The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 is an affordable, heel-striker-biased shoe that's a good pick for daily training. Its firm platform absorbs impact fairly well, and its excellent stability makes it a very trustworthy option for beginners. It can handle long runs decently, too, so it stays dependable as you build mileage. However, the ride is very dull, lacking the spring and bounce of more exciting shoes, and its awful energy return makes it inefficient on extended efforts or when picking up the pace.
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Our Verdict
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 isn't a bad option for marathons if you're looking to complete rather than compete. Its cushioning holds up acceptably as the miles build, while its amazing stability keeps the platform trustworthy as fatigue sets in. However, make no mistake, this is far from a propulsive racer. Its heavy build is cumbersome over distance, while the midsole returns very little energy, making the ride deeply inefficient. The rocker also flattens too easily under load to deliver enough roll. It's best suited to runners looking to finish on a budget rather than chase a fast time.
Midsole absorbs impact acceptably as miles build.
Amazing stability keeps ride secure when fatigued.
Dull midsole makes turnover tiring and inefficient.
Weight feels cumbersome as miles build.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 is an unremarkable choice for 5K and 10K racing. Its incredibly firm forefoot provides a planted base through toe-off, and it takes a good amount of force to bend, so it provides some leverage too. However, it's much too heavy to turn over quickly, and the compliant rocker limits how much that stiffness translates into propulsion. Very little energy is returned when the forefoot unbends as well, so the shoe lacks the snap needed to race efficiently
Extremely firm forefoot makes toe-off secure.
Too heavy to turnover at speed.
Awful energy makes it cumbersome when picking up the pace.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 performs adequately over the course of a long run. Its cushioning holds up passably as the miles build, while its excellent stability keeps the ride controlled as fatigue sets in. However, its bulk becomes increasingly cumbersome over distance, and the lack of energy returned makes maintaining pace much harder. The rocker also flattens too easily under load to deliver adequate roll, making it difficult to settle into an efficient rhythm.
Midsole absorbs impact acceptably as miles build.
Amazing stability keeps ride secure when fatigued.
Dull midsole makes turnover tiring and inefficient.
Weight feels cumbersome as miles build.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 is a good pick for daily training. The ride's amazing stability makes it very secure, especially for beginners who need a shoe that's easy to trust. Its midsole also offers adequate shock absorption over shorter distances, so your legs get a reasonable amount of protection. That said, the rocker isn't particularly smooth, and its significant heft plus very bad energy return make the shoe bulky and cumbersome to turn over at pace.
Amazing stability makes shoe easy to trust.
Provides adequate impact protection over daily training distances.
Dull midsole makes turnover tiring and inefficient.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 18, 2026: Review published.
- Updated Aug 17, 2026: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 29, 2026: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jun 25, 2026: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jun 22, 2026: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
We've bought and tested more than 250 running shoes. Every pair purchased with our own money, never supplied or sponsored by brands. Our data-driven tests are designed to go beyond marketing claims, and since every shoe goes through the exact same methodology, you can directly compare results to find the right pair for your needs.
Test Results
Energy Return
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 has awful energy return. Neither the heel nor the forefoot returns much of the force you put into the midsole, so you get almost no rebound assistance through your stride and have to do most of the work yourself.
Ride is very flat.
Awful overall regardless of strike pattern.
The energy return in the forefoot of this shoe is terrible. Landings are very dull with little rebound, sapping the effort you put in.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 has awful energy return in the heel. Though it's better than the ASICS GEL-CUMULUS 28, both shoes feel dead on landing.
Stability
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 is an amazingly stable shoe. The superbly firm heel and forefoot make landing and toe-off very secure, and the generous outsole provides a structured base underfoot, so the tall stack doesn't wobble.
Generous outsole width is very secure.
Firm forefoot makes push-off very trustworthy.
Heel landings are super reliable.
The heel of this shoe is very firm indeed, providing heel strikers with a secure platform for landings.
Cushioning
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 is adequately cushioned overall, but the protection depends heavily on where you land and how much force you put through the shoe. Heel strikers get good protection once the load increases, while the forefoot does the opposite and becomes increasingly harsh for heavier runners or at faster paces. It's therefore much better suited to heel strikers than forefoot strikers.
Protection in heel is good at moderate and high force levels.
Forefoot is harsh as more force is applied.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 has decent heel cushioning overall, though its protection changes considerably with load. It's unremarkable at lighter forces, but improves significantly when more force is applied, so heavier heel strikers or runners moving at moderate to faster paces get good impact protection from the road.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 has okay forefoot cushioning overall. It provides decent protection against lighter forces, but deteriorates significantly as the load increases. Heavier forefoot strikers or runners picking up the pace will get a ride that is rich with groundfeel.
Though not quite as good as shoes like the ASICS NOVABLAST 6, this shoe can just about handle 40km without bottoming out. It outperforms the ASICS GEL-CUMULUS 28 in this regard, too.
