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ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28: A Podiatrist’s Analysis

Spec analysis — not yet tested

The Nimbus is ASICS’s maximum-cushion neutral trainer and one of the most-recommended shoes in podiatry waiting rooms, usually on reputation rather than measurement. ASICS lists the 28 lighter than the 27 with the same drop; a lab measured the drop falling from 8.3 to 5.2 mm. Here is what ASICS publishes, what a foot and ankle surgeon reads into it, and what stays unknown until the pair reaches the bench.

What ASICS says the GEL-NIMBUS 28 is

ASICS places the GEL-NIMBUS 28 in its “Maximum” cushioning tier for long-distance comfort, built on an FF BLAST PLUS midsole with a PureGEL unit in the heel and an engineered-knit upper. ASICS’s press release for the launch (US on-sale January 9, 2026) says the 28 is 20–25 g lighter than the 27 with a redesigned knit upper, a redesigned HYBRID ASICSGRIP outsole and a streamlined heel, while stack height and drop are unchanged. List price is $170.

ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28 specifications: heel-to-toe drop, stack height and weight

Source column tells you where each figure comes from. “ASICS” means the brand’s own US product page. A retailer name means the brand does not publish that figure and a retailer does. “Not published” means nobody reliable does — those are the figures our bench measures first.

Specification	Figure	Source
Category	Neutral, maximum cushioning	ASICS
Weight, men's	281 g / 9.9 oz (size not stated)	ASICS
Weight, women's	242 g / 8.5 oz (size not stated)	ASICS
Heel stack	Not published on the ASICS US product page. 35.5 mm men’s / 34.5 mm women’s	Fleet Feet (retailer)
Forefoot stack	Not published on the ASICS US product page. 27.5 mm men’s / 26.5 mm women’s	Fleet Feet (retailer)
Drop	8 mm	ASICS
Midsole	FF BLAST PLUS foam with PureGEL heel unit	ASICS
Outsole	HYBRID ASICSGRIP (ASICSGRIP + AHARPLUS compounds)	Fleet Feet (retailer)
Upper	Engineered knit	ASICS
Widths, men's	D (regular), 2E (wide), 4E (extra wide); wide sold on asics.com	Fleet Feet (retailer) + ASICS wide listing
Widths, women's	2A (narrow), B (regular), D (wide); wide sold on asics.com	Fleet Feet (retailer) + ASICS wide listing
Removable insole	OrthoLite X-55 sockliner, described as removable	Fleet Feet (retailer) — not confirmed by ASICS
APMA Seal of Acceptance	ASICS’s APMA-accepted collection lists the GEL-NIMBUS line generically; the 28 is not shown as a distinct entry	ASICS — not confirmed for this version
List price	$170	ASICS

Figures checked September 6, 2026. Manufacturer pages: men’s · women’s.

What the spec sheet suggests — and what only a test can answer

Brand-stated drop and outside measurements differ. ASICS lists an 8 mm drop. The named outside laboratory sample measured 5.2 mm on a 39.5 mm heel, the sixth-lowest drop in this page’s 35-shoe dataset; its Nimbus 27 sample measured 8.3 mm. In the same recorded comparisons, the 28 had the highest resistance to twisting among 24 shoes measured with that newer test and the second-stiffest forefoot among 35 shoes. These are source- and sample-specific construction comparisons. They do not document patient comfort at 8 mm, establish an Achilles or big-toe treatment benefit, or show that the 27 is the better clinical choice.

The gel is under the heel, not the forefoot. PureGEL is placed in the rearfoot. If your pain is under the ball of the foot (metatarsalgia, a neuroma, sesamoiditis), the forefoot stack figure is the one that matters, and a lab measured 34.3 mm there, the third thickest of the 35 shoes we review. We will still measure forefoot thickness ourselves, because that is the number a metatarsalgia patient actually stands on.

Widths are real but the source is a retailer. ASICS sells a “wide” Nimbus 28 on its own site; the full D/2E/4E and 2A/B/D matrix comes from Fleet Feet. An engineered-knit upper tends to be more forgiving over a bunion than a stitched mesh, but knit also tends to hold the foot less firmly — a trade-off we score under heel-counter and midfoot hold.

What only the test can answer: whether the sockliner really lifts out cleanly (the retailer says it does; ASICS does not say), how much volume is left for an orthotic, the measured stack and toe-box width and depth, and how the softer foam behaves after 50 miles. The APMA question is also open: ASICS lists the Nimbus family on its APMA-accepted page, but not the 28 by name.

Who the ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28 is probably for

Read from the published specification, not from wear. Treat these as hypotheses the test will confirm or overturn.

ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28: what changed from the previous version

ASICS’s own press release and blog compare the 28 to the 27: roughly 20–25 g lighter, a redesigned engineered-knit upper, a redesigned HYBRID ASICSGRIP outsole, a new tongue loop and a streamlined heel and pull-tab, with stack height and drop unchanged. Those are ASICS’s claims, and a lab has since measured both. The weight saving is real, about 21 g, but the drop did change: 8.3 mm on the 27 and 5.2 mm on the 28, whose heel stands 3.2 mm lower and whose toe box measured 3.7 mm lower. Our Gel-Nimbus 27 vs 28 comparison sets out who should switch.

