I purchased my first pair of ASICS when Nike failed to respond to an issue encountered with a pair of my previously favoured Invincibles falling apart (see Nike: Don’t Do It). I visited a running shop in Bath to discuss potential replacements and came away with the Gel Nimbus – recommended as a well cushioned recovery shoe. I wore that first pair for over 900km before retiring them when I had worn through the outer heel and was starting to break down the foam.
I liked this shoe and had a replacement ready – the Gel Nimbus 26. I have now worn these for a little over 200km and these are my thoughts.
As with many modern shoes, the mesh upper is attached to a stacked sole. The upper is thicker than some, with a well cushioned heel and a useful pull strap to aid getting one’s foot inside. The tongue is easy to adjust for a comfortable fit and the lacing system allows for tightening without causing undue pressure to the top of the foot. There is no slippage or rubbing when worn.
The shoe feels light and bouncy on my feet. This bounce protects tired muscles from repetitive pounding on roads but also absorbs most rebound. I have found the Nimbus to be my slowest shoe so now wear it on rotation with my Novablasts for training runs. This works better than when, with the previous pair, I was wearing the Nimbus more often. While the soft cushioning protects it also seems to work the foot in a different way – perhaps because that lack of rebound requires more effort to maintain propulsion.
My running style wears down the outer heel on all my shoes. This more recent iteration of the Gel Nimbus offers a longer outer grip than the previous pair, which I’m hoping will work in my favour and increase longevity. There has been no sign as yet of the grip peeling away as happened with my previous pair, albeit after fair use.
Having worn the Novablasts alongside the Nimbus for some distance now I have to say I prefer the Novablasts as a training shoe – they feel more responsive when running. However, the Nimbus still have a useful role when feet feel tired. As a recovery shoe they work well but that rebound absorption can prove frustrating when pace is studied after the same effort put in. As a shoe used on rotation they are fine but I’d choose the Novablasts for a more satisfying run.
As with all my shoe reviews, I intend to update this post as more distance is covered.
