C o l u m n
TRIED AND TESTED
The Revamped Nimbus
After a quarter of a century , the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25 is a huge departure from its predecessors , but I found it very much to my liking . – BY SEAN FALCONER
The lateral ( outer ) side of the shoe
The old saying goes that if it aint broken , don ’ t fix it , but when it comes to running shoes , it seems they never stop ‘ fixing ’ things . That can be frustrating for runners , who find a shoe they really love , but when they go back to buy another pair , they find that the design has been replaced by an updated or revamped version , and suddenly that shoe is no longer their perfect running partner .
When it comes to the Nimbus , we ’ re talking about a genuinely tried and tested recipe : A neutral cushioned shoe with about as much tech packed into it to carry even the biggest , heaviest runners , by providing a stable platform that can help support tiring legs and feet later in the long runs . This is why the shoe is so popular in South Africa , especially with the Comrades community , and the reason many runners buy the Nimbus year after year .
However , in the last couple of years , ASICS has begun changing the narrative with this shoe , and that has culminated in this year ’ s Nimbus 25 . In short , this is nothing like the earlier versions I have reviewed , and I was not at all surprised to hear from some long-time Nimbus fans that they initially said the shoe was no longer ticking all the boxes for them . However , since then I have heard really good things from most of those runners , and I can back that up with my own experience of the shoe , but let ’ s first unpack the design changes before I talk about the ride .
Taller , Wider , But Lighter
The midsole is now made from FF Blast + Eco foam rubber , which feels firmer and less bouncy than the FF Blast + of the Nimbus 24 , but it ’ s also a bit lighter . This means that even though ASICS has increased the stack height by 5mm in the heel and 7mm in the forefoot , the shoe still weighs about the same as the previous model . In the men ’ s version , the heel-to-toe drop is now 8mm , compared to 10mm in the Nimbus 24 , so I didn ’ t notice the difference , whereas I read that the women ’ s version has changed significantly from a 13mm drop to just 8mm . That said , I wasn ’ t focused on the drop , because that extra 7mm of stack in the forefoot has made the shoe noticeably stiffer , which in turn has promoted the ‘ rocker ’ motion of the shoe as you transition on to your forefoot .
The new Nimbus has a wider base , which promotes stability , and this means ASICS has also been able to get rid of the plastic Trusstic shank under the arch in the midfoot . Traditionally , a shank provides a link between the heel and forefoot , to help guide your foot through the transition , but with a rockered midsole – basically a higher , rounder design that naturally rocks you forward faster – the Nimbus 25 doesn ’ t need a shank , thus also saving more weight .
Another big change is that the shoe now has a smaller Pure Gel pad under the heel , and the small forefoot Gel insert of the Nimbus 24 is gone . This is because the new midsole offers more than enough cushioning and shock absorption , and I think we may see ASICS shoes with no added Gel in the not too distance future . On the other hand , the extra firmness of the new FF Blast + Eco midsole means that less anti-abrasion outsole rubber is needed – more weight-saving – and I found that this midsole showed less wear than the Nimbus 24 .
Put Through Their Paces
Now , let ’ s talk about running in the shoe . Last year , I loved how soft the Nimbus 24 felt , whereas the new version does feel a bit firmer , but all that extra cushioning still provides a reassuringly squishy feeling , and the shoe feels more supportive in terms of stability , thanks to that extra stack height and wider sole . I did first have to get used to a strange feeling of my foot ‘ dropping off ’ the toe-end of the shoe the first time I walked in them , but once I began running , I found the rocker motion superb , and the overall ride was one of the smoothest and most comfortable I can remember in all my years of reviewing the Nimbus .
One of the issues raised about the 24 was that the forefoot felt narrow , prompting some runners to take a half-size up , and I read in one review that the tester felt the same about the 25 . I actually have a slightly wider foot , and usually wear a half-size anyway , but I had no issues with the fit of my 25s in my usual sizing , so I think this is something each runner will have to test for themselves . I found the upper really comfortable , especially the padding around the ankle collar , and my foot felt comfortably and securely locked down by the combination of lacing , collar and heel design .
64 ISSUE 160 | www . modernathlete . co . za The ASICS Gel-Nimbus 25 is a huge departure from the Nimbus 24 !