Asics Gel Nimbus 11
	Full Name: Asics Gel Nimbus 11
	Category: Cushioning
	Weight: 12 oz. (340 gr.)
	Suggested Price: 125$
	Recommended For: Neutral Runners and Under Pronators (Supinators)

• Asics Nimbus 11 General Info:

The Asics Nimbus 11 is fall 2009’s update for Asics top of the range cushioning shoe. As expected, the Nimbus 11 maintains the success elements of its predecessors while improving on a few – to name one, the weight.

• Asics Nimbus 11 Sole Unit:

The Nimbus 11 is a cushioning shoe, aimed at runners with a neutral to under pronated gait. The shoe was developed by Asics with the objective of providing the ultimate cushioning platform.

The cushioning is provided by a number of elements, first of all the use of large Asics Gel units both in the heel and in the forefoot. (Gel is Asics trademark cushioning technology, where gel chambers are inserted in the shoes’ midsole in order to absorb the vertical shock generated by the impact on the ground).

The midsole material is Asics Solyte, a compound that is lighter and springier than the normal EVA and spEVA (foam) previously used by Asics.

One new element found in the Nimbus 11 is the addition of a Solyte cap placed underneath the forefoot in order to provide an even softer feel. This addition not only improves the cushioning of the shoe, but also helps drop the weight vs the previous model, the Nimbus 10. The density of the injected cap also takes into account the higher compression rate of men’s shoes vs women’s and that is why the injected section is softer on women’s than on the men’s model. Further, the injected cap on the women’s shoe extends from the lateral side of the forefoot all the way across to the medial (internal) side, while the mens’ version ends earlier.

Continuing with the gender-specific engineering, the shoe includes a midfoot plastic shank (Asics Space Trusstic System) that wraps the midsole underneath the foot’s arch in order to provide a smooth heel-to-toe transition by securing torsional stability. The shank found on the Nimbus 11 is differently engineered for the women version to take into account womens’ different biomechanics.

The result of these improvements are a ride that feels less mushy and more springy than before.

• Asics Nimbus 11 Upper:

The Nimbus 11 went through serious upper redesign.

The number of overlays have been dramatically reduced and most of the synthetic materials that were present in the Nimbus 10 are now replaced with a very open mesh. This solution delivers an upper that is aesthetically cleaner even though slightly less iconic but that most of all weights substantially less and breaths much more.

The biggest change that runner feel is in the toebox: the reduction of the overlays gives a much more open feel to the toes and the shoe does feel more roomy in the toe.

Other slight improvements are the use of memory foam in the tongue lining (for better fit to the individual runner, memory foam assumes the shape of the foot) and the removal of stitching in the heel counter – to avoid abrasion and irritation.

Still present the asymmetrical lacing – a feature that is appreciated by some runners and depreciated by some others.

• Asics Nimbus 11 Opinion:

The Nimbus 11 has been improved over the 10. First of all with a weight-drop of approx. 25 grams it will be a pleasant surprise during long runs together with the added breathability of the redesigned upper.

The cushioning is excellent and ever more springy than in the past; nevertheless the Nimbus provides good elements of stability for a cushioning shoe, that can help the slightly heavier runner or the runner whose technique suffers when fatigue strikes. If you are looking for a similarly built shoe, but with more cushioning than support, we suggest you to have a look at the Nike Zoom Vomero 4 too.

The shoe is recommended to normal to under pronators (supinators), with an eye to heavier runners.

The price increase of 5$ seems justified by the improvements of the midsole – but we know the pricing of materials have increased for all shoes producers, so we expect slight price increases from many brands especially for their top of the range shoes.

2010 UPDATE! You can find our Asics Gel Nimbus 12 review here!

• Asics Nimbus 11 Price Comparison:

Let us know what you think of this shoe in the comments!