In production · road · Recovery / Long run / Daily · $165
Pillow-top max cushion with a plush knit upper. Recovery-day comfort food.
Built for recovery, long run, daily, at a target pace of 8:30–12:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is FF Blast, tuned very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. At 44 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 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 rocker is moderate — enough curve to smooth the roll-through without dictating your footstrike. 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 $0.33 per mile at $165.
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
305 g / 10.8 oz
30 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
44 mm
8 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$165
5 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 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.
Nike Vomero 18(2025)
325 g / 11.5 oz · 45 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $150
Nike's plushest daily: ZoomX over ReactX for a deep, quiet ride.
Asics Gel-Nimbus 28(2026)
283 g / 10.0 oz · 44 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $180
Deep, plush max cushion for slow miles and heavier runners.
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.
Asics Gel-Kayano 32(2025)
304 g / 10.7 oz · 40 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $180
Stability icon with 4D Guidance and a softer, higher stack.