The Asics Novablast 5 and Asics Gel-Nimbus 27 are both cushioned neutral shoes that offer a comfortable ride for daily training. Tom, Mike, Kieran and Nick gives their thoughts on both shoes in this video and suggest which would be the best option for different types of runner.
Check out our full reviews of both shoes:
Asics Gel-Nimbus 27 review:
Asics Novablast 5 review:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
02:34 – How’s The Fit?
05:46 – The Run Test
18:43 – Verdict
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Hello welcome to run testers my name is Nick and in this video we're going to be Comparing the aex nose blast 5 and the Aex GEL Nimbus [Music] 27 so no blast 5 and the Jo nimus 27 are The latest versions of both of their Lines that have come out quite recently The Jael nimus is just going on sale now In January 2025 where was an overlast I Think launched just at the back end of 2024 they sit in as range of neutral Shoes with an overlast being the kind of Mid-range daily trainer the more Accessible shoe in terms of price and Just having a more generalist ride that Should shoot a lot of Runners whereas The gel ners 27 sits at the top of their Neutral shooting range in terms of Cushioning and support and is kind of The premium cushion daily trainer you Can get if we're disregarding the super Blast as something entirely in its own Right I'd say so like I say no blast 5 Is the cheapest shoe at £1 135 or $140 Whereas the Gel Nimbus 27 is £180 or $165 getting hit pretty hard in the UK On this one uh Gus is the heaviest shoe Weighing in at 314 G or 11 o whereas the NOA blast is 274 G or 9.7 o both of Those in the uk9 they both have an 8mm Drop and they are fairly similar stackit The gis is a little bit more cushioned It's 43.5 mm at the heel 35.5 at the 4ot
Whereas the nose blast is 41.5 at the Heel and 33.5 at the 4 foot we do have a Difference not only in terms of Stack Height but also width you've got a bit Extra width on the G Nimbus 27 for sure So with a no blast 5 you have a jackard Mesh upper quite of padding around the Heel collar and then an internal heel Counter as well you have a midsole made From FF blast Max Plus which is a new Phone that was introduced with the Nova Blast 5 meant to be a bit kind of softer And lighter than the FF blast plus Eco Foam that was previously used in this Shoe that is still used in the G Nimbus But I think it's been changed a little Bit there's a lot of names flying around But basically we should go on ride field Because sometimes ASX changes the actual Formulation of these phones from shoe to Shoe then you have an ahar low rubber Outs soole a lot of exposed foam in the Middle of the outs soole there but you Good coverage at the heel and for foot Then with the gel nus 27 you also have a Jackard mesh upper you got loads of Padding around the heel on this shoe Like a lot around the heel collar big Internal heel counter as well to add Stability there you do have an FF blast Plus ecofoam midsole that is slightly Different to the foam used on the Previous version of the shoe and you Have a pure gel insert under the heel
Which is just a little slab of gel there To add some comfort and then you've got An AIC scrip rubber out soole you know Slightly better coverage I'd say than The Nova blast but you know still some Exposed foam there to reduce the weight And maybe give a bit more flexibility to The feel of the [Music] Shoe quick we on fit then run in my Regular aex size here which is UK 8 and A2 both of these shoes feel plenty roomy In the toe box which I really like Particularly for shoes that you might be Spending longer hours in that's great There's lots of room up front here and Across the top in the Nova blast 5 a Little bit more actually into the Nimbus The Nimbus really into this toe boox With the flex feel a little bit more Roomy a bit more kind of overall Spacious some people said they might be A little bit too big going back into the Midfoot no problems there at all had Good hold as you see got these big Padded heel colors on both of these Shoes and both them lock my heeling Really nicely hold me well in place I Didn't have any trouble really when it Came to fit over on either of these Shoes disappeared nicely and I would Recommend going true to size in both so The fit for me in both of these shoes Pretty similar um they're both cushioned
