ASICS GEL-ACE PRO M Standard Golf Shoes

ASICS GEL-ACE PRO M Standard Golf Shoes – Key Takeaways

Hideki Matsuyama’s shoe comes to North America. Lightweight spiked shoe with waterproof synthetic upper Two colorways: white with black trim and black with pure silver trim $199.99. Available starting today.

The new ASICS GEL-ACE PRO M Standard golf shoe is, to put it kindly, a mouthful. It also represents several firsts for the ASICS-Srixon North American partnership.

The first first? It’s ASICS’ first PGA TOUR-validated shoe introduced to the North American market. Yep, these are Hideki’s shoes.

The second first: it’s the first product introduced under the new Dunlop Sports Americas umbrella. Dunlop Sports is the new North American subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries.

And the third first is that the ASICS GEL-ACE PRO M Standard is the first ASICS golf offering in North America that maybe-kinda-sorta could be considered a “traditional” style golf shoe. It’s no modified wing-tip, but it’s definitely not an athletic-style golf shoe, either.

And, not for nothing, it may very well be the best golf shoe ASICS has released in North America. Given ASICS’ middle-of-the-road performance in our Buyer’s Guides, that may sound like a left-handed compliment. But after two rounds, we can safely say this is a starting lineup-level piece of footwear.

ASICS GEL-ACE PRO M Standard: Traditional?

It may be a stretch to call any ASICS golf shoe “traditional.” Until now, the ASICS North American lineup has had the same look and feel as ASICS running shoes. That’s not a bad thing if you like athletic-looking shoes.

And “traditional” is, undoubtedly, in the eye of the beholder.

But the GEL-ACE PRO M Standard (seriously ASICS, can we shorten the name?), while carrying plenty of ASICS DNA, does at least resemble a traditional golf shoe. At least it’s traditional-enough looking for Hideki Matsuyama.

While the rest of the ASICS lineup features a mesh-type upper with a waterproof polyurethane coating, the GEL-ACE PRO M Standard has a soft, waterproof synthetic leather upper. It’s much cleaner and less busy-looking than the rest of the ASICS lineup. Even the ASICS logo is understated. Relatively.

A Golf-Specific Trusstic

ASICS says the GEL-ACE PRO M Standard is designed for feel and stability. To that end it features a golf-specific iteration of a proprietary ASICS technology: the Trusstic.

Just what, pray tell, is a Trusstic?

Well, the root of the word should give you an idea.

Developed by the ASICS Institute of Sports Science, the Trusstic is sports-specific carbon-reinforced support in the arch of the shoe. It’s a truss for your arch. According to ASICS, Trusstic shapes are designed to reinforce the middle of the shoe for enhanced support and reduced twisting, based on a sport’s unique motion characteristics.

A tennis Trusstic, for example, is very different from a basketball Trusstic. The golf-specific Trusstic in the GEL-ACE PRO M Standard is an X-shaped support extending from the rearfoot to the forefoot. I’ve found ASICS spikeless shoes lacking in arch support (inserts were a must) but give Trusstic its due. It provides plenty of stability and eliminates the need for an arch support insert.

However, you pay for that added stability and support with weight. To offset that, the GEL-ACE PRO M Standard uses ASICS’ patented FlyteFoam® midsole. According to ASICS, it’s 55-percent lighter than the industry standard ethylene-viny-acetate (EVA) midsole. The shock-absorbing GEL in the heel provides additional cushioning.

Walking 18 in these babies is no problem.

Price and Availability

The sorta-kinda traditional-looking ASICS GEL-ACE PRO M Standard (I get tired just typing it) is available starting today at retail and online. It comes in two colorways: a classy white with black trim and an equally classy black with silver trim.

At launch, it will be available in men’s models only. It will be offered in full and half sizes in seven through 12 as well as full sizes 13 and 14. If you have a wide foot, however, this probably isn’t the shoe for you as it comes only in standard width.

The ASICS GEL-ACE PRO M Standard retails for $199.99.

For more information, visit Srixon.com.

ASICS GEL-COURSE DUO BOA – Laces Are For Suckers

Not to be lost in the GEL-ACE PRO M Standard whoop-de-doo, ASICS is also updating its other spiked shoe, the GEL-COURSE DUO BOA.

If, of course, by “updating,” you mean replacing old colorways with new colorways.

The GEL-COURSE DUO BOA was part of the first ASICS-Srixon North American launch in late 2019. It’s a more athletic-looking shoe than the GEL-ACE PRO M Standard and it eschews laces for BOA because, as Tony Covey says, laces are for suckers.

The new colorways are white with minimal black trim and black with minimal white trim. Other than styling, there’s no perceivable upgrade to the middle-of-the-road Buyer’s Guide performer.

The new GEL-COURSE DUO BOA shoes are also available starting today at retail and online. They’ll also be available in men’s only to start, in full and half sizes from seven through 12 and in full sizes 13 and 14, all in standard width.

They retail for $179.99. Srixon is discounting the older models at $129.99.

And One More Thing …

As mentioned, the new ASICS offerings are the first products launched under the new Dunlop Sports Americas umbrella. Earlier this spring, Srixon-Cleveland-XXIO announced its North American operation was being rebranded as Dunlop Sports Americas. For you history buffs, that’s the same Dunlop as the original British Dunlop golf and tennis company, originator of the Maxfli and Dunlop 65 balls.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries (the “SRI” in Srixon) first partnered with the Dunlop Tire brand in 1999. In 2016, Sumitomo acquired the trademark rights to Dunlop in 86 countries (Goodyear holds the Dunlop tire rights in the U.S.). In early 2017, Sumitomo established the Dunlop Sports Company Ltd. to run its golf and tennis operations.

The new Dunlop Sports Americas is now the umbrella company overseeing operations for Srixon, Cleveland and XXIO, and Dunlop tennis for all of North America. That’s why you’re seeing Dunlop branding on the hats and golf bags of Srixon staffers on Tour.

Srixon, Cleveland and XXIO branding will obviously remain in place. We did, however, ask if this means we might see Dunlop-branded golf balls returning to North America. The question was met with a noncommittal, “We’ll see.”

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