Discontinued · road · Recovery / Long run / Daily · $145
Earlier generation of the Asics Gel Nimbus Lite line, kept for replacement lookups.
Built for recovery, long run, daily, at a target pace of 8:30–12:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Asics Gel-Nimbus 27.
Asics tuned this midsole very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 39 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as muted at 1/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 500 miles from the outsole, about $0.29 per mile at $145.
For the foams and plates Asics uses across its line, read the Asics brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
312 g / 11.0 oz
37 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
39 mm
3 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$145
15 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
1 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~500 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Asics line it is heavier than the brand's median (268 g / 9.5 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Asics Gel Kayano 33
298 g / 10.5 oz · 39 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $200
Asics Gel Kayano 33: 39 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 298 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Saucony Procyon Max
300 g / 10.6 oz · 36 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $120
Soft, value-priced max-cushion shoe for easy miles and walking.
Saucony Echelon 10
305 g / 10.8 oz · 36 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $150
Neutral trainer with a wide, accommodating last for tricky feet.
Asics Gel-Excite 11
290 g / 10.2 oz · 38 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $85
Soft, simple budget neutral trainer for new runners and short miles.