The Asics Gel Nimbus 23 is an excellent ‘go to’ shoe

Weight 310g (M) 255g (W)
Heel-To-Toe-Drop: 10mm (M) 13mm (W)
Type: road
Price: £155

Buy now - men's

Buy now - women's

RW summary

Heres why it won the Best In Test award in our 2021 shoe guide.

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ASICS Gel-Nimbus 23 Women's Running Shoes - SS21

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£124 at Sports Shoes

It’s been a while since Asics took the top gong in one of our Shoe Buyer’s Guides but the reaction to this shoe was uniformly one of delight and this won Best In Test in our current Spring/Summer ‘21 Guide. Asics has taken one of its most popular and long-running (in every sense) shoes, tweaked a few things but left the essentials the same.

A cushioning triple whammy

Asics has gone all out with the nimbus to ensure it is the plushest ride possible. It features no fewer than different types of midsole cushioning material: Flytefoam, Flytefoam Propel, and gel pods in the forefoot and heel sections. The result is a sensation that is reassuringly bouncy with a lovely firm feel when pushing off the ground.

Improved upper

The Jacquard mesh upper has been played with a little. It’s now made from 20% recycled materials, and the fit has been adapted to be less generous than version 22. This is not to say it’s tight now – just fitted where it needs to be and our testers felt that it moved and stretched well with the movement of the foot. Breathability has also been improved and there were no issues with hot, sweaty feet over long runs.

Gender-specific design

There’s a 3mm difference in the heel drop between the men’s and women’s versions (10mm and 13mm) to take into account the overall difference in footstrike between the sexes. Asics’s famous Trusstic (a plastic insert in the midfoot to help with torsion control) is different too. The men’s is stiffer and heavier to allow for the greater weight landing on it, while the women’s is lighter and more flexible. And similarly, on the women’s shoe, the outsole grooves are more flexible than the men’s – and the men’s are filled in on the instep to give greater stability on landing.

Conclusion

It is a very smooth ride for a neutral midfoot or heel striking runner. All in all an excellent every day running ‘go to’ shoe that can be used for training and longer races.