ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28

The most documented midsole in this group: FF BLAST PLUS and PureGEL, 8 mm drop, 281 g, one-year defect warranty

Verdict

The ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28 is the most transparent spec sheet of the four daily trainers we read, and the most expensive. This is a documentation review: we read the asics.com product page, the returns policy and the warranty page on October 16, 2026, and we did not run in the shoe. ASICS publishes an 8 mm heel drop, a weight of 281 g (9.9 oz), a Neutral support rating and a Maximum cushion rating, and it names both midsole components: FF BLAST PLUS cushioning and PureGEL technology. It also states the shoe is approximately 20 g lighter than the previous version. The upper is an engineered knit. The listing we loaded offers Standard width only, in US men's 6 to 16, which is the narrowest fit range in this cluster. Returns run 90 calendar days for unworn shoes, with a $4.99 shipping deduction for non-members, and ASICS backs footwear with a one-year manufacturing-defect warranty. Owners rate it 4.4 out of 5 from 377 reviews.

Visit ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28
We have no affiliate relationship with this vendor. Link goes to the official site.

At a glance

What the ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28 actually is

The GEL-NIMBUS is ASICS' maximum-cushion neutral trainer, and ASICS calls it one of the most comfortable styles in its running range. The 28 is the version sold on asics.com as of October 16, 2026, at $170.

ASICS tags it with a Goal of Further, a Cushion rating of Maximum and a Support rating of Neutral. Those are category labels from ASICS' own system, and they place the shoe at the softer, longer-distance end of the daily trainer spectrum.

The spec block gives an 8 mm heel drop and a weight of 281 g (9.9 oz). The description names the midsole as a combination of FF BLAST PLUS cushioning and PureGEL technology, and states the shoe is approximately 20 g lighter than the previous version.

The upper is an engineered knit that ASICS says softly wraps the foot. That makes the Nimbus the only knit-upper shoe among the four we read; the Brooks Ghost 18 and Hoka Clifton 11 both use mesh.

This is a documentation review. We read the product, returns and warranty pages and 377 owner ratings. We did not run in the shoe, and our editorial policy explains why we never claim to.

Who the GEL-NIMBUS 28 is best for

Read against the other trainers in our running shoe section, the Nimbus 28 suits:

• Runners who want maximum cushioning and want the components named, not described with adjectives
• Buyers who weigh a published defect warranty - one year on footwear is the only such term we found among the four brands
• Runners who prefer a knit upper and a sock-like wrap over a structured mesh
• Standard-width feet in US men's 6 to 16; the half-size run to 13.5 is the longest here
• Longer-distance daily runners, which is how ASICS frames the Goal of Further tag
• Who should skip it: wide or narrow feet (one width on the listing we read), buyers who want to run before returning, and anyone for whom $20 over the Ghost 18 is decisive

How the pricing works

The GEL-NIMBUS 28 is $170 in the colorway and width we loaded. That is the highest list price among the four daily trainers we compared: the Brooks Ghost 18 is $150, the Hoka Clifton 11 is $155 and the New Balance 1080v15 is $169.99.

OneASICS membership is free and affects the total cost in two ways. Standard shipping is free on orders over $50, and mail returns are free. Non-members have $4.99 deducted from a mail-return refund. In-store returns are free for everyone.

ASICS also lists a Refer a Friend credit and a Moves rewards balance on the product page. Neither changes the $170 list price, and we do not count loyalty points as a discount.

The page notes free standard shipping on orders over $50, so the shoe ships free to members and non-members alike at this price.

Ease: one width, a long size run, and try-on-only returns

Ease scores 3.8, the lowest of the four shoes, for two reasons on the spec sheet.

First, width. The listing we read offers Standard only. ASICS has sold wide Nimbus versions as separate product codes in the past, and the collection page shows a GEL-KAYANO 33 WIDE, but no wide GEL-NIMBUS 28 appeared on the GEL-NIMBUS page we loaded on October 16, 2026. We are stating what we saw, not what the catalog may contain elsewhere.

Second, returns. ASICS accepts returns within 90 calendar days, but the shoes must be unworn, unwashed and unaltered in original packaging. That is a generous try-on window and a zero-length run-in window. Brooks lets you run for 90 days; HOKA for 30.

The size run is the longest here: US men's 6 to 16 with half sizes through 13.5. If you are a size 6 or a 13.5, this is the only shoe in the group that lists you.

Owner fit data is not broken out in percentages on the ASICS page the way Brooks does it, so we have no true-to-size share to quote.

Features: the most specific midsole description in the group

Features score 4.5, the highest pillar and the highest features score in this cluster. The reason is what ASICS writes down.

The midsole is named twice over: FF BLAST PLUS cushioning for the foam and PureGEL technology for the gel element. ASICS also quantifies the generation change, saying the 28 is approximately 20 g lighter than the 27. No other brand in this group puts a number on its version-to-version change.

The page carries structured ratings: Cushion Maximum, Support Neutral, Goal Further. Together with the 8 mm heel drop and 281 g weight, a buyer can place the Nimbus against the Ghost 18 (10 mm, 289 g) and Clifton 11 (8 mm, 9.97 oz) without guessing.

