Gel Nimbus 27

For my first ever sub-4 hour marathon last month, I trained mostly in the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 27 and race day I used the ASICS Novablast 5. I’ve now retired the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 27 and I’ve done a few training runs in the ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28, so far so good!

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.