Bounciness
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 isn't a bouncy shoe. Neither end of the midsole compresses much under load, and both return very little energy when they rebound. The result is a rigid, flat ride with almost no spring underfoot, regardless of where you land
Lacks spring underfoot.
Rebound does little to assist your momentum.
Snappiness
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 has unremarkable snap overall. It has some of the ingredients for a snappy shoe, with a remarkably firm forefoot that takes a good amount of force to bend, providing some leverage through toe-off. However, the forefoot still isn’t especially stiff, and the gentle rocker angle plus the small amount of stored energy returned when the shoe unbends mean its toe-off lacks any real juicy punch.
Firm forefoot adds structure to toe-off.
Forefoot takes a lot of force to bend, providing leverage.
Lack of forefoot stiffness limits overall snap.
Shoe stores and returns small amount of energy when bent and unbent, limiting propulsion.
This shoe does a bad job returning the energy stored when bent as it unbends. Thanks to its lacklustre energy return, this means toe-off is flat rather punchy.
Roll
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 rolls adequately overall. Its early forefoot rocker and the amount of force needed to bend the forefoot help it hold its shape and provide some leverage late in stance. However, the rocker is much too compliant and flattens easily under load, while the gentle rocker angle limits how quickly the shoe transfers you onto the toes. The heel geometry is also only okay, so heel strikers get a bit of assistance moving into midstance, but not a particularly quick rollover.
Forefoot rocker positioning adds some smoothness through stride.
Stiff forefoot makes transitions more fluid.
Compliant rocker reduces forward assistance.
The rocker of this shoe loses its shape very easily, providing little assistance to roll through toe-off.
True To Size
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 fits true to size overall. The length is spot on, and there's ample width through the forefoot and arch. The only slight issue is the toe box. The height is quite low compared to our reference fit, so runners with especially tall toes or who lift them on landing may experience some rubbing. That said, we don't believe it's a significant enough issue and advise you to go with your usual size.
Length is bang-on.
Forefoot and arch width is generous enough for most runners.
Low toe box may rub for some runners.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 is a heavy shoe, even for a daily trainer. It's much heavier than shoes like the ASICS GEL-CUMULUS 28, and that heft is noticeable on foot.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 uses an EVA-based midsole. Though it's a basic compound, it offers similar protection to the slightly more premium foam found in the ASICS GEL-CUMULUS 28.
Popular Running Shoe Comparisons
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 is a no-frills trainer that sits below the ASICS GEL-CUMULUS 28 within the brand's lineup. Despite the CUMULUS 28 costing far more, there's very little between them on the road. The CUMULUS 28 is a bit lighter and smoother through the stride, with a hair more stability, but the difference is hardly noticeable. The GEL-EXCITE 11 offers better impact protection across the board, especially for heel strikers. If you don't mind the extra bulk of the GEL-EXCITE 11, it's the better pick. If you want a budget shoe from another brand, however, the ANTA PG7 3 is the one to get. It gives up some of the amazing stability of both ASICS shoes. That said, it's still decently stable underfoot and stands out in its price range for its impressive impact protection, keeping legs fresher whether you're a new runner or an old hand looking for the best bang for your buck.
For more options from the brand, check out our top picks for ASICS shoes. If you're looking to make your budget go as far as possible, check our best cheap running shoe picks.
The ASICS NOVABLAST 6 is a better shoe than the ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11. It offers significantly more impact protection, as well as being lighter and peppier underfoot. It's also more versatile, much more capable over long runs and marathon efforts. However, the Gel-Excite 11 is cheaper and more stable, so if you don't have the budget for the Novablast 6 and just want a trustworthy shoe when you're getting started running, the Gel-Excite 11 ticks those boxes.
The ASICS GEL-CUMULUS 28 is a slightly better daily trainer than the ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11, but the cost-to-performance gains aren't worth it. Both offer adequate shock absorption and amazing security underfoot, while the CUMULUS 28 is a bit smoother through stride. It's also less bulky, though it's still not a nimble shoe by a stretch. However, it costs significantly more and isn’t as protective over long runs, so if you don't mind the extra heft of the GEL-EXCITE 11, we advise getting that shoe instead.
The ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 and Diadora Nucleo 2 perform very similarly overall, but the ASICS is a much better value for money. It's significantly cheaper and has a more even cushioning profile, making it more protective for a wider range of runners. The Diadora is undeniably more stylish, but unless looks matter enough to justify the extra cost, get the ASICS.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the ASICS GEL-EXCITE 11 in a men's U.S. size 9 in the Foggy Teal/Ocean Haze colorway. Here's the label for our pair. Several other colorways are available depending on your region and whether you buy the men's or women's version. This shoe is available in Regular, Wide and Extra-Wide Sizing. The design section applies specifically to the pair we tested, but we expect other sizes and gender variants to perform similarly.
