Asics Gel Cumulus 27 Introduction

Now in its 27th edition, the Gel-Cumulus continues to be one of the longest tenured running shoes in the Asics lineup.

For this edition, Asics changed very little. The shoe added a little bit of weight (0.2 oz), changed the materials from which the upper was made, and reduced the height of the heel collar while also adding a pull tab.

For those new to the Cumulus lineup, the shoe fits as a mid-tier training shoe. The more maximalist shoe in the Asics lineup is the Gel-Nimbus as it is much softer, plusher, and includes much more of the premium materials.

The Novablast sits adjacent to the Cumulus but tends to be more versatile as it can be used for some more uptempo runs. In all, the Cumulus is a workhorse mileage shoe that nearly every runner can find some benefit.

Asics Gel Cumulus 27 First Impressions

When I first opened this box, the first thing I noticed was the continued lightweight feel of the shoe. The colorway was not the most impressive.

My first run in the shoe was an easy 7 mile run in the rain. The shoe did the job as expected from a ride standpoint and exceeded my expectations from a traction standpoint. No irritation, soft ride, and comfort throughout all 7 of those miles and I had zero concerns with my footing.

Having tested the Cumulus 26, this shoe didn’t feel like it had the same rocker as the previous version even though the basics of the shoe remained the same.

My next run was tempo/threshold run (think somewhere in the marathon/10k pace range). This shoe didn’t really help me much in those runs and I also felt like it was holding me back. This is where last year’s version had a bit of a rocker to it and seemed to help propel me forward some. This year, the shoe felt flat and was preventing me from pushing faster.

Asics Gel Cumulus 27 Upper

The upper on this shoe was the biggest change of all. While last year’s shoe was an engineered mesh, this year’s update sees smaller mesh holes and a slight bit less breathability.

The tongue also changed as last year was soft and stretchy knit while this model is now a stiffer, less stretchy mesh.

I didn’t have any issues with hot spots or rubbing in any parts of the upper and the laces stayed tied on a single knot for over 50 miles.

There is a new tab on the heel counter that helps with getting the shoe on and off.
Overall, the shoe fit true to size for me. This shoe does come in wide widths options.

Asics Gel Cumulus 27 Sole Unit

The midsole of the shoe has remained unchanged from last year’s version. There is the PureGel™ in the heel surrounded by the FF Blast™ PLUS foam. According to Asics, the heel drop is 8mm, with a height of about 38.5mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot.

The sockliner is made from OrthoLite X-30 and is very soft. It’s comfortable when you’re running in it and the shoe does disappear on your feet for all of those easier miles. The shoe does not seem to give as much energy return as last year’s shoe even though they are supposed to be made similarly. It felt flat to me whenever I tried to pick up the pace.

The outsole remains made from Fluidride™ which helps keep the shoe lightweight. While the shoe seemingly gained a very small amount of weight from last year, it was negligible in my comparison of the two shoes.

I did not see the same wear on the outsole as I did on last year’s shoe. The traction was great even on multiple wet runs. This was an upgrade compared to last year’s outsole.

Asics Gel Cumulus 27 Conclusions

Overall, the Cumulus 27 is a very good daily trainer that will allow you to eat up lots of easy miles. It stops short of being able to be used for more uptempo efforts.

It’s a shoe for all level of runners and the $140 price point is a fair deal. If you’ve loved the Cumulus over the years, I feel like this shoe lives up to the standards of the Cumulus. If you see the 26 on sale somewhere, I think that’s more worthwhile to snatch up.