Category: Running / Neutral

Sizes:       Mens 7-12,13,14,15,16

                Wmns 6-11,12,13

Weight:    Mens 335g

                Wmns 270g

RRP:        $239.90

The Nimbus is designed to provide the ultimate cushioned ride for the neutral or mild pronator and is an excellent shoe to accommodate an orthotic (arch support). Tested running, the shoe performed well. It was a large improvement on its previous model that lacked cushioning and bottomed out through the midsole relatively quick. The ride of the shoe seemed smoother from contact to midstance. Expected lifetime of the shoe running would sit around 600 km based on my wear test period.

Upper:

Asics honeycomb spacemaster mesh upper was very light and comfortable on the foot, even when worn on warm days. The internal stitching was smooth and unnoticed adding to this comfort. There was little irritation from the tongue also adding to the overall comfort of the shoe. The fit through the heel was sufficient to accommodate an orthotic, and the width through the mid and forefoot would accept most foot types. The comforDry Sock liner incorporated lazy (slow recovery) foam giving the foot added comfort at the forefoot. Overtime this seemed to bottom out however lasting longer than traditional foam insoles.The stability cradle locked the heel well into the shoe and provided excellent lateral stability for the orthoses I was wearing at the time.

Midsole:

The silicone gel cushioning system was an upgrade from its predecessor and performed much better at impact, absorbing stress well and not bottoming out so quickly.

The shoe has an excellent proprioceptive function; feeling like you are running close to the ground (but with cushioning) hence improving the body’s sense of position and reducing muscle action to counteract unnecessary torque. However I would be hesitant in recommending it to an individual who has little fat padding at the heel or especially the forefoot. Plantar forefoot pathologies may not respond well to the lack of separation from the ground surface despite the shoe’s advanced midsole cushioning.

Overall the midsole with its added trusstic system for torsional stability performed well. It provided a smooth transition of weight rear to forefoot and felt spongy under foot. This shoe is suitable for a person with a neutral foot type or mild pronator with an orthoses. Foot Orthoses fit well into the heel of the shoe and sat well on the midsole base. Little adjustment was required to my orthoses to improve fit.

Asics AHAR proved extremely resilient with the mileage I completed. The outsole was unaffected by temperature or conditions and maintained excellent traction when running.

Overall I welcomed the changes Asics have made to the nimbus. I would like to see a little more forefoot cushioning in the next model but this is a factor not to stop anyone buying this shoe. The stability of the shoe was far better widening the scope from supinators (high arch) to neutral or very mild pronators (low arch).