What is missing is the same thing missing everywhere: stack height. ASICS does not print heel or forefoot height on the product page. The outsole compound is also not named in the text we read.

The engineered knit upper is the material differentiator. Knit tends to be described by brands as softer and more conforming than mesh; ASICS says it softly wraps your feet. We report the claim, not a test of it.

Value: you pay for documentation and a warranty

Value scores 3.7. At $170 the Nimbus 28 is $20 above the cheapest shoe here and 1 cent above the New Balance 1080v15.

What the extra money buys on paper: a named foam and gel system, a 20 g stated weight cut, a knit upper, and a one-year defect warranty that ASICS publishes in full. What it does not buy: width choice on the listing we read, or the right to return a shoe you have run in.

For a runner who already knows their size in ASICS, the unworn rule costs nothing and the warranty is a real backstop. For a first-time ASICS buyer unsure of fit, the Brooks policy is safer and the Brooks shoe is cheaper.

Our guides section will rank all four for new runners once the cluster is complete.

Support: a published warranty and a clear returns page

Support scores 4.4. ASICS is the only brand among the four whose pages gave us a defect warranty term to quote.

The Limited Warranty states that footwear will be free from manufacturing defects for one year from the date of delivery to the original consumer, and apparel and accessories for six months. If the shoe was bought from an authorized retailer and ASICS lacks delivery records, the clock starts seven days after purchase. Laces and insoles are excluded, and the warranty does not transfer to a second owner.

The returns page is equally specific: 90 calendar days, original condition, free in any US ASICS store, $4.99 deducted for non-member mail returns, free for members.

Customer service links on the page include contact, store locator, order tracking and a warranty form. Phone hours are not shown on the product page itself.

What verified owners report

The GEL-NIMBUS 28 page shows 4.4 out of 5 from 377 reviews as of October 16, 2026. That matches the Brooks Ghost 18's 4.4 and sits above the New Balance 1080v15's 4.2 on the same day. HOKA's rating for the Clifton 11 was not readable.

ASICS' page did not present a fit breakdown or a themed review summary in the text we loaded, so we cannot report true-to-size percentages or recurring complaints the way we could for Brooks. We also do not quote individual reviews from retailer sites or search snippets.

Treat the 4.4 as a sentiment indicator from a self-selected group on the brand's own site. It is consistent with the Nimbus' reputation; it is not a measurement of cushioning or durability.

Limits stated by ASICS, and gaps we could not close

ASICS writes more fine print than the other three brands, and some of it changes what the headline numbers mean.

The warranty excludes laces and insoles, does not transfer to a second owner, and only covers products bought from ASICS or an authorized retailer. If you buy a Nimbus 28 from a marketplace seller, ASICS reserves the right to reject the claim. The page lists Amazon authorized retailers separately for that reason.

The return policy's original condition rule is strict: unworn, unwashed, unaltered, original packaging. Trying the shoe on a carpet indoors is within the rule; a run around the block is not. Brooks and HOKA do not draw that line.

The product page states the weight without a reference size, and the 20 g reduction is approximate by ASICS' own wording. Stack height is absent from every block we read, including the Materials and Technology expander.

Width remains the open question. ASICS sells wide versions of several models as separate product codes, and the collection page we loaded showed a GEL-KAYANO 33 WIDE but no wide GEL-NIMBUS 28. We are reporting what the US store displayed on October 16, 2026, not ruling out a wide fitting elsewhere.

Alternatives

Choose the Brooks Ghost 18 if you need any width other than standard, want to run in the shoe before deciding, or want to spend $150 instead of $170. Otherwise choose the Nimbus 28 for the named foams, the knit upper and the warranty.

Choose the Hoka Clifton 11 if you want a rockered ride at the same 8 mm drop for $15 less, and a Wide or X-Wide option. Otherwise choose the Nimbus 28 for the far more specific spec sheet and the 90-day return window against HOKA's 30.

Choose the New Balance 1080v15 if you want a lower 6 mm drop, four widths including narrow, and a lighter published 261 g. Otherwise choose the Nimbus 28 for the warranty and the 90 days against New Balance's 45.

Head-to-head pieces live in our comparisons section.

Bottom line

The ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28 is the shoe to buy if you want the spec sheet to do the talking: named foams, a quantified weight cut, a knit upper, Maximum cushion and Neutral support ratings, and a one-year defect warranty in writing. It is also the most expensive shoe here and the only one we could find in a single width.

If your size and width are a known quantity in ASICS, the price premium buys real documentation. If they are not, the unworn-return rule means a wrong guess costs you $4.99 and a second order, and the Brooks Ghost 18 is the lower-risk way to find out. More on how we grade is on our about page.

Frequently asked

Sources

• ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28 men's product page (price, specs, sizes, reviews) - checked October 16, 2026
• ASICS return policy - checked October 16, 2026
• ASICS warranty and defective product claims - checked October 16, 2026
• ASICS GEL-NIMBUS collection page - checked October 16, 2026

Visit ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28
We have no affiliate relationship with this vendor. Link goes to the official site.