Comfortable shoes that are designed to Be uh nice and fitting on the top so There's plenty of space around the 4 for Me in the uh GEL Nimbus 27 and in the Nova blast uh 5 still plenty of space in It very comfortable um and more than Enough space before the toe in both of These shoes so I've had no issues both Of these two shoes in my size eight They've got loads of padding on them the Shoes designed for Comfort um I Definitely say to my size in both of These shoes so when it comes to fit of The two shoes I've got my normal size Here which is a uk9 that's a US 10 for Aex the size I use across the aex range And it has been fine I think they both Have quite roomy fits these shoes There's a lot of volume in the for foot In particular I do have quite a narrow Foot so I would wonder if maybe I could Go half size down in it myself cuz I am Kind of on the fence between two sizes And I do have a narrow foot but I've Been very happy with my normal size the Extra room you know isn't too much I've Had a good lock down around the heel in Midfoot and for a Comfy Cushion shoe Like these two shoes I don't mind having A little bit of room in the foref foot So overall I would stick to your normal Size like I said if you right on the Fence between two sizes and you like a Slightly more dial init you could look
At going half a size down because they Are quite roomy but overall my Recommendation would be stick to your Normal size so Fit For Me overall has Been very good in both of these shoes I Would say they are true size fitting Shoes now I've got pretty skinny narrow Feet and I would say that these two Shoes in their standard fit options and You can get wide fit options on the jaus 27 I think maybe there's a couple of Sizes or versions of the no blast 5 in a Wider fit I think the standard fit is a Is a naturally very roomy shoe you see That in the toe boxes which are nice and Kind of spacious without being overly Generous I think putting them side by Side the Jo nus 27 for me runs a bit Longer but you know that hasn't been an Issue for me in terms of my runs in Terms of other things midfoot hold is Very good again I think you know the Lockdown I think maybe you need to work A little bit harder on that on the ja Numers 27 but I think you know it's not A huge amount in it and I think that's Down to the kind of difference in the Materials and slightly stretcher feel of The upper on J number 27 you get back to The hill collar you know no issues in Terms of irritation I think if you Looking or prefer a little bit more Support uh you know in those areas I Think the Jus 27 gives you a little bit
More particularly in the interior of the Shoe but I think know the holds in General has been very good so for me I Would say go to to sizing both of these Shoes I would say they are naturally Very generous in terms of that room even In the kind of standard fit options that I've had so yeah going through size That's why I would be [Music] Doing okay so these shoes um are if you Looking at previous versions of these Shoes this versus might be a bit Different but um the way these two shoes Currently designed it's actually a Little bit more um comparable the GEL Nimbus 27 um not a lot has changed in This shoe there's a little bit more Midol foam in it from the previous Version but it is really an allout Comfort cushion shoe um there's a lot of There's a lot of ml foam in here there's A lot of padding at the top it's a shoe Designed for those comfortable runs but It is uh that midle isn't the softest Mid in the world so you do get a little Bit more responsiveness out of it um and For some people it might be quite nice As a as a longer run shoe I have a Problem with shoe in the way that the Mids works works I'm a midfoot striker And what's happening is uh it seems like There's a very flat midsole on this um And when I'm at running in it I really
Slap the ground hard with it it's quite A noisy shoe to to run in um but it Doesn't feel like I'm getting any sort Of rolling action from this shoe um and As a result I don't really enjoy using It that much for a lot of runs it's fine It's it's comfortable I can I can go out And and have a nice 15K run a nice pace For me which should be about four minute 50 km um but I don't really get a nice Transition in this shoe it doesn't feel Like I'm getting a lot of B there's not A lot of Bounce in the shoe there's not A lot of um a nice rolling action in it It's just a comfortable shoe um I think That for some Runners um because of that Slightly denser midl phone if you're a Heavier rner you might get a little bit More out of it than I have um because it Doesn't seem to really compress a lot For me uh and maybe if you heel Striker Like Nick maybe you're hitting that at The right Point uh but I'm hitting it Seemingly in the wrong point I do think It's a solid shoe uh I think it's very Similar to the previous versions and I Think it's very comfortable to run in uh I just for my side of running I don't Quite get as much out of this as I do With some other shoes in the same Category uh the Nova blast 5 um now nov Blast 5 is interesting um this mile Phone that's in it is uh it's noticeably Softer than the Nova blast 4 uh this FF
