Article by Courtney Kelly and Sam Winebaum
ASICS GEL-Nimbus 27 Review ($165)
Introduction
Courtney: The popular Asics Gel-Nimbus daily trainer gets some solid updates in version 27. The Nimbus 27 promises more cushioning and ventilation in the upper changing from a knit to an engineered Jacquard.
The FF Blast Plus ECO foam remains the same but Asics added more, increasing the stack height by 2mm while simultaneously lowering the shoe’s weight 5g. Asics pledge to sustainability remains as the upper is constructed of 50%-75% recycled polyester with the midsole 20% bio based material.
Sam: Starting the Nimbus 25 the model saw radical change, dramatically increasing in stack height and platform width while losing its plastic midfoot stability shank and increasing in overall purposeful plushness top to bottom.
While visually very different than the 24 and a big risk, the Nimbus 25 and 26 were successful updates delivering in different form the same neutral ride with inherent stability of prior versions.
I did not personally test the Nimbus 26 (RTR Review), a relatively minor update focused on a knit upper and a new flavor of FF Blast Plus ECO. Here we get 2mm more stack height, aJacquard upper and some geometry tuning. I was eager to see how it ran, and if it now came off the heel more easily than the lumpy blocky 25’s rear platform, and especially at slower paces a key focus for the shoe's uses.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Very comfortable yet surprisingly responsive (Courtney)
Stiffness helps rolls foot from heel strike to toe off (Courtney)
Plenty room in the toe box (Courtney/Sam)
Inherently stable without overdoing it: great alternative for those unsure if they need serious pronation control of the Kayano, for walking and all day on your feet uses as well (Sam)
Consistent and protective underfoot platform: a great choice for new runners and heavier runners (Sam)
Easy to lock into pace, potential long run shoe (Courtney/Sam)
Improved rear geometry over the 25: less lumpy and broad feeling at slow paces (Sam)
Lots of colorway options (Courtney)
Great on both gravel and pavement surface (Courtney)
Felt smooth on hills (Courtney)
Cons:
Not sure I felt as much ventilation as I was expecting with the new jacquard knit (Courtney)
Not a speedster: best for recovery/daily miles (Courtney/Sam)
Overly stiff, could use some front flex: (Sam)
Relatively heavy (and dull riding) for a 2025 shoe with its stack height: time for a lighter and more energetic supercritical foam midsole: (Sam)
Most comparable shoes
Saucony Triumph 22
Hoka Bondi 8 and 9
Brooks Glycerin Max
Please find the testers full run bios at the end of the article after Comparisons.
Stats
Approx.Weight: men's 10.65 oz / 302g
Sample Weight: men’s 10.4 oz / 296g US8.5 (prior version weight
women’s 9.6oz / 273g US8.5
Stack Height:
men’s 43.5 mm heel / 35.5 mm forefoot (8mm drop spec)
women’s 42.5 mm heel / 34.5 mm forefoot (8mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 90 mm heel / 80 mm midfoot / 115 mm forefoot US M8.5
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Courtney: Super soft yet supportive and seamless on the foot, The Asics Gel-Nimbus is a max cushioned shoe meant for logging all the miles. The shoe slides on with ease, and sports a fully integrated heel pull tab.
The upper is made of jacquard fabric. Constructed with the fabric design woven in the knit allows the upper to be a single layer rather than multiple layers sewn or glued together. It is a stretchy fabric with the shoe’s tongue noticeably more flexible and thinner. The tongue lay completely flat and smooth even as I tightened the lacing. This allows for ultimate comfort, breathability and fit to the foot.
With a narrower midfoot, I needed to adjust the lockdown to ensure a snug and secure ride, while still allowing plenty of space in the toe box to relax into a natural toe position.
The heel collar provided plenty of cushion and I had no issues with my Achilles.
Sam: The Jacquard mesh is smooth and soft to the touch (with the exception of the raised diagonal mesh elements and is very pliable and almost “slick” in feel to the touch.
The material is relatively thin, conforms to the foot quite well (assuming you do not have a very low volume foot and is very comfortable without smothering the foot in extraneous plushness
As before we have a thin stretch knit tongue which continues on either side of the midfoot to create a gusset to lock the foot to the platform.
And it is needed, as I found the upper borderline over voluminous, likely due to the pliability of the mesh and the relatively high volume of the shoe.
In the photo above you can see how close the sides need to be pulled in by the laces to get a good lockdown with my narrow to medium foot.
The top of the ankle collar and Achilles collar have a “loose” knit top edge which is noticed as being as such, open and non binding. Not to worry below that we have very deep not overly soft pads which extend around the achilles and the ankles all the way to lace up.
