The Gel Cumulus 22 is a soft, flexible, everyday trainer with a great fit. Compared to the Gel Cumulus 21, it has a brand new upper, midsole and outsole. The Cumulus 21 is a versatile, stable trainer with a plush upper. Both shoes are $120 but the Cumulus 22 weighs 0.9 oz less than the Cumulus 21. Which of these shoes is for you?
The Cumulus 22 and the Cumulus 21 have dual-foam midsole setups comprising of FlyteFoam and FlyteFoam Propel. They have a medium-soft, cushioned ride experience which is not too firm or too mushy. The difference between the two midsoles is that the Cumulus 22 has a lower density midsole which translates to a softer ride.
The heel and forefoot stack heights have changed. On the Cumulus 21, the heel was 29mm and the forefoot 19mm but on the Cumulus 22, the heel is 31mm and the forefoot 21mm. The extra 2mm in the heel and forefoot make the Cumulus 22 slightly more cushioned than the Cumulus 21.
The Cumulus 22, with its softer midsole, is more suited to longer runs than short tempo runs. The Cumulus 21 is more versatile thanks to its firmer midsole- it can handle long runs perfectly fine in addition to the occasional tempo outing.
The heel of the Cumulus 22 has a longer, wraparound Gel unit than the Cumulus 21 which gives it more heel shock absorption compared to the Cumulus 21. Both shoes have encapsulated coin-sized Gel units in the forefoots.
On the outsole, the Cumulus 22 has 6 forefoot flex grooves compared to only 3 and half in the forefoot of the Cumulus 21, making the Cumulus 22 much for flexible than the Cumulus 21. The main difference between the two outsoles is that the Cumulus 21 has a wide Guidance Line decoupling groove in the middle of its outsole whereas the Cumulus 22 has a much thinner groove in the middle of its outsole. The narrower groove of the Cumulus 22 gives it smoother ride transitions compared to the Cumulus 22.
New AHAR+ (Asics High Abrasion Rubber)+ is used on the outsole of the Cumulus 22 compared to the previous generation of AHAR used on the Cumulus 21. AHAR+ is 50% more durable than regular AHAR.
Both shoes are very stable neutral shoes but the Cumulus 21 is more stable than the Cumulus 22 due to its lower stack height and firmer midsole.
The Cumulus 22 has a one-piece mesh upper with a frictionless 3D upper. It’s breathable and porous so it keeps your feet cool. Its heel counter and tongue are generously filled with foam and do a good job in keeping your feet locked down. The Cumulus 22 fits true to size and comes in regular, wide and extra wide versions.
The Cumulus 21 has a dual-layer mesh which is not as breathable as the Cumulus 22’s mesh and it runs warm. The external heel counter of the Cumulus 21 has extra synthetic overlays which make the heel bulkier than the heel counter of the Cumulus 22. Puffy round laces are found on the Cumulus 21 compared to the flat laces of the Cumulus 22. The Cumulus 21 also fits true to size and comes in regular, wide and extra wide versions.
If you’re looking for a flexible neutral trainer with a medium-soft ride, the Cumulus 22 is the shoe for you. The Cumulus 22 is best suited to long, slow runs and has a comfortable, breathable upper.
If you’re looking for a firmer, more versatile trainer, the Cumulus 21 is the shoe for you. The Cumulus 21 can handle all types of runs but has a warmer, thicker upper. The Cumulus 21 has less durable rubber on its outsole but is more stable than the Cumulus 22.