Blast Max this new this new phone They've added um and it as a result it's Very comfortable shooting when I first Went running in it I found it was really I felt like there's a lot of energy Return in the shoe it does depend on the Type of run that you're doing in it Though um and what I found is that over Uh faster sessions um I do feel like I'm Not getting a lot back from this shoe it Just feels like um I'm just hitting it Too hard and I'm not really getting it's Feeling a bit dull for me when I'm doing Faster sessions slow sessions I think It's fine um very comfortable um and It's nice to get that soft bit of bounce Back as you're running um it's not as Ver Al of is the previous version of the Nova blast um but for some people it Might be better because it's a little Bit softer and a little bit more Comfortable and I normally like a softer Shoe which is why I like this for Running on easier sessions um but I do Think it's not as versatile as the Previous version of the shoe so when you Compare these two shoes they are quite Similar in a lot of ways it really just Comes down to that mid cell foam so in The Gel Nimbus 27 you're getting a much More balanced um uh denser Midol foam Which is very much focused on those Easier runs for me uh I definitely Wouldn't want to run faster in this shoe
No blast 5 um similarly it is a shoe That I don't think is particularly Versatile for my style of running um but I do feel it's a lot more enjoyable to Run in especially that easier Paces I do Get a more a nicer rolling action easier Paces in the shoe and it's definitely One that I uh I think is people who have Maybe like sof the shoes will go for This one or should go for this one over The Jael nus 27 out Soo on both of these Shoes is very good I actually um doesn't Seem to be a lot of on the outside of The gel ners 27 uh I haven't had any Issues with grip or anything on wet Ground that I've been running on um but There's definitely a lot more exposed Mido uh than you get in the Nova blast 5 Nova blast 5 outso very good actually um I know some of the early versions Haven't been great I've never had a Problem with them but I do think it's a Solid outsole uh with some a good bit of Grip on it across different terrain so For me I think it would go down to the Um not blast 5 is having a better outso Than the GEL Nimbus 27 so terms my Running time in these two shoes I've Done over in both of them and I would Say these are solid installments in the Nova blast and the ja nimus lines I Think if I was sitting here with the NOA Blast 4 and the ja numus 27 I think There would be a bigger disparity
Between the types of runs that those two Choose were best for me I think the Nova Blast 5 and the Gus 27 I think there is A bit more of an overlap particularly in My experience of the runs that I've Enjoyed them most for now first and Foremost these are comfortable cushion Daily trainer shoes they're easy to get On Get out running you've got a lot of Protection under your foot and you know They're you know from an outso point of View I don't think it's a huge amount in It they're going to offer good you know Grip and traction on roads and Pavements And can probably handle some lighter Trails as well I think when you get out In these shoes there are some you know Different feelings in the rides I think You look at the no blast 5 that FF blast Max foam uh a shoe that's inherently you Know very stable very smooth I think Rolls through a little bit quicker than The G number 27 I think down to the fact It's a slightly light issue I think the FF blast Max phone for me I didn't get This super Lively feeling out of it Beyond my first run but I do think There's some enjoyment in that ride and It is a nice shoe to spend a lot of time In and I you know I found when I've kind Of settled into a kind of you know my Daily training Pace like easy to Moderate Pace I think it's felt very
Good I wouldn't say it's a recovery shoe But I think from kind of slightly Quicker than that and up to moderate Pace it works very well from that point Of view I think the ja was 20 7 I think Previous jail n shoes for me have very Much been recovery shoes I think you Know I do like the FF blast Eco plus Foam in here there's more of it here set In slightly different geometry than the Previous shoe I do think some moderate Kind of lively bounce in this shoe I Think it rolls through very nicely as Well again is a very stable shoe to run In and I have found I've been able to Run more moderate Paces in this shoe Which hasn't been the you know the case With previous Gel Nimbus but I you know Shoes but I think with this one I think It has worked well for me I think the Weight of the shoe really holds you know Against it in terms of you know being You know well suited for faster Paces But you know that's not really what the Jael Nimbus Now is really about for me I Think you know that's really what the Nova blast 5 the Nova blast line is you Know about giving you that versatility I Don't think for me you get the same Level of Versatility that as previous NOA blast shoes that livelier feeling But I think in terms of ticking off that Kind of running time and doing it from a Very comfortable very stable very you
