Gel-Nimbus 28

I bought the Nimbus 28 for ₹17,000 and ran more than 100 km in it in sun and rain, covering easy runs and long runs. ASICS took about 20 g off: it weighs 280 g in my UK 8, against close to 300 g for the Nimbus 27. Stack is about 43 mm at the heel and 35 mm at the forefoot, an 8 mm drop. It fit true to size in my UK 8 (27 cm), with a thumb's width of space at the toe, the same toe-box height as the 27 and no rubbing. The plush, densely woven upper, gusseted tongue, soft laces, thick heel padding and soft insole make it feel amazing the moment you step in, and it was perfect for walking, standing and 5–10 km runs. The trade-off is breathability. It breathes less than the 27, and heat builds up inside even at 5:00–6:00/km pace. At 7:00/km for 5–10 km I had no problems. The midsole is still FF Blast Plus, but it is softer and less dense now. It felt great at first, but after 100 km the foam feels flat on runs over 10 km. Around 60–70 km in, it started making a squishing sound after 6–8 km at 6:00/km. It is still extremely protective, but I have never felt a Nimbus go flat like this, and I doubt it will last 1,000 km the way the 25, 26 and 27 did. The platform also feels narrower than the 27 at the heel and midfoot, so some people may find it less stable. The hybrid AHAR+ outsole grips as well as before and is only a little slippery when it is very wet. ASICS has removed some rubber coverage, though, and after 100 km it shows a bit more wear than earlier Nimbus versions did. It suits two kinds of runner. The first is heavy runners (85 kg+) starting out at 15–30 km a week, at 6:00/km or slower, or doing walk-runs. If money is no issue, this is one of the best shoes in the world for them. The second is experienced runners with a rotation who want a soft recovery shoe. When the next version launches, this one will likely drop to around 50% off, and at that price it is great value. If you gave me ₹17,000 today, I would buy the Nimbus 27 for ₹8,000–10,000 on Flipkart and spend the rest on a lighter daily trainer.