ASICS - Gel Nimbus 17

I've been an Asics Nimbus boy for ages - I am on my 5th...6th... consecutive Nimbus, with a short detour to the GT2000, that I didn't like. Since Nimbus 24 they've gone rocker but appearently the 24s had a stiff upper, 25s fixed it, I have the current model 26. Still have my old non-rocker Nimbus 17s. There are some things I like the 17s for better, but for just straight running - loving the 26s. TL;DR - Asics Gel Nimbus 25 (if you can find on clearance somewhere in your size still) or 26 (current model).

Just ran my 6:28 marathon in these and my feet felt fine!!!

OP, if you love Ultraboost, be cautious about this advice. I have Gel Numbus for slow easy runs and I hate them with a passion. I find Asics shoes to be completely unresponsive, especially these ones, especially in comparison with Ultraboost. In fact, I hate these shoes so much, that thanks to them I decided to stop experimenting and continue to buy Ultraboosts and Saucony Triumph / Guide as my daily slow runners from now on.

If the Nimbus works well for you I would start with one of those first and see if that feels right for you still. I ran my fastest races in the Nimbus range (1h 35m for a half, 42m for a 10k). Theres nothing wrong with them if they work for you. I would possibly rule out carbon plate shoes because as you say you are on a budget and those may be beyond your reach. You may get lucky in some sales though so always worth searching around. It's very difficult to recommend running shoes for people because we are all different and of course built differently as well. I run in the NB Supercomp Trainer V3. A shoe that is universally hated by most running shoe "geeks" lol. However it works very well for me, I can get into a good 5.30 minute per km pace, and I regularly finish half marathons in under two hours in them. The cushioning protects my body and every half marathon I've done in them I feel great the next day. My only complaints are I wish they were a tiny bit lighter, and they had a bit more rubber on the sole. I loved the V1's but the sole rubber was so soft you could wear through it in 400 miles and the V3's are kind of similar. I don't like Nike, I've tried various models, most are too soft for me, or they fall apart after 100 miles, etc. However, I can understand why people like them. I tried both the Vomero and Invincible shoes (too unstable) and hated them. Again we are all different my friend. I recently purchased the Asics Megablast, really fun running shoe. Great bounce, energy and I could see me smashing my times in them BUT they cause me foot pain due to the narrow foot box so they are going on EBay unfortunately! Because the Megablast has become so incredibly popular you can find the Superblast on sale on some websites. If you get on well with ASICS maybe those are worth a try (if they are within you budget). As mentioned the Mizuno Neo Vista is very well regarded and are often found for great prices online. I got myself a pair of the Neo Vista 2's for less than $100. The reviews comparing them to the original Supercomp Trainer got me interested so I'm waiting for the weather to improve a bit before trying them. They are nice and white at the moment and I want to try and keep them bright and shiny at least for a little while! haha. Good luck on your search, find a good running store if you can and try on a few different pairs from various brands. Don't let them put you under pressure to buy. Sometimes you can be surprised by what works for you.

I just order saucony hurricane, they are incredibly comfortable on foot, haven't gotten to run in them yet. My recovery shoe is nimbus and it works great for me. I think they check pretty similar boxes

For those saying AP4, would you also recommend it for tempo training days? I'm currently rocking SB2 for tempo and long run and nimbus for easy days. I want a lighter shoe than my SB2 for racing (FM) and training, but I don't want a separate pair of shoes for training and racing. Mainly budget concerns!

Agreed! As someone who doesn't have the budget to buy a different shoe for every type of workout and who is on the slower side (27 min 5K PR), the SB2 is my workhorse. I enjoy it for tempo runs, speed intervals, and long runs. It just rides! I got a pair of gel nimbus for Christmas that I use for easy runs now.

5+ hour runner here. Crushed my last marathon in my Superblast 2s. My Nimbus sometimes feel more dead, I wanted my snappier shoe. It was a great choice, not plated, good ride, feels like they turnover well.

No firmer than Nimbus. Feels good both in slow and fast pace. Nimbus I had tried and returned as it felt heavier and more voluminous. You should definitely try for yourself. All these shoes in the same size feel and respond very differently

Im a bigger runner (was 220 now 180) and also a heel striker. I've been through a lot of cushioned shoes recommended for bigger runners (Triumph 19, Nimbus, Superblasts ) and I had a lot of issues with my shins and knees. If I could do it all again I would use a slightly firmer stable 'every day' shoe (right now I'm using the Adidas Rise 2 and Rebel v4). I'm no expert at all so take this with a grain of salt, but I just wonder if those max cushioned shoes can sometimes give you a false sense of security and allow you to plod along with bad form on the day, but pick up injuries. I feel like I know where I am (in terms of form, cadence, pain etc) in a slightly firmer shoe if that makes sense.

I'm a bigger runner (was 220 now 180) and also a heel striker. I've been through a lot of cushioned shoes recommended for bigger runners (Triumph 19, Nimbus, Superblasts) and I had a lot of issues with my shins and knees. If I could do it all again I would use a slightly firmer stable 'every day' shoe (right now I'm using the Adidas Rise 2 and Rebel v4). I'm no expert at all so take this with a grain of salt, but I just wonder if those max cushioned shoes can sometimes give you a false sense of security and allow you to plod along with bad form on the day, but pick up injuries. I feel like I know where I am (in terms of form, cadence, pain etc) in a slightly firmer shoe if that makes sense.

I would opt for something very comfortable and cushioned, more or less soft, depending on your preferences.Something like Triumph 23, Glycerin 22, Novablast 5. Even the Nimbus which is considered boring and outdate is actually a good cruiser and not mushy at all. Y'all are wild for suggesting running 4+ hours at 6 something per km in Superblast, Megablast or any other stiff shoe. I personally think opinions on this sub are greatly influenced by social media, reviewers (which are usually advanced runners and faster than the average user) and the trends they push

I believe the last two Asics Nimbus iterations use Asics grip, which is very, very durable and the Nimbus is a very heel strikers friendly shoe. Maybe it's just me but I found Mizuno's latest outsoles to be less durable than in the past. Both my pairs of Wave Rider 27 and 28 showed signs of outsole wear before 400km, and before I could notice a drop in cushioning and response from the midsole.