Know you know enjoyable shoe then I Think both of those shoes fit that bill As I said I think there's just a lot of Overlap between these shoes in terms of Types of runs I think for me you know I've liked them when I've been running My easy kind of longer runs when I've Been wanting to kind of do kind of know Slightly faster it kind of runs more Tempo runs then they can handle that but I think the no blast 5 purely down to The weight so of things can do that a Bit more but yeah for me I think these Are good kind of cushion daily trainers Shoes that do offer you know some Similar experiences and in terms of the Which one I would go for I'll get into That in my verdict so I've just done my Side by side M I've got the aex NOA Blast 5 on the left foot I've got the Joel nimus on the right foot one thing To say here these are both quite big Wide platform shoes with big stacks of Cushioned foam underneath they're both Going to eat the road take away the Impact look after your feet particularly From that road impact coming up over Long miles they are both quite soft in That respect and Protective big difference here is the Nimbus 27 is just much softer it's much More soggy there's not as quick return There's a bit more bounce in than Overlast five it's still quite a sort of
Sinky and then returning shoot there is A bit of energy in it though and they Just feel more Nimble more agile on the Foot they're lighter they feel more pacy They want to go faster the Joel nimas 27 Does what the nimus does really which is It's just going to protect you from the Road look after you super super super Cushioned ride under the foot for those Kind of easy and sort of longer slow Miles the ones where you don't really Want to feel much of the road coming up The Nova blos 5 for me is a snappier Shoe it's a shoe that I would definitely Use for faster miles TheBus 27 doesn't Really let me do that to be honest it Might be a shoe that I'd go and cruise Like a three-hour run in if I just know That all I want is soft cushioned Comfort and nothing else but the Nimbus 27 for me I have to do a bit more work In the shoe than I will get in the no Blast 5 the no blast 5 is giving you a Bit back the Nimbus is basically just Giving you a massive cuddle and saying It's all going to be all right the over Blast 5 is saying come on we got this me And you U it's a bit like that that's The way I kind of see it they're both Roomy super comfortable kind of plush Shoes up top when it comes to stability I think the ASX Joel Nimbus 27 although They're sort of softer and more Cushioned I think in their heel they're
A bit firmer there's a bit more of a Solid platform they don't wobble quite As much as you'll get with an oblast 5 So I think you get more stability more Reliability in the ride from the asex Joe 27 that's not really a surprise it's A shoe that kind of will appeal to People who might need a little bit of Extra protection in terms of their Stability Nova blast 5 is a bit more Wobble I find it runs better when I'm up Running with a little bit of energy you Know putting in energy and I'm getting Some back when I'm running kind of mid To 4ot you know I guess being a bit more Aggressive with the shoes rather than Settling back the other thing you notice Out here when you're doing a side By-side test like this is just how Slappy the Nimbus 27 is it's a very Slappy shoe I didn't notice it when I Was doing the review of the shoe Necessarily I didn't really pick up on It when you know both feet were doing it But now you can sort of feel the no Blast 5 is like a soft chew Shuffle by Comparison to the slap slap of the Nimbus it's quite pronounced when you Put them side by side like this overall I think I would probably tend to use These shoes largely for the same kinds Of runs or at least I think they would Cover most of the same base I'll reveal More in the verdict I just think one of
Them is a bit more versatile one of them Can do a lot more but I think they can Both handle that lower end for me for The kind of run I want there's enough Cushioning really in the no blast 5 to Deliver what the nimus delivers uh and For me it's going to come down to Whether or not you really like that Really extra extra softness in all your Kind of slowest and easiest miles on the Run test then and I've done quite a lot Of running in both of these Sho and I Actually do like both of them more than The previous models of the shoes which I Think is a bit different to the other Guys on the team I think most of them Are more keen on the over blast four to The five and see the ja numers 27 is Very similar to the 26 and I actually Think both of these are quite good Upgrades and I think both of them have a Smoother ride than their predecessors as A heel Striker I think the heel bevels Have been changed slightly that creates A slightly more natural heel totoe Transition for me as a heel Striker and I've enjoyed running in both of these Quite a lot what I would say is I think They have come a bit closer together This year than they were with the Previous models I do think the GEL Nimbus 27 for me is a bit more versatile And has a bit more about it at PACE than Gers 26 and works better as a cushion
