Discontinued · road · Daily / Long run · $170
The lighter, recycled-content Nimbus experiment.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 8:00–11:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Asics Gel-Nimbus 28.
Asics tuned this midsole soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 32 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 lively at 3/5 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 tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. 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 350 miles from the outsole, about $0.49 per mile at $170.
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
250 g / 8.8 oz
25 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
32 mm
4 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$170
10 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~350 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Asics line it is lighter than the brand's median (268 g / 9.5 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Adidas Supernova Rise 2(2025)
266 g / 9.4 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $140
Dreamstrike+ daily miles — soft, simple, unremarkable in a good way.
Adidas Supernova Solution
278 g / 9.8 oz · 36 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $150
Adidas' support daily with Support Rods for mild guidance.
Saucony Axon 4
265 g / 9.3 oz · 35 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Budget PWRRUN daily with a surprisingly generous stack.
Brooks Launch GTS 12
255 g / 9.0 oz · 32 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $120
The budget-friendly Launch with GuideRails added for mild support.