ASICS GEL-Nimbus 16 running shoes in white and blue

About this model

ASICS has made the GEL-Nimbus since 1999, and the name is Latin for cloud. The GEL-Nimbus 16 is the 2014 edition. ASICS pitched it at underpronators through mild overpronators, and reviewers at the time saw it as a soft, protective shoe for long runs and high weekly mileage.

Under the foot, ASICS paired its FluidRide midsole with GEL units in both the heel and the forefoot. A Guidance Trusstic System gives the midfoot its structure, and the Guidance Line, a groove along the sole, is meant to keep the load running down the center of the foot. The forefoot of the outsole is DuraSponge, a blown AHAR rubber that adds some cushioning and wears well, with carbon rubber at the heel. ASICS listed the men's shoe at 23 mm under the heel and 13 mm under the forefoot, a 10 mm drop. The women's version adds 3 mm under the heel to ease tension on the Achilles. Solereview weighed a men's US 11 at 353 grams.

The upper is FluidFit, a stretch mesh with stretchy reinforcements that ASICS says adapt to the shape of the foot, with separate eyelets and an external heel counter. Solereview and Running Shoes Guru both found it true to size in length with a snug fit. Running Shoes Guru named the reworked upper and larger GEL units as the main changes from the Nimbus 15, while Solereview felt the 16 run firmer than that model, with a stiffer forefoot.

Sources: asics.com (archived product page) · Solereview · Running Shoes Guru · ASICS press release via PR Newswire