Daily trainer as a result but has a bit More versatility whereas I think no Blast 5 is a little less vertile than no Blast 4 I think it's more of a pure Cushion shoe now of a slightly softer Midsole and that's fine but it does mean They're encroaching a little bit on each Other's territory and I do think there's Quite a lot of similarities in how I Would use these shoes like I don't think Either is really versatile enough for me To use it for a bit of everything the no Blast is the more versatile shoe but Isn't one that I'd really appreciate Going and doing like hard reps in so I Would use the mainly for just those easy Daily training runs the odd progression Run and long runs I think they both do a Really good job of that so when it comes To the differences between them like you Do have a bit more width and stability I Would say with the GEL Nimbus 27 for Sure like it is a little bit more Cushioned I think they both feel very Cushioned at the hill when you're Landing so I don't think you're getting A big extra feeling of comfort with the Shoe but I do think you get bit more Support the upper certainly holds the Foot a bit more tightly at the back You've got bigger side dos of foam and The Sho is a bit wider so you do have More stability there for sure and it Does give you that General extra feeling
Of protection but I wouldn't say you're Really lacking that with an over blast Like it is a narrower shoe but it is Still quite wide I think it's still a Very stable shoe and gives you a lot of Protection as well it's just maybe if You really want to go all out on that Front the Nimbus is the one to go for But I do think they are both really good Protective cushion shoes with a lot of Foam underf foot I did do a run in both Of these shoes at the same time and you Have got different Foams here but I Didn't really feel a massive difference In the field between them myself like Things I did notice was that the gel nus Is a fair bit slapper I think the Outsole rubber is a bit harder on the Shoe compared to the no blast and it Does give you that slightly slapper Sound and feeling on the run and does Feel like a biger shoe in terms of width For sure like the no blast feels nimbler That certainly helps the versatility the Kind of more narrow design and the Lighter design you have here does make It feel a slightly more poppy shoe but Wouldn't say you're getting a huge Amount back from the Foams on either of These shoes I think they roll through Quite nicely they tick along okay give You a little bit back but mostly there To absorb impact and I don't think Either you know really producing a very
Lively ride so actually I do think There's probably more similarities and Differences between them you obviously Very different looks and stuff like that But in terms of the features that really Stood out for me during my run test of Both shoes or I was running in both of Them at the same time was actually they Both do quite a similar job well which Is to provide a bit of cushioning a bit Of protection a little bit of Versatility but in general just be a Shoe that you can reach for each day That ticks over quite [Music] Nicely my verdict on these two shoes um I would say that uh the GEL Nimbus uh is A solid shoe that um is very good for Those easier runs possibly for people Who want a bit a denser midell phone That uh maybe a bit heavier and you want Something that's got a bit more to it um But really it's a shoe that's designed For those those easier sessions uh Nova Blast 5 softer midsole um probably one That if you are heavier you're probably Going to get too much uh compression out Of that Mido so it might not be um good For heavier Runners um but equally it's A shoe that I would really only use for Those easier sessions as opposed to Faster session so they're quite Comparable in those two ways I think it Purely comes down to the fact that I
Think there's a nicer rolling action and Transition to the Nova blast 5 for those Easier sessions and those uh recovery Runs that sort of that sort of running Uh and the fact that it's it's cheaper It's noticeably cheaper than the gel Ners 27 the gel n 27 is a very expensive Shoe um and there are a lot of shoes out There that I would probably buy instead Things like the New Balance Mo V5 um Which is got similar um level of Cushioning to it but it's a bit softer And there's a nicer rolling action to That shoe uh Brooks Glycerin Max more Quite an expensive shoe again but I Think that's superior to the GEL Nimbus 27 so for me I'm picking the aex Nova Blast 5 over the GEL Nimbus 27 so it Comes to verdict as I said in the run Test I think the Nimbus 27 and the no Blast 5 do quite a similar job these Days with the latest versions of the Shoes in being cushion daily trainers That they're mostly there to be used for Kind of easy runs long runs maybe slight Progression runs but aren't the most Verstile and as a result as they think They do the kind of the same job I'd get The no blast 5 because it's cheaper and Lighter cheaper being the really big Point it's a lot cheaper in the UK so I'd certainly get it for that because I Think you are getting enough protection Here for sure like very similar in terms
