ASICS Gel Nimbus 28 Review

The ASICS Gel Nimbus 28 is for you if...

You want a reliable shoe for easy and long runs

You prioritize comfort and softer foams 

You’re setting out for steady paced daily training 

What is the ASICS Gel Nimbus 28 made for?

The ASICS Gel Nimbus series is a long-standing staple in the premium daily trainer category. It’s a flagship daily trainer that offers luxuriously plush comfort, a smooth ride, and reliability. 

With version 28, ASICS continues to utilize the FF BLAST+ foam that we saw in version 27, but commits to some geometry tweaks, slimming down the net base by a millimeter or two and adding flex grooves to the outsole's layout. But the big highlight for this model is the newly redesigned knit upper, which helps to reduce the weight of the shoe while still offering a refreshed, top-of-class, luxurious wrap of your foot. An updated heel construction/pull tab combination helps lock in your ride more confidently, and seeks to make slip-ons and slip-offs more convenient. 

For the most part, we found that these refinements worked well. The Gel Nimbus 28 not only carries on its predecessors’ legacy as one of the foundational comfort trainers, but this model (for the most part) successfully enhances the experience. However, our appreciation does come with a few key disclaimers and caveats... 

Comfort

Starting in the midsole, ASICS hasn't changed too much from version 27 to 28, and has instead opted to sharpen what was previously working. Their FF BLAST + foam continues to stand-out against the competition, feeling plush and cushioned without making your daily mileage feel overly squishy. It’s supportive and easy to run on. 

Above the midsole, we appreciated the renewed attention ASICS gave to the Gel Nimbus 28’s upper. The new material feels stretchy and created comfortable wraps of our foot while the heel felt nice and well cushioned. The collar felt standard and forgettable (in a good way), and the one issue we encountered came from the tongue and lace combination. Multiple testers reported issues with lace bite, or hotspots resulting from the new, thinner tongue construction. Some especially intentional lacing efforts negated the issue for one of our testers, but for others the discomfort blemished an otherwise positive experience.

Performance

The Gel Nimbus 28's intent is to provide comfort-oriented daily training, and it delivers on that front. The midsole gives the perfect amount of softness—plush enough to cushion each step, but not so mushy in durometer or clunky in geometry that it slowed us down through our regular paces. The foam is plush in the heel and provides a very comfortable heel strike at slow paces before transitioning into a midfoot that’s a little firmer, but still provides that plush experience underfoot. The stack height is enough to be protective, but not so high that you can’t feel the ground. The shoe has a smooth and soft ride that was, overall, really enjoyable. 

The biggest issues we ran into came when we tried to pick up the pace. Although this version of the Gel Nimbus has slimmer geometries that allowed us to speed up a bit more than previous models, we still mostly found that the foam wasn’t ideal for going out and crushing a speed workout.

Fit

We found that the Gel Nimbus 28 ran just a little bit short length-wise, but that the shoes fit well width- and volume-wise. The upper felt stretchy and adaptive enough to provide secure wraps of both slim and wider feet, and our only hotspots were related to the shoe's tongue, not its fit.

We were 50/50 on whether or not we would recommend going up a size for the length. The shoe’s sizing shouldn’t feel unreasonably wrong to anybody, but if you have had problems with cramped toe boxes in the past, or if you just like a little extra wiggle room, then sneaking up a half a size from your usual fit may be a good idea.