Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 76, November 2015 | Page 38

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Ma Tried & Tested

Women’s

GET THEM HERE: Available
at Sweatshop, Totalsports
and Sportsmans Warehouse
as well as most leading
running stores for R1800.

Men’s

The Asics Gel-Cumulus has long been one of the top-selling neutral
trainers on the SA market, and I recently got my hands on a pair of the
Cumulus 17s for wear-testing. My take on them is that they will continue
to sell well, even though they’re not the shoe for me. Here’s why.
– BY SEAN FALCONER

While the Nimbus is the big brother in this family,
offering the maximum cushioning and top-end
materials or features in the Asics range, the
Cumulus is effectively the middle brother in the
range. (Asics used to also offer the ‘baby brother’
Stratus, but here in SA the company has chosen
to just focus on the two upper tier models.) So,
the Nimbus is marketed as the ultimate in neutral
cushioning from Asics, ideal for longest distances,
and designed for bigger, heavier runners, while the
Cumulus is described as a mid-range neutral shoe
– it can handle long mileage but is also still light

38

TOO MUCH SHOE (FOR ME)

enough to be used for racing or faster running.
Both have traditionally been top-selling models
on the SA market, but since I am a smaller,
lighter runner who prefers a lightweight model,
the Cumulus has always appealed to me more
than the Nimbus, and with this latest version
that was once again the case when I compared
them, although I found the new Cumulus a wee
bit heavier than its predecessors.

MORE SHOE FOR YOUR MONEY

The midsole is where the big changes have
been made from the mark 16 into the 17 of the
Cumulus. Asics has increased the cushioning by
introducing the FluidRide system, previously only
offered in the Nimbus. This is a wavy layer of
midsole foam rubber that offers good durability
and weight reduction while also providing a
more comfortable and responsive bounce-back
in both heel and forefoot. The Gel inserts in heel
and forefoot have also been tweaked to provide
that wee bit more shock-absorption, and I found
the forefoot cushioning and bounce particularly
noticeable.

ISSUE 76 NOVEMBER 2015 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Now comes my only complaint – and I would
like to stress that this is very much a personal
opinion, which I think many runners out there
will not share. I found the shoe too bulky,
even a wee bit on the heavy side, but that is
because I normally run in lightweight models,
and have run in lighter versions of the Cumulus
in previous years. So, while I may not entirely
like the updates to the new model, I do believe
that bigger, heavier runners (than wee little me)
will love it, especially if they don’t want a shoe
quite as built up as the Nimbus. In other words,
this would make a marvellous marathon or ultra
race shoe if you’re looking for great cushioning,
especially for later in the race, but in a ‘lighter’
package than the Nimbus.
However, if you want to race shorter distances,
I would still recommend a lightweight model,
as that extra cushioning in the forefoot may
give you a squishier ride when you try to go
really fast in these shoes… but as I said, that
is a personal thing. If you’re looking for extra
forefoot cushioning, you’ll love this shoe!

Images: Courtesy Asics

T

he two main shoes in the Asics neutral
cushioned category were originally named
after clouds because the wear-testers
gave the designers feedback that running in
the shoes felt like walking on clouds, thanks to
the Gel cushioning inserts. The names Cumulus
and Nimbus have remained with us ever
since, and both models are now in their 17th
generation, proving their popularity. After all, shoe
manufacturers don’t continue making a model if it
doesn’t sell…

Inside the shoe, you’ll also find a new full-length
SpEVA45 cushioning footbed for extra comfort
underfoot. Another improvement is the outsole
traction, which was already good in the mark
16, but is now even better in the mark 17. The
heel-toe drop is a standard 10mm (23mm in
the heel, 13mm in the toe). For the top of the
foot, a seamless upper with well positioned
overlays for structure give the Cumulus a very
comfortable ride.