Spec analysis — not yet tested
What this page is. A podiatrist’s reading of the manufacturer’s published specifications for the ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28. Nothing on this page has been measured, worn or scored by us yet. There is no score and no seal here on purpose: under our standard, a number only appears once a pair has been on the bench and on the road. When this shoe is tested, this page is replaced by the full review and the change is logged.
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. The 28 is lighter than the 27 with the same stack and drop. 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.
Manufacturer specifications
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
8 mm of drop is the friendliest number on this sheet. For a sore heel, an irritable Achilles or a stiff big-toe joint that hates a flat shoe, an 8 mm heel-to-toe offset is where most of our patients are comfortable without a heel lift. Combined with a heel stack in the mid-30s (per Fleet Feet — ASICS does not publish it), the Nimbus sits in the “plush but not towering” zone, lower than the 40 mm-plus shoes that some patients with unstable ankles find tippy.
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 at roughly 27 mm it is generous but not exceptional. We measure forefoot thickness directly 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 this shoe is probably for
Read from the published specification, not from wear. Treat these as hypotheses the test will confirm or overturn.
- Heel-pain and Achilles patients who want cushioning at 8 mm drop rather than a lower-drop max shoe.
- Neutral runners and long-distance walkers who prioritise softness over ground feel.
- People with a bunion or wide forefoot who want a knit upper and a 2E/4E option.
- Forefoot pain is your main complaint — the cushioning story here is rearfoot-first; wait for the forefoot stack measurement.
- You need firm lateral stability — this is a soft neutral shoe by design.
- You run custom orthotics — removability is retailer-reported, and the orthotic volume is unmeasured.
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; the weight saving is the one we can check on a scale.
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
Is the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28 a stability shoe?
No. ASICS lists it as a neutral, maximum-cushion shoe. The stability equivalents in the ASICS line are the GT-2000 and the GEL-KAYANO.
What is the drop of the Gel-Nimbus 28?
8 mm, per ASICS. Unchanged from the Nimbus 27.
Does the Gel-Nimbus 28 come in wide?
Yes — ASICS sells a wide version of the 28 on asics.com, and Fleet Feet lists men’s D, 2E and 4E and women’s 2A, B and D.
Is the Gel-Nimbus 28 lighter than the 27?
ASICS says yes, by about 20–25 g. Its published men’s weight is 281 g (9.9 oz), size not stated.
What happens next
This model is in the queue for bench testing under Standard v1.0: weight on our scale at men’s US 10, heel and forefoot stack with calipers, internal toe-box width and depth, torsional rigidity, heel-counter stiffness and an Orthotic Volume Rating with a real orthotic inside it. If it goes on to wear testing, the nine-criterion scorecard and the seal decision follow. Every number will carry its own provenance label so you can see which figures we measured and which we are still quoting. If you own a pair and something on this page contradicts what is on your feet, tell us — corrections are logged.
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.