How is the Gel-Nimbus 25 different to the Gel-Nimbus 24?
Looks-wise, the Gel-Nimbus 25 is completely different to its predecessor. Featuring a large foam-like midsole (made from new lightweight and energetic FF Blast Plus Eco cushioning), a new knitted upper, stretchy knit tongue and collar construction. There’s also new PureGEL™ Technology, which is cleverly embedded between the upper and midsole (and not visible from the outside), which helps with shock absorption.

ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 25

ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 24

Weight: 255g vs 247g
Drop: 8mm vs 13mm
Midsole material: FF Blast Plus Eco vs FF Blast + / Flytefoam
Gel: PureGEL™ Technology vs Rearfoot visible / Forefoot GEL™ Technology
Upper: Knit vs Engineered mesh

What is the Gel-Nimbus 25 like to run in?
Dubbed by ASICS as ‘the most comfortable shoe ever’ – the Gel-Nimbus 25 was tested by 100 runners (52 men, 48 women) for a short study, where the runners were asked to run in five pairs of (completely unrecognisable and unbranded) shoes on a treadmill, for three minutes, and then asked to rate the comfort of each shoe. According to the study, the Gel-Nimbus 25 was rated as the number one in comfort. And after testing the Gel-Nimbus 25 ourselves – including on an easy, flat 7k lunchtime loop, a parkrun, a longer 12k plod and an interval session (6 x 800m hard, with 90s rest) – we can confirm it is indeed a very comfortable shoe. Of course, comfort is a very difficult (and individual) thing to measure – what one person finds comfortable, another may find unbearable. But we also liked how plush it felt to run in – it’s relatively lightweight, feels soft underfoot, and has a smooth, rolling transition. Bouncy, fun, but not overly springy, if you need a recovery day shoe or a long-distance slow-run trainer, this is a great option.

How does the Gel-Nimbus 25 fit?
As soon as you step into the Gel-Nimbus 25, the stretchy knit tongue feels snug, secure and almost sock-like. The knitted upper is pretty padded as well, and we did find it runs a bit warm.

What shoes do they compare to in other brands?
As a point of comparison, ASICS’ Gel-Nimbus 25 feels similar to Hoka’s Clifton 9 and New Balance’s 1080v12 – it’s a slow-day shoe.

RW Verdict
We’re big fans of the Gel-Nimbus’ new look. Built for daily training, long runs and recovery days, this isn’t a go-faster shoe; this is a shoe built for comfort. So if you’re looking for a daily workhorse with a fun, modern, knitted look and bouncy foam midsole, this is definitely one to have on your radar.