Asics Gel Nimbus 24 review

One-minute review

The Asics Gel Nimbus 24 essentially takes the well-loved max cushioned shoe designed for going long, and slaps on a lighter upper and cushioning technology that gives it a much softer, bouncier feeling than previous Nimbus shoes.

It’s still one that feels best at easy and recovery run paces, but has the key ingredients to make it one to turn to for long training runs as well.

The engineered mesh upper is very comfortable and offers ample space up front in the toe box, while the outsole offers great traction on dry and wet roads and feels like it’s an outsole that’s designed to eat up a lot of running time before it starts showing signs of wear.

It doesn’t feel quite as satisfying to run in at quicker paces, lacking the snap you do get from some other daily trainers. While it does generate a responsive and stable ride, it definitely feels like there are other daily trainers out there around the Nimbus 24’s price that can get you something a bit more versatile.

Price and release date

The Asics Gel Nimbus 24 launched in February 2022 and is priced at $160 / £165 / AUS$240. That's substantially more than the excellent Saucony Ride 14 (one of our favorite everyday training shoes), which cost $130 / $125 (about AU$170) when it launched in April 2021, though you may be able to find a better price if you shop around.

Design

The Gel Nimbus 24 is a max cushioned, neutral running shoe that’s made predominantly for road running. It offers a 10mm heel-to-toe drop and weighs in at 290g for a men’s size 9, while the women’s shoe offers a 13mm drop and comes in at 247g for a size 8. Asics says the new shoe is 10g lighter than the Nimbus 23. It’s not the most super light daily trainer we’ve run in, but Nimbus fans will definitely appreciate the reduction in weight.

The wide-fitting upper is made from an engineered mesh with a gusseted tongue that has a nice stretch and drops nicely into place. Together with good padding in the heel and flat laces, it all combines to make it a very comfortable shoe to slip on. You’re also getting a pretty roomy toe box and it felt like a good fit for us in our UK size 8.

Moving onto the midsole and you’re getting a combination of Asics’ FF Blast+ foam and also a layer of its Flytefoam to offer some firmness on top of the softer cushioning foam. You’ve got the customary Asics gel in the heel and the forefoot, with its new Trusstic plate helping to create a more stable feeling. It’s also modified that Trusstic system for the women’s version to offer that extra bit of stability.

Down below in that outsole, you’ve got Asics Lite rubber, which is designed to keep things light and while there are some exposed areas, it’s placed high abrasion rubber into the rear and forefoot of the shoe to provide extra grip and traction where it’s needed most.

Performance

This is a shoe designed for going long, and making every step feel as soft and plush as the last. We’d say the Nimbus 24 does deliver on that front, but isn’t the most exciting cushioned shoe to run in.

That FF Blast+ foam makes its presence felt, and offers a smooth, bouncy and responsive ride. That's levelled out by firmer foam to provide stability and control, so you can go long with a good level of protection. You definitely feel the softness in the landing, and it creates an enjoyable ride overall.

However, the Nimbus 24 didn’t quite give us the same satisfying feeling in quicker interval sessions, lacking the exciting rocker feeling you get on some daily trainers to offer some snap at speed. This definitely feels like a shoe to coast in.

The outsole on the Nimbus 24 is solid. It grips well on dry roads and rainy conditions, but more importantly, it's impressively durable. The extra rubber is placed exactly where the shoe will receive the greatest impact, and we’ve seen no early signs of wear that suggest it's going to lose that good grippy feel.

Fans of previous Nimbus shoes might be wary of the significant changes here, but they feel like they are largely for the better. It’s a lighter shoe and the midsole foam creates plusher, bouncier surroundings to make running longer distances more comfortable.

There are arguably more exciting daily trainers that go big on plush cushioning and still have room to offer a snappier ride. The Saucony Triumph 19 arguably offers slightly softer cushioning for similar easy and recovery pace runs, while Saucony’s Ride and Brooks‘ Glycerin range gives you the versatility to go a bit faster as well.

If you’re looking for a softly cushioned daily trainer with a strong outsole and snug upper, then the Nimbus 24 does fit that profile.

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