In the running world, there exists a few brands and platforms within a brand that maintain such a strong and loyal following that it’s almost scary. ASICS is one of those brands and while they have such a strong stable of shoes, their heavy-duty neutral daily trainer is the Nimbus and every year they find incremental ways to improve on this platform keeping their followers happy. The GEL-Nimbus 24 is no exception and while overall it still stays true to the Nimbus roots, it gets a little lighter, adds an upgraded upper, and also gets some stability?
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- A perennial favorite just keeps getting better, in fact this might be the best Nimbus ever.
- Support elements starting to play a more active role in the midsole, but are still solid for neutral runners.
- Weighs in at 10.2oz or 289g for a US Men’s 9, 8.7oz or 247g for a US Women’s 7.
- Features 26mm of cushion and has a 10mm heel/toe drop for men, 12mm for women.
- Retails at $160.00 USD and comes in 9 colors for men and women.
Run Test
When you think of the Nimbus, you don’t necessarily expect a fast and responsive shoe. What you are expecting is something known coupled with a durable ride. You are expecting an upper that fits you well and keeps you secure paired with a midsole that provides adequate support and protection for your foot. It is a tried and true model and ASICS has done a really good job with the Nimbus 24 of not messing with things too much. In a couple of areas, we love the changes while others leave us scratching our heads just a touch.
First off, we get a weight decrease which is always great, and in this case, it is almost half an ounce. That may not seem like a lot, but it is actually quite noticeable and makes it feel a little more up-tempo on the foot. Additionally, we love the upper changes. The engineered mesh is so fine it almost looks knit and feels that way as well. They have also introduced a full-length gusset that extends into a very stretchy and unpainted tongue which we weren’t sure of at first, but after use, we are quite impressed. The tongue stays in place well and your foot is well protected by the entire upper collar. On that note, the amount of cushioning in the heel and around the ankle is really solid, all of this contributing to a very protected and secure feeling on foot.
The midsole does have a lot going on with it. You have two layers of FlyteFoam each in different densities, the top layer being firmer than the bottom. In between that, ASICS has inserted their GEL technology in the rearfoot and forefoot, and then additionally they have added their TRUSSTIC system on the medial arch to provide a little bit of support and stability. Compared to the 23 you do get a little bit softer landing coupled with a bit more bounce and definitely some support on that medial side. It also means the underfoot feeling is going to be a little stiffer than you might expect because you’re landing on that higher-density foam. There is no real rocker on the Nimbus, so it doesn’t necessarily try to progress you through your gait so don’t expect that forward propulsion feeling.
As for who will best enjoy the Nimbus 24, the answer is really anyone looking for a highly durable daily trainer that skews neutral BUT might want some support elements as well. If you are looking for a touch more responsiveness and speed, then check out the Nimbus Lite 3 instead. If you just want to knock down some easy miles, then the Nimbus 24 could be perfect. Also, if you are running in the Nimbus 23, then totally worth the upgrade.
Construction: Upper
The upper on the Nimbus 24 is an engineered jacquard mesh that is so fine and breathable you will be hard-pressed to see that it’s not a knit. It also flexes well given you ample room in the toebox. Internally, the full foot and super stretchy gusseted tongue wraps your foot softly and the tongue hits nice and high remaining perfectly in place during runs. The collar and heel are very well padded providing a secure and comfortable fit.
Jacquard engineered mesh upper 
Lacing column and tongue 
Amply padded heel and collar
Construction: Midsole
The midsole on the Nimbus 24 is dual-density FlyteFoam Blast and Blast+. The top layer is the firmer of the two and then between them, ASICS has inserted GEL in the fore and rearfoot. The Nimbus also uses their TRUSSTIC system which provides a bit of stability along the medial side which does offer a bit of support as your foot tires.
Midsole – lateral view 
Midsole – medial view
Construction: Outsole
The outsole on here is made of ASICS LITE which is their own proprietary rubber technology that increases durability, traction, and control. The rubber is laid out in a pod-like design providing full foot coverage.
Outsole overhead
Style and Aesthetics
The profile of almost every ASICS shoe is so recognizable and the Nimbus 24 is no exception. ASICS offers nine different color choices so there is truly a plethora of options for you to choose from. All the options feel very committed to the traditional brand aesthetic. We especially love the variation in the midsole coloring where you can distinctly see different foams being used, it adds some visual interest at that midline.
Overall Conclusion
With the GEL-Nimbus 24, ASICS has stayed true to the roots of the Nimbus platform while also making incremental improvements that allow for an overall improved experience. It is still the heavy-duty daily trainer that has always been, but that new gusset system allows for a better on-foot fit and the dual-density midsole provides a nice easy ride. It is not an up-tempo shoe and while you can dial it up it does lack any sort of rocker to help with this, so expect this to work better for nice easy miles and along with that, you can expect a ton of durability. We had some concerns over the use of support elements becoming more evident in this version, but it still doesn’t take away from the overall run.
Learn more on the ASICS website
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Check Out Other Reviewers Thoughts
As always, we gather together some of our favorite reviewers so you can get a well-rounded view of the shoe. Here are our favorites.
