ASICS - Gel Nimbus 27

I'm 6'1, 140 lbs and a forefoot striker and while our weights are different, I feel the road and have similar expectations and experiences to you. Personally, I rotate between the Novablast 5 for my high effort runs and use the Nimbus 27 for everything else, I find it works really well for me as a two shoe rotation.

True. Recovery runs with tempo over 5min/km. With their low energy return they would make you tired a lot faster than lighter more snappy shoes like for example Novablast 5 (which are also softer than Nimbus 27)

Before I read the whole OP I was going to suggest Nimbus. They are quite durable and nothing beats their comfort (so far). Do you use them for walking as well or are they just for the running? Because if they were your daily shoes, the simple answer would be to have two pairs of them for a day to day rotation. Or something lighter and bouncier like Endorphin Speed when you want to go for more fun and fast run. Then back to Nimbus when you just want the comfort. I have found NB 1080v14 to be quite comfy and maybe even softer than Nimbus. Then there are Cliftons which you mention. And I am waiting to try Vomero Plus, because they are supposed to be more breathable and softer than Vomero 18.

I’d go Nimbus 27 + Boston 13. That’s what I’ve been using lately and really like both but im not quite as fast as you are. You can get both on sale now.

My easy pace is around 7:30min/km and I love my Gel Nimbus 26 for long runs so you might want to try those, or the Gel Nimbus 27. The former is softer/squishier while the latter is firmer. Try both if you want an alternative to the Bondi 9 but do note they're also slow cruisers so if you want something with a little more bounce too for your interval runs, you can also check the GlideRide Max.

Personally a huge fan of Superblast 2 and Gel Nimbus for long/recovery runs. Have had over 400miles on SB2 and they still feel new-ish albeit a bit less cushiony. Nimbus 27 feels great out of box and heavier so perfect for recovery. I also just bought a pair of Li-Ning Red Hare 8Pro for tempo - it’s marketed as a tempo/interval training shoes, and on my test runs, it feels light and a bit more aggressive so more suitable for speed workouts. And honestly at $50-80 a pair the foam sole does not look very durable (past 250 miles) to me but it could be a budget option.

I'm just trying on different shoes to see what fits best tbh. Unfortunately with my foot size I can't just go to a store and try things on and have to order online. yeah the cliftons are really nice but then again so were the asics, when I got the cliftons i also ordered nimbus 27s but decided to return them in the end for now and only keep one pair :D

I wore the nimbus 27 in universal studios for a day. It was fine.

Superblast 2 Maybe Glideride Max if you don't want the Superblast for some reason. But I would not get the Nimbus 27. I have the 26 which is similar, and I can basically only use them for short easy runs. They feel so sluggish trying to go long. They are not very responsive.

The Novablast 5 is still a max cushion shoe. And I think it's less stable than the Nimbus 27 so will probably make your calf pain worse. If you are having inner calf pain, the best way to address that would be to see a physical therapist.

I have a pretty big collection including most of the popular shoes right now and tbh I primarily just use my Megablast and my Nimbus 27. Best 2 shoe rotation imo plus you can race in the MB if ya want.

Puma Velocity Nitro 4 or if you want max cushion or more protection ASICS Gel Nimbus or Nike Vomero although they’ll be a bit heavier.

glideride feels unstable to me...nimbus feels stable but foam doesn't feel bouncy...just squishy...of the two, I would rather wear nimbus 27, but my new fave is the Mizuno Wave Sky 9...by far the best shoe out there