Asics Gel-Excite 11 vs Asics Gel-Pulse 17:
Which to Choose

October 8, 2026

Verdict

These are close cousins, not opposites — same drop, same stability, same distances, same damped-but-firm character — so there's no wrong answer here. It comes down to how much range you want: the Gel-Pulse 17 is the lighter, slightly livelier, more flexible daily trainer that still has something left when you speed up, while the Gel-Excite 11 is the more heavily cushioned, heel-friendly, strictly-easy-pace option. If you ever vary your pace, take the Pulse; if every run is a slow, steady jog, the Excite does that one job with a touch more plushness.

Asics Gel-Excite 11

74.95 USD

Asics Gel-Pulse 17

89.95 USD

Pace

2 of 6

Cushioning

4 of 6

Responsiveness

2 of 6

Stability

4 of 6

Drop

11 mm

Support

Neutral

Plate

None

Distances

10KHalf

Pace

3 of 6

Cushioning

4 of 6

Responsiveness

3 of 6

Stability

4 of 6

Drop

11 mm

Support

Neutral

Plate

None

Distances

10KHalf

At a Glance

Asics Gel-Excite 11Asics Gel-Pulse 17

Who Should Choose Each Shoe

Choose

Asics Gel-Excite 11

Choose the Gel-Excite 11 if you're a beginner or a heel striker whose single priority is a forgiving, protective cushion for easy runs and building a base, and who has no interest in ever picking up the pace. Its firmer EVA foam and pronounced heel-biased geometry are tuned for soft, predictable landings at a relaxed jog, and if "comfortable and planted" matters to you far more than "light and quick," the extra weight won't bother you.

Choose

Asics Gel-Pulse 17

Choose the Gel-Pulse 17 if you want one dependable shoe that covers everyday mileage but can also stretch to easy-to-moderate efforts without feeling stuck in one gear. The lighter 275g build, slightly taller FF Blast stack, and broader optimal pace window make it the better call for a recreational runner who logs steady base miles but occasionally wants to push a little, and it's the smarter single-trainer pick if your weekly running isn't strictly slow.

Head-to-Head

Start with what's identical, because most of it is: both ride on an 11mm drop, both carry a moderate neutral platform (stability 4/6) with no pronation correction and no plate, both pair GEL in the heel with a firm midsole, and both are at their best cruising a 10K or half at an easy, steady effort. The differences are in the foam and the mass. The Excite 11 uses EVA-based Amplifoam+ on a 38mm/27mm stack and weighs 290g in a men's US 9 — its ride is cushioned but notably dead, protective rather than springy, and it lets you know it would rather cruise the moment you lift the pace. The Pulse 17 swaps in FF Blast foam on a slightly taller 39mm/28mm stack and comes in lighter at 275g; that 15g drop plus the marginally livelier foam gives it a little more pop and a broader usable range. You can see it in the pace numbers: the Excite is optimal around 6:00–7:00 min/km and runs out of road by about 5:45, while the Pulse is comfortable at 5:30–6:30 and will still hold a 5:00–5:30 effort before the firm, plateless setup flattens out. Neither is bouncy or energetic — both read as damped and controlled — but the Pulse is the more versatile, slightly quicker daily trainer, and the Excite is the more single-minded easy-run and heel-strike cushion shoe.