The Asics Gel-Nimbus 25 was one of the best cushioned shoes to come out this year, and it was a major update for the Nimbus line with a much higher stack and softer ride than the 24. The Asics Gel-Nimbus 26 is a much smaller update, mostly sticking with the same design as the 25, but the outsole should now offer better grip and the fit has been tweaked slightly. Nick has been out for his first run in the Asics Gel-Nimbus 26, here’s what he makes of the changes so far.
Check out our multi-tester review of the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:14 – Design & Key Stats
02:44 – How’s The Fit?
03:17 – First Run
05:28 – Early Verdict
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick and this is our first run review Of the aex jail Nimbus [Music] 26 Joel nimus 26 is the successor to the Gel nimus 25 which was a pretty big Update on what we saw with the Joel Nimus 24 now the Joel nimus 9 is a Max Stack cushion shoe with a softer foam And really geared much more towards easy Relaxed running which num 24 was aimed At that kind of running as well but was A lower stack shoe probably more of a Cushion daily trainer was how I would Class it so with the ja numers 26 you Got a fairly modest update here the Price is the same in the US as the Previous version it's $160 has risen to £1 1880 in the UK though weight has gone Up a touch is 318 G or 11.2 o in my UK Size 9 that's just a a couple of grams Heavier than the GEL Nimbus 25 you got Still got the same 8 mm drop but on as's Website it listed as 42 mm at the heel And 34 at the 4ot whereas the gel number Is 25 I think was listed as 41.5 mm and Then 33.5 so you might have a small rise In the midsole height here otherwise the Midsole sticks to largely the same setup As the gel numers 25 you've got this Very big stack of FF blast plus foam Which with a little bit of pure gel Under the heel of the shoe so there's Just a little Slither of gel under the
Heel there which means the gel can stay In the name I guess but mainly it's FF Blast plus which is a good foam it's the Foam that aexs used across most of its Range I'd say it's a quite a balanced Foam it's fairly soft and comfortable But has a little bit of Bounce to it It's just a completely squishy foam so Does mean the shoe isn't too unstable to That end aex has also given the shoe a Very wide base and wide design to create Stability and there are some small Sidewalls of foam your foot sits in at The back of the shoe there upper has Been tweaked compared to the previous Version you've got an engineered knit Upper and a stretchy knit tongue as well Which creates almost a booty style fit Despite the fact it is a gusted tongue Rather than a completely booty based Design as you'd expect for a shoe like This you've got loads of padding around The collar and heel the tongue itself is Fairly padded as well not that padded Though still quite thin and then you Have a new setup for the lace eyelets Compared to the gel num 25 which had Eyelets look like that you now got these Slightly bigger bands it means it's a Bit easier to crank on them and get a Tighter more secure fit around the Midfoot also think the toe box is Slightly less tapered on the new shoe as Well which is another change but
Probably the biggest change all around Is to the outsole of the shoe which is Now a hybrid outsole with some ax script Rubber in there as well as the ahar plus Rubber you had on the ja nimus 25 the J25 wasn't a shoe that was known to Having excellent grip for sure I found Actually after my first run which was a Little bit slick in the shoe it did Start to grip a bit better for me but And any update in this area is Al is Always welcome actually just to the Touch it feels a lot less slick and Smooth the rubber on the Jael Nimbus 26 So it should provide a little bit more Traction on things like wet Pavements in [Music] Particular so the fit of the gel nus 26 I found was exactly the same as the fit Of the gel nus 25 for me and it's a good Fit in my normal running shoe size I've Got the right amount of room in the toe Box it's fairly roomy but it's exactly What I would want in a cushion shoe like This for just easy General runs nice Padding at the back of the heel there Which holds the foot well without Irritating my achilles at all I found And do notice the slightly more secure Fit around the midfoot like I didn't Have a problem with that in the gers 25 Though but it is certainly a comfortable Nice locked down fit around the midfoot So yeah all good in my normal run issue
Size with the G ners [Music] 26 so for my first run in the ax Jo Number 26 I did a 50 minute easy run out Of the box it was a day after a Race So It was very much a pure recovery run and I also went out and did a short mooch Wearing the gel 26 on one foot and the Gel is 25 on the other really what You're getting here is more of the same I'd say like the feel of the shoe is Very similar to the ax J nus 25 it's Comfortable for sure it's not overly Squishy it's a really nice balanced Platform I think and it runs lighter Than its weight because it is quite a Smooth shoe it rolls through quite Nicely I find when you're running at Easy Paces got a little bit of sinking And bounce there but it's not like the Big squish of a shoe like the Nike Invincible it's just a little bit of Sink in a little bit of bounce back You're not like talking a bouncy shoe Here this is not a shoe that feels very Responsive you'd want to go out and Start running really fast in but it does Give you a little bit back it means that The foam stays nice and resilient and Feels the same throughout runs so it was Only a 50-minute run this time you know Just over 10K 11k and but by the end of The run the shoe feel was exactly the Same and that's what I always found with