Of the amount of cushioning you get to The Nimbus 27 feels very protective Certainly Sho you can pull on every day And know that you're getting enough Cushioning whil having that little bit Of a lighter design and a slightly Narrower nimbler design if you are going To use it for a bit of everything the Only reason to really look at the nimus Is if you want a slightly more stable Shoe but don't necessarily want to go All the way to the stability shoe like The gel Kayano I think the nimus 27 is a Very stable shoe a really protective Shoe if you are someone who's doing Loads and loads of Miles maybe slightly Heavier Runner than me then you might Get a bit more support from the Nimbus But paying a lot extra for that and like I said I do think the no blast provides That pretty well as well like it's not Like it's in any way an unstable shoe or An overly narrow shoe it's just a little Bit less so than the John limbus so yeah Two shoes I actually really enjoyed Running in this year and I do think They're good updates they're a bit Smoother if you're a hill Striker like Me I think but the nose blast five is The one that edges it in terms of value And the fact that I think they do quite Similar jobs and this is a bit lighter And cheaper ver it for me then and I Think both these shoes are competent at
What they aim to deliver for me there's One clear clear winner in terms of a Shoe that I would choose for my style of Run run and the kind of runs that I Would want to do in it and that is the Nova blast 5 the reasons for that are That there's enough cushion for me There's enough softness in Nova blast 5 That I can do my easier easiest and Longest kind of slowest miles in the Nova blast 5 without too much trouble at All I think they eat enough Road impact To be comfortable for that they've also Got more gears you can go up through the Gears to a bit more Pace there a Shoe That does give back when you put a bit Of energy in they sort of seem to Respond to me best when I'm feeling Really energetic and I'm running with High energy they could be bit sluggish When I'm running slow but that is Something that I would sort of say the Nimbus 27 sort of just does almost Deliberately it's supposed to be super Soft it's supposed to be super cradling It's supposed to be excellent protection You know it's supposed to make the road Disappear under foot and this ners 27 Does that exactly I just don't think It's got that upper Pace versatility When you want to go up through the gears You're not going to do it in the numers 27 feels a bit heavy feels a bit big Feels a bit cumbersome feels a bit kind
Of sluggish you know the caveat here I Think if you're a bigger Runner heavier Runner you want to run a marathon in Absolute Comfort crad old looked after Then the Nimbus 27 might be for you I Wouldn't do faster runs in it myself no Blast 5 is better for that but I can see There is a purpose for the Nimbus 27 if You like the old Nimbus you're going to Like this one as well and yeah the no Blast 4 I think has come a little bit Closer to nimus in terms of the softness He trying to do soft and bounce but it's A little bit softer so if if you felt Like the NOA blast didn't quite have Enough softness in the last generation You were veering towards cimus I think You're going to get more of that in the Nova blast 5 so that's the one I would Pick over this both good shoes happy to Run in both of them but for me the Winner here uh by country mile really in Terms of how I would use the shoe for Its versatility is the Nova blast 5 so My take with you should go for the J 27 Or the Nova blast 5 I would be going for The Nova blast 5 and I put that down to The fact that I think this shoe can work For the same types runs Excel with the Same types of runs as this shoe and do It for less money there's plenty in the Way of comfort to make it a good shoe For long runs there's enough in that Ride to make it enjoyable for kind of
Daily training runs as well and you're Getting it you know getting all that From a lighter shoe overall and you're Getting a good outside on there as well I think you know this is a good shoe and You know it's a shoe that I've enjoyed Running as well too I think it makes a Good long run I think it works for easy To moderate Pace runs as well I just Think given you know my experience in Both of these shoes and the overlap that I've seen in terms of my experience I Think you can get that same experience From the Jers 27 or similar one in the NOA blast 5 and get it for less [Music] Money that's our comparison of the aex Jo nimus 27 and the as6 no blast 5 let Us know what you think in the comments Below please like And subscribe ring the Little bell we'll see you next time
