ASICS Gel-Nimbus vs Gel-Cumulus: Nimbus 28 or Cumulus 28?
These two shoes are sold as the premium option and the sensible option, and the lab data says that is not quite the difference. The Cumulus 28 measured a much higher drop; the Nimbus 28 measured flatter and softer. Here is which one your running actually wants.
FF Blast+ over a PureGEL heel insert, 39.5 / 34.3 mm in RunRepeat's lab and a measured drop of just 5.2 mm against the 8 mm ASICS lists. Men's to extra wide, women's from narrow to wide.
BLAST MAX with PureGEL, 41.4 / 29.7 mm and an 11.7 mm measured drop in RTINGS' lab against the 8 mm listed. 9.02 oz, and four widths from Narrow to Extra Wide.
The structured option: a firm heel counter and a broad rearfoot with ASICS' support frame. Buy this instead of either if your heel rolls inward as you tire.
#ad · Price as of October 17, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to ASICS Gel-Kayano 33
Buy the ASICS Gel-Cumulus 28 if you land heel-first and want a traditional high-drop trainer: it measured 41.4 mm at the heel and an 11.7 mm drop in RTINGS' lab, at 9.02 oz, in four widths. Buy the Gel-Nimbus 28 if you want a softer, flatter ride for long runs: RunRepeat measured 39.5 / 34.3 mm and a 5.2 mm drop, with far more foam under the forefoot. The Nimbus costs more; the Cumulus is the lighter shoe and the more conventional geometry.
Each value links to the lab that measured it or to the retailer page it was published on.
Read the forefoot numbers rather than the heel numbers. The Nimbus carries 34.3 mm under the forefoot against the Cumulus's 29.7 mm — nearly 5 mm more foam exactly where your foot pushes off at the end of a long run. The heel figures are much closer together, which is why the two shoes feel more alike walking around the shop than they do at mile ten.
The drop surprise
Heel-to-toe drop changes where load lands. A higher drop shifts load off the calf and Achilles and onto the knee; a lower drop does the reverse. So in practice:
Calf or Achilles trouble? The Cumulus 28's measured 11.7 mm is the friendlier shoe.
Midfoot or forefoot striker? The Nimbus, every time. A tall heel you never use is just weight.
If none of that is familiar, the background is in heel drop and stack height explained. And treat both measurements as approximate: labs disagree, and so do pairs.
FF Blast+ against BLAST MAX
Both shoes pair an ASICS foam with a PureGEL insert in the heel. The Nimbus uses FF Blast+, the comfort-focused compound; Running Warehouse's Nimbus 28 review pitches it as a reliable easy-and-long-run shoe. The Cumulus uses BLAST MAX, which Running Warehouse describes on its product page as a go-to daily trainer for standard mileage runs.
Neither is a fast shoe. Both are tuned for comfort rather than response, and if you want one ASICS that also handles tempo days, the answer is the Novablast rather than either of these — see best ASICS running shoes.
Widths and fit
This is where the Cumulus quietly wins. RTINGS lists it in Narrow, Standard, Wide and Extra Wide; the Nimbus runs men's standard, wide and extra wide and women's narrow, standard and wide. Either way, ASICS is one of the better brands for width, and the AAOS fitting rule applies to both: a heel the shoe adequately grips to ensure stability, with room to wiggle your toes. Buy the width rather than a longer shoe.
Which one for your level
Couch to 5K. The NHS plan is three run/walk sessions a week. The Cumulus 28: lighter, cheaper, and its higher drop suits the heel-first landing most new runners have.
10K training. Either. The Cumulus is the better value and there is nothing it cannot do at this mileage.
Half marathon. Higdon's Novice 1 Half peaks at 10 miles, which is where the Nimbus's extra forefoot foam starts to show.
Marathon.Novice 1 Marathon runs to a 20-mile peak. The Nimbus 28 for long runs; keep the Cumulus for shorter easy days if you rotate two pairs.
When the answer is neither
If your heel rolls inward as you tire, or a previous pair wore out on the inside edge, the shoe you want is the Gel-Kayano 33: the most structured mainstream trainer ASICS makes, with a firm heel counter and a broad rearfoot, listed by Running Warehouse in multiple widths. Neither the Nimbus nor the Cumulus has any stability structure, and no amount of foam substitutes for it. The distinction is covered in neutral vs stability running shoes.
In detail
The contenders, in full
The softer, flatter one
ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28
C25K10KHALFMARATHON
7.8 /10
FF Blast+ over a PureGEL heel insert, 39.5 / 34.3 mm in RunRepeat's lab and a measured drop of just 5.2 mm against the 8 mm ASICS lists. Men's to extra wide, women's from narrow to wide.
#ad · Price as of October 17, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28
The firmer, higher-drop one
ASICS Gel-Cumulus 28
C25K10KHALFMARATHON
8.0 /10
BLAST MAX with PureGEL, 41.4 / 29.7 mm and an 11.7 mm measured drop in RTINGS' lab against the 8 mm listed. 9.02 oz, and four widths from Narrow to Extra Wide.
#ad · Price as of October 17, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to ASICS Gel-Cumulus 28
If you need support instead
ASICS Gel-Kayano 33
C25K10KHALFMARATHON
8.2 /10
The structured option: a firm heel counter and a broad rearfoot with ASICS' support frame. Buy this instead of either if your heel rolls inward as you tire.
#ad · Price as of October 17, 2026 · Affiliate disclosure for the link to ASICS Gel-Kayano 33
How we chose these
Researched, compared, scored for your level
We start from what a published training plan actually asks of a runner at your level, compare every model's published specs (stack height, drop, weight, plate, stability features, widths) against that job, and score each pick on a public rubric. Each spec links to where it came from, so you can shortlist in minutes and buy with the numbers in front of you.
Cumulus 28 if you heel-strike and want a traditional high-drop trainer at a lower price — RTINGS measured an 11.7 mm drop and 9.02 oz. Nimbus 28 if you want more forefoot foam and a flatter ride for long runs, at a RunRepeat-measured 5.2 mm drop.
Is the Gel-Nimbus worth the extra money over the Cumulus?+
For half and marathon long runs, often yes: it has nearly 5 mm more forefoot stack. For Couch-to-5K and 10K training, no — the Cumulus is the better value and the more conventional geometry.
Which ASICS has the higher heel-to-toe drop?+
The Cumulus 28, despite both shoes being listed at 8 mm. Independent labs measured 11.7 mm on the Cumulus and 5.2 mm on the Nimbus, so the Cumulus is the higher-drop shoe in practice.
Can I use either for a marathon?+
Yes, for training. The Nimbus 28 is the better long-run shoe of the two. Neither is a race-day shoe — see best marathon shoes.
Do both come in wide?+
Yes. The Cumulus 28 is listed in Narrow, Standard, Wide and Extra Wide; the Nimbus 28 in men's standard, wide and extra wide and women's narrow, standard and wide.
Every figure above is traceable. Specs come from the maker's own pages or the named reviewer's published measurements (linked above); level definitions come from published training plans; prices come from Amazon's own API and carry the date they were checked, so you buy on a current number. Read the full method.
