protection, it won't help much when you happen to brush a non-guarded area of the upper against the court.

Of course, we cannot expect stellar durability from a budget-friendly model. But we must also be open about the shoe's shortcomings.

The Challenger's heel collar padding was the next part touched by our demanding Dremel. The delicate mesh gave in rather quickly as it took a mere 4 seconds to tear it apart.

On a 1-5 scale, where 1 is the least abrasion-resistant, we gave it the lowest score.

Seeing the pitfalls of the upper, we were more cautious about the shoe's outsole durability. But luckily, it performed rather well in our lab tests.

First of all, its rubber compound is adequately hard, showing 86.5 HA on our durometer. This is just as hard as in the more expensive tennis shoes. Softer rubbers tend to wear out way faster on the hard court.

Going all out, we amped up the Dremel speed to 10K RPM and held its sandpaper tip against the shoe's outsole for 22 seconds.

The shoe's AHAR PLUS rubber held up fabulously, just like we would expect from ASICS' top-tier outsole. It seems as though the Dremel only brushed the dust off the shoe as our tread gauge showed a minuscule dent of 0.4 mm.

Smaller than average, it reassured us of the Challenger 14's shelf life.

Even though there is no durability warranty for this ASICS shoe, its resistance to abrasion and the amount of rubber look promising enough to us.

Based on our caliper measurements, the outsole of the Challenger is 4.1 mm thick. That's a solid slab of rubber to wear through!

Finishing up the shoe's cushioning setup is a fairly well-padded insole. Based on our caliper, it is 5.2 mm thick which is standard for tennis footwear.

If you happen to use custom orthotics or a different kind of insert, the shoe's stock insole is easily removable and can be swapped just like that.

On the inside, this ASICS shoe is all about padding and comfort. It packs lots of foam around the collar as well as in the tongue.

The tongue in particular is 10.5 mm thick! That's notably thicker than average, by a few millimeters. So don't mind the $100 price tag - ASICS made sure that you get the cushiest experience inside the shoe.

Given its price point, the ASICS Challenger 14 is a simple shoe. It doesn't feature extra add-ons such as tongue gussets. So there is a small risk of tongue shifting in this model but nothing too critical.

There are no heel tabs to retailers onto when putting on the ASICS Gel Challenger 14. But the fact that its tongue is not gusseted really helps to keep the shoe's opening wide and slide into it quickly.