The heel counter is very rigid and provides (in combination with the top edge knit and inner padding) a new flavor of the famous ASICS “heel clutch”, very secure but also not quite as overwhelmingly in your face, or should I say in your heels, as traditional ASICS construction at the rear of the shoe.
The very pliable and thin toe box mesh off the foot appears, and is, a bit baggy. We do not have a compressive knit as before.
The toe bumper is semi rigid and not just an afterthought here.
The front as with the rest of the shoe's fit is secure, has plenty if not a touch too much room for my narrow to medium volume feet. It balances security and lockdown with an interesting more relaxed overall feel and vibe than before. No question the D width is true to size for me in length,but I might even consider a women’s B width for my foot as in general I prefer a snugger overall lockdown over the more relaxed comfort here.
The Nimbus 26 will also be available in 2D Wide and 4E Extra Wide for men and Wide for women.
Midsole & Platform
Courtney:The Nimbus 27 has a hefty heel height of 42.5mm of FF Blast Plus Eco foam with a Pure Gel insert, and 34.5mm at the forefoot. This keeps the drop the same as the previous model at 8mm, but increases the overall stack height by 1.5mm. It has a cushy ride from start to finish, but sports a pretty stiff sole and geometry that rolls me forward providing a smooth transition from heel to toe. The Nimbus proved stable and predictable on both gravel and pavement surface.
Sam: The Nimbus continues with FF Blast Plus Eco foam in a modified blend. It is clearly not a supercritical foam and it is high time ASICS moves to one for this near premium priced shoe as the Nimbus direct competitors such as the Bondi 9, Supernova Prima and Glycerin 22 have.
Nothing wrong with the foam here as it for sure is stable, has some measured return and plenty of cushion but it lacks the return and smiles of the most recent versions of many of its direct competitors.
To go with the stable foam we have a broad geometry at 90 mm heel / 80 mm midfoot / 115 mm forefoot US M8.5 with a big stack height. As a neutral trainer with a focus on some inherent stability, the midsole is fine but lacks some excitement and is a bit stiff. The shoe took 3 runs to develop any kind of flex and even now it is still quite stiff. I do find that as my pace picks up down towards 9:00 miles it improves in rebound and return.
I will say that compared to my last Nimbus the 25 the blocky rear of the shoe I experienced in that version is improved here. The heel’s Pure Gel insert does reduce heel shock somewhat.
Outsole
Courtney:The Nimbus 27 boasts a wider outsole than its predecessor, and the same Hybrid AsicsGrip compound The grip design is a bit more stylized than the previous version exposing more midsole foam. This will be something to watch with wear and tear. The Asicsgrip provided great road traction, and I would feel confident in wet and even slightly snowy conditions.
Sam: Plenty of rubber here well arrayed for long wear. I note compared to the Nimbus 26 the coverage upfront is more open to the midsole which should help give the shoe more flex. That said I would prefer to see the front segmented more across the shoe to improve flex yet more.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Courtney: With 24 miles on my pair of Nimbus 27’s, I can confidently say it is a reliable daily trainer that gives you everything you need without too many bells and whistles. It will definitely be the shoe I grab the next day after those tough workout days. I would even consider it for long runs as it does seem comfortable for some moderate paces. It provides both comfort and stability. I loved that I locked into my paces so consistently and that my hill climbs just rolled forward. The Nimbus is firm enough in the forefoot to allow for some pickups, but overall I would still use it for daily miles.
Score: 8.8 / 10
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Sam: The words that come to mind in describing the Nimbus 27’s ride are: reliable, stable, safe, well cushioned and a bit lumbering but improved in that area over the 25.
The Nimbus does not have a particularly pronounced rocker and is quite stiff and not as easy to turn over and toe off at slower paces than I prefer and, it is a shoe really intended for more leisurely paced daily training or long runs. At faster paces the roll becomes pronounced and lively. I suspect the heavier the runner (I weigh 160 lbs) , the more compression of the foam will occur and the ride would get smoother.
While one of the best non supercritical foams out there FF Blast Plus ECO as 2024 ends, and the competition is all in on supercritical foams in the latest version of this class of trainer is starting to feel dated. While a steady, protective and safe riding shoe the Nimbus could use more excitement and fun, some more energetic rebound and lighter weight, all benefits of the newer foams. At about 10.65 oz / 302g in a US9 weight it is up there.
The upper is very comfortable, easy on the foot due to its thin smooth mesh.Instead of “over plushing” the tongue and collars ASICS went with smooth, thin and soft here. The upper is quite voluminous on my medium to narrow feet as a result, almost too much so but fine for intended easier days uses for me.. It should fit a wide range of feet and especially so when the available wide and extra wide versions are considered.
