Asics Gel Challenger 14 review

We cannot think of a better shoe than the ASICS Gel Challenger 14 if:

• 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.

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 very 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.

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?

Well, as our Dremel test shows, not so much.

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!

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).

Worrying about impact protection is absolutely unnecessary with the ASICS Gel Challenger 14. It has more cushioning than 60% of our lab-tested tennis shoes!

Measuring the shoe's heel stack, we got 30.4 mm. Same as the Adidas Barricade 13 (30.2 mm).

There is also a generous amount of forefoot cushioning in the Challenger 14. It's got a good level of responsiveness for split steps and explosive launches.

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.

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.

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.

Lateral stability test: ASICS Gel Resolution 9

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.

Lateral stability test: ASICS Gel Challenger 14

The brand's DYNAWALL system creates such a strong midfoot hold 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.

Assessing its stiffness on a 1-5 scale, we gave it nearly the highest - 4 out of 5.

Interestingly enough, the ASICS Gel Challenger 14 managed to achieve a very 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.

The shoe's DYNAWALL support ends near the forefoot, creating a good breaking point for the foot to bend at the metatarsal joints.

To give you an idea of how the Gel Challenger 14 measures against other tennis shoes, we used our in-house flexibility test. We bent the shoe to a 90-degree angle with the help of a force gauge and the tool showed that it took only 23.2N. That's a whole 33% less than it takes on average!

What's amazing about the Challenger 14 is that you get to enjoy the highest quality of grip but for $50 less! We found that the traction pattern on this ASICS shoe is 100% identical to that of the Gel Resolution 9!

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 fit of the ASICS Gel Challenger 14 can be described as perfectly medium. Having medium-width feet ourselves, we felt like the shoe's toebox was fine-tuned to our footshape.

Our subjective experience was also confirmed by our caliper measurements. In the widest part of the forefoot, the tool returned 101.1 mm which is an average reading for a tennis shoe.

There is also no drastic tapering of the shoe towards the toes. At the big to mark, we measured the upper's width at 76.8 mm. Right about the same as the average.

But if you are someone with wide feet, you will probably be left wishing for more in-shoe space. In that case, we recommend looking into the ASICS Gel Resolution 9 which is available in wide options.

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.

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.

There are no heel tabs to hold 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.

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.