The Astic ja numers 25 the phone felt Great throughout a run at the end of a Run it was still giving a little bit of Bounce back it wasn't compressing a lot And starting to lose a bit of its fun it Just felt the same and that's why I Liked it so much as a long run shoe and That I feel like it's going to be Exactly the same with the a6g 26 really Nice cushion Cruiser little bit of Smoothness to the ride without being Aggressively rocketed or anything like That and just all round balance it's not Too squishy but it is soft and Comfortable and it's certainly still Quite stable as a neutral shoe I've Always found I mean I am a neutral Runner but do think stability is not Huge concern with the shoe despite the High St because the foam just it doesn't Really collapse on you like some of the Very soft Foams do so we talked a little Bit about the change to the upper in the Fit section but yeah didn't really Notice that much on the run if I'm Honest and then the grip I my first run Was in pretty good conditions I will say So it is winter here in the UK normally The Pavements are wet but that wasn't The case on my first run you feel a Little bit more traction maybe with the Grip there but not really I think it's Something that will be beneficial for Sure as I go through the rest of the
Winter months and it is certainly a good Update to the shoe but like I said I Didn't actually have a massive problem With the grip on the ja n 25 once I got Past that first run where it was a Little bit slick I found the outso Roughed up a little bit and it was fine For my use on Pavements even wet Pavements the Jo num 26 will be an Improvement in that area and it will be A quality of life Improvement for sure But you know it's not something that Completely changes the feel of the [Music] Shoe Early verdicts this is a nice small Update on what was a really good shoe Last year the ASX numers 25 a shoe I Really warmed to a lot and became one of My favorite long run shoes if I was Looking for a Max cushioned option which I'm not always that Keen on using but That was one of the best ones I think Because the ride is so nicely balanced It doesn't feel like a huge and unwieldy Shoe on the F because it's got that Rocker and the th is good blend of Comfort and responsiveness I think Getting a lot of the same stuff here With the aex Jo numers 26 with a little Bit of improved grip which is no bad Thing obviously and maybe a slightly Better fit around the midfoot as well Which again no bad thing aex hasn't
Really gone too ambitious with the Updates they just refined the shoe a Little bit and improved it a little bit Obviously just one run so Doos more Running for comparing it too much to Shoes outside the aex range but you it Probably end up in a similar boat to the A25 which I do think is one of the best Max cushion shoes out there I think you Can get slightly more versatile big Cushion shoes things like the sucon Triumph line or now the succon ride 17 Because it is so similar to the Triumph Even the pure magnify Nitro I find Slightly more versatile Max cushion shoe And if you want a much softer ride you Can get that as well through things like The Nike Invincible or the new balanc 1080 v13 but I do think the jail Nimbus Provides a very good balanced ride that A lot of Runners will enjoy either if You're a newer Runner or you just want An allrounder that's very well cushioned I think the Joe Nimbus does a solid job Of that and then if you are someone with A running shoe rotation it's very much The easy day shoe in it like there's not Really a lot of responsiveness here it's Not a shoe I'm going to be desperate to Pick up the pace in but as a cushion Cruiser does a good job I think that Joe Num 26 is going to keep on doing that Good job with slightly better grip the Only real downside to the new update is
The price has gone up in the UK and the Price is really really high and I think For me when looking at a cushion shoe Like this I wouldn't really be going out And spending like £180 or even $160 on a Shoe it's kind of shoe where I'd wait For a discount on it basically and Actually now with the new shoe coming Out you probably get more discounts on The sxg num 25 which did drop quite low Over the Black Friday period so Certainly my first impressions of the New shoe would be that I'd be happy Trying to find a discount on the older Shoe we'll talk more about that in the Full review but yeah the updates here Are nice but I don't think they're Necessarily essential like I said I Didn't huge problems with the grip of The Jon 25 myself so while it's going to Be an improved shoe there'll certainly Be a case of trying to snag a deal on The older one based on that first run I've done it so [Music] Far okie dokie that's our first look at The aex joers 26 dive into the comments Let us know what you think of this shoe Please do like and subscribe ring the Little bell and we'll see you next Time
