Cumulus 27

I ran 10 km in the Cumulus 27 first, then took it on an 18 km long run, 16 km of it in heavy rain. It uses FF Blast Plus, the same foam as the Novablast 4, with PureGEL in the heel. I honestly can't feel much difference from the gel. The ride is balanced. It is less soft and less bouncy than the Novablast 5, and it feels like a thick, firm-ish bed rather than a squishy one. It didn't tire me out and it didn't flatten out. I'm very satisfied with the foam and expect the midsole to last around 800 km. The upper fixes the one problem I had with the Cumulus 26. The 26 was snug and thick, so long runs got hot and sometimes rubbed. Here breathability is up by about 20 to 30%, and the toe box is taller, so I can spread my toes. Even in the rain, when my feet swelled, I had no rubbing or blisters. It has a thick, high-quality engineered mesh, a gusseted tongue, premium laces, a stretchy heel tab, plush heel padding and a heel counter with a strong internal clip. I'd give the upper 8 out of 10. It is true to size in my UK 8 (27 cm), with a thumb's width at the front. It isn't for wide feet. Stability is why I recommend it. The heel counter, gusseted tongue and midsole flares that rise up around the foot keep me secure, so I can run without thinking about my footing. For beginners, I wouldn't recommend the Novablast 5, because its softness and bounce cost stability. The Cumulus 27 is the alternative with less bounce and more stability, and it suits heavier beginners of 80 to 85 kg. The outsole is rubberised EVA, which many people use as a reason to reject this shoe. I disagree about durability. It is about 8 mm thick against a typical 3 mm, so it should last as long as a normal rubber outsole. After 35 km I can't see any wear. Traction is the real compromise. The grip pattern may wear off after about 400 to 500 km, which matters in the rain. It gripped well in today's rain. I paid ₹10,000 to ₹11,000 with my own money. The launch price was around ₹12,000 to ₹13,000, which I wouldn't recommend. On Flipkart I've seen it at ₹6,000 to ₹7,000 with card offers, and around ₹8,000 to ₹8,500 on the ASICS website. At that price, it's a dependable daily trainer for half marathons, full marathons and beyond.