As Courtney says the Nimbus is an excellent choice for the high mileage runner for those easier days after tough ones as it is stable and well cushioned with an easy on the foot fit. It is an excellent choice for the beginner runner, heavier runner, or for those seeking a touch of inherent stability in a moderate paces steady and reliable daily trainer. It could just use a bigger does of excitement.
Sam’s Score: 8.8 /10
Deductions for somewhat dull and overly stiff ride for my tastes, shoe weight
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6 Comparisons
Saucony Triumph 22 (RTR Review)
Courtney: The Triumph is another popular stable neutral daily trainer with max cushion. One difference I noticed upon looking at the the Nimbus is its heel bias sits to the lateral side and diagonally cuts slightly into the medial side. Conversely, the Triumph’s bias cuts slightly from medial to lateral. The difference is a larger outsole area of the lateral heel on the Triumph and smaller outsole area on the lateral side of the Nimbus. As a lateral heel striker, I wonder if this will influence my foot roll, though I didn't notice any collapsing and guidance difference in my initial run. The upper materials are also quite different. The Triumph offers a highly cushioned upper, tongue and heel counter, while the Nimbus has a thinner, much more flexible material in the midfoot.
Sam: Weighing about the same on similar platform widths, the Triumph 22 is lower in stack and sports a supercritical foam midsole. It has a softer bouncier and more energetic ride than the Nimbus and while decently stable is not as stable as the Nimbus if you need some pronation control.
Brooks Glyerin 22 (RTR Review)
Unlike the Nimbus the somewhat lower 38/28 stack height and 10mm drop but somewhat lighter Brooks has a dual density supercritical foam midsole. Similarly neutral inherently stable, it has a somewhat more lively ride and due to its lower stack and outsole design more front flex than the ASICS, so is more slower paces friendly for me than the Nimbus. It's upper is lower volume a bit rougher in feel but more secure for my lower volume foot although wides are also available.Hoka Bondi 9 (RTR Video Review)
Sam: The Bondi 9 got a huge update as its former EVA foam midsole is replaced with a supercritical EVA foam leading to a weight 0.2 oz under Nimbus on a 43/38 stack height so about the same at the heel but 2.5mm more at the forefoot. Its ride is softer, more energetic,
more flexible and more fun. That said, while stable the denser midsole of the Nimbus makes it more stable if you really need some pronation control. The Nimbus upper is easier going and more polished notably at the rear collars but not quite as locked down.
Adidas Supernova Prima (RTR Review)
Sam: Lower stacked on a similar platform width, the adidas has a supercritical foam midsole that is quite dense but has more rebound than the Nimbus. A considerably lighter shoe at 9.8 oz / 278g US8.5, it for me is more of an all round daily trainer than the more lumbering Nimbus with as a bonus about equal inherent stability without overdoing it.
Brooks Glycerin Max (RTR Review)
Sam: One of our team’s big big shoe favorites of 2024 the Max is slightly heavier at 10.6 oz / 301g US85 but has yet more cushion (dual density supercritical foam) than the Nimbus with a 45.25 mm heel/ 39.25 mm forefoot so 3.5 mm more upfront. As such it relies on a pronounced front rocker to turn over which is effective especially as the pace picks up and less so more resembling the Nimbus at slower paces.
ASICS GEL-Kayano 31 (RTR Review)
Sam: Need yet more stability head over to the similar geometry Kayano. I personally found it too much.
Hoka Skyward X (RTR Review)
Sam: Yet higher stacked with dual supercritical foams and a training focused carbon plate, the Skyward X is at least as stable as the Nimbus and far livelier and easier rolling and yet more cushioned. All of this goodness does come at a cost.. $60 more than the Nimbus.
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE
The GEL-Nimbus 27 will be available January 2025. $165
Tester Profiles
Courtney Kelly, age 37 is a college lacrosse player turned avid runner. She lives in Manchester, MA with her husband and two daughters ages 4 and 8. Courtney signed up for her first 1/2 marathon the morning of the race in 2022, winning second place in a time of 1:26. She decided to take running a bit more seriously, joining Wicked Running Club and trying some training plans. She ran her first marathon this fall in 3:04:27. In addition, she holds a half marathon PR of 1:25, a 5 mile PR 30:17, and a 5k PR of 18:20. She looks forward to getting some more strength and speed under her belt this next season, before taking a crack at the marathon again. She is 5’4”, 110 lbs.
Off the roads, Courtney is a painter and loving mother to her girls.
Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is in his 60’s with 2024 Sam’s 52th year of running roads and trails. He has a decades old 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:40 range if he gets very, very lucky. Sam trains 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah be it on the run, hiking or on nordic skis. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 160 lbs, if he is not enjoying too many fine New England IPA’s.
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1 comment:
Where is the New Balance More v5 in the comparisons? 🤔😁
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