Where to buy

Disclosure: the links below are paid links. If you buy through them Amazon pays us a commission at no cost to you. Commissions never influence a score, a ranking or the seal, and this page carries no score because the shoe has not been tested — see our independence policy.

Amazon listings are colourway-specific; the button opens one common colourway and you can switch colour and width there. Manufacturer list price $170 on September 6, 2026; prices move, check the listing. Also sold directly by ASICS.

Questions people ask about the GEL-NIMBUS 28

What is the Gel-Nimbus 28 good for?

Easy and long miles for a neutral foot, and — read from the spec sheet — heel-pain patients who want a tall, cushioned heel. It is sold as an 8 mm drop, but a lab measured 5.2 mm, so for an Achilles problem it raises the heel less than the label suggests. The PureGEL unit sits in the heel, so it is a rearfoot-first shoe; the 2E and 4E widths and the knit upper make it a candidate for a bunion or a wide forefoot too.

What is the difference between the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 27 and Gel-Nimbus 28?

Per ASICS’s own release: the 28 is roughly 20–25 g lighter, with a redesigned engineered-knit upper, a redesigned HYBRID ASICSGRIP outsole, a new tongue loop and a streamlined heel and pull-tab; stack height and drop are unchanged. A lab found otherwise: 8.3 mm of drop on the 27 and 5.2 mm on the 28, a toe box 3.7 mm lower and a stiffer forefoot, while the weight saving held up at about 21 g. Our Gel-Nimbus 27 vs 28 comparison has the details.

Is the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28 a good shoe?

On paper it is a well-specified neutral max-cushion shoe with an unusually complete width range (men’s D to 4E, women’s 2A to D) and a retailer-reported removable OrthoLite sockliner, which matters to orthotic wearers. Its limits are by design: it is a neutral shoe with no medial support, though a lab found it unusually resistant to twisting and stiff at the forefoot. Whether it is good is what the bench and 50 logged miles will say; nothing here is a verdict.

What is the difference between the ASICS Nimbus 26 and 28?

ASICS only publishes a 27-to-28 comparison — roughly 20–25 g lighter, a new knit upper and outsole, stack and 8 mm drop unchanged — and no 26-to-28 comparison. We have measured none of the three, so treat a two-generation difference as two manufacturer claims stacked together until a pair of each is on the bench.

Is the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28 a stability shoe?

No. It is ASICS’s neutral maximum-cushion shoe; the Gel-Kayano 32 and GT-2000 15 are the stability options.

What is the drop of the Gel-Nimbus 28?

8 mm, per ASICS. A lab that cut one pair in half measured 5.2 mm, against 8.3 mm on the Gel-Nimbus 27.

Does the Gel-Nimbus 28 come in wide?

Yes — men’s D, 2E and 4E; women’s 2A, B and D, per Fleet Feet; the wide sizes are sold on asics.com.

Do podiatrists recommend the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28?

The Nimbus is ASICS’ maximum-cushion neutral shoe, and it is the one suggested when the goal is simply to put more foam between a painful foot and a hard floor. The combination that makes it a reasonable clinical starting point is a lot of cushioning under a tall heel and a forefoot that measured among the widest we have lab figures for at the ball of the foot, which tends to work for a bunion. ASICS lists an 8 mm drop, but a lab measured 5.2 mm, so for an irritable Achilles it lifts the heel less than the label suggests. The caveats are on this page. ASICS does not publish stack heights on its US product page, so those figures are attributed to an independent source. And a tall neutral shoe gives cushioning, not stability: if lateral instability is the main complaint, this is not the shoe the specification points to. Podiatrist Tested has not tested this pair. No score, no seal, until the bench.

What happens next

This page currently compares attributed published specifications. No original measurements or wear-test records are documented. Any future first-hand report would require retained photographs, measurement methods and wear notes. Our scoring and award programme remains an unvalidated proposal; no score or Seal follows automatically from a test. The Orthotic Volume Rating is also a proposed notation, not a recorded measurement for this shoe. Corrections to source information can be reported through the published contact route.

Page type: spec analysis. Acquisition: not yet purchased. Last verified: September 6, 2026. Author: Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS — board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, about.

Other shoes we have looked at

Drop is the figure that decides how load splits between your heel and your forefoot, so it is the fastest way to tell these apart. Where a figure was independently measured rather than taken from the brand, it says so — and on several of these the two disagree.

Compare it with the rest: every ASICS review · the shoes for achilles tendinitis · the shoes for plantar fasciitis · the shoes for wide feet · everything for running · everything for walking · the extra-wide fittings · the narrow fittings · the wide fittings. Every list shows the published drop, stack, weight, widths and price side by side.