ASICS GEL-Cumulus 20

Name: ASICS GEL-Cumulus 20
Brand: ASICS
Rating: 4.1 (12 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 10 oz · 10mm drop · 29/19mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The ASICS GEL-Cumulus 21 replaced it

How it ranks

The ASICS GEL-Cumulus 20 trails most daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 12 runner reviews and 12 other rated shoes in the GEL-Cumulus product line.

Bottom-tier

47/100

Overall

Bottom-tier 47

Cushioning

Below average 68

Durability

Below average 63

Appearance

Bottom-tier 55

Value

Bottom-tier 50

Comfort

Bottom-tier 53

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

95/100

Very high 95

What runners say

“Very stiff (mostly in the heel) and not much energy return off the ground”

3/5 Full review 70 mpw training for middle distance came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“They never seem to last as long as I hope, at least for the price”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 18

“The only con is the upper is very tight and the laces are too short”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Brooks PureCadence 7

“Tread started to show signs of significant wear after just a hundred miles”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova Glide 7 Boost

“Can do tempo and fartlek runs in them on gravel and dirt trails without feeling weighed down”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 18

“The shoe is lot more rigid, with less cushioning in the heel”

3/5 Full review 45 mpw came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 19

“Enjoyed many hundreds of blister-free miles”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova Glide 7 Boost

“I bust through them every 4 months”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“Racy, responsive feel”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova Glide 7 Boost

“Plenty of cushion for me without being too heavy”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 18

Prefer this shoe over another

23% 3/13

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers rate comfort 4.3 out of 5 and cushioning 4.2 out of 5, and three find it ample for daily easy and long runs.
Four reviewers have worn the Cumulus line for years and keep repurchasing it.

Cons

Reviewers rate durability 3.8 out of 5, its lowest dimension, and four report tread or toe mesh wearing through quickly, one every four months.
Three reviewers who came from earlier Cumulus versions find this one stiffer with less cushioning in the heel.
Three of twelve reviewers so far record it as running small, and two say the upper is tight and the laces short.

GEL-Cumulus 20 rates 47. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the ASICS GEL-Cumulus

Each dot is one version of the GEL-Cumulus, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

51 2012 51 48 2014 49 57 2016 49 47 2018 56 51 2020 68 49 2023 63 57 2025

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

GEL-Cumulus 27

2025 · 0 reviews

57 Bottom-tier

66 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 26

2024 · 9 reviews

63 Below average

80 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 25

2023 · 16 reviews

49 Bottom-tier

94 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 24

2022 · 3 reviews

68 Below average

52 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 22

2020 · 1 review

51 Bottom-tier

74 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 21

2019 · 14 reviews

56 Bottom-tier

90 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 20 This shoe

2018 · 12 reviews

47 Bottom-tier

95 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 19

2017 · 7 reviews

49 Bottom-tier

92 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 18

2016 · 8 reviews

57 Bottom-tier

87 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 17

2015 · 6 reviews

49 Bottom-tier

87 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 16

2014 · 37 reviews

48 Bottom-tier

98 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 15

2013 · 48 reviews

51 Bottom-tier

97 Confidence
GEL-Cumulus 14

2012 · 2 reviews

51 Bottom-tier

91 Confidence

Reader Ratings

12 ratings

5/5 3

4/5 7

3/5 2

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 10 oz
Release: 2018 Q2
MSRP: $120
Stack Height: 29mm heel - 19mm toe
Drop Height: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Nice shoe but doesn't last long

5/5

Overall

Have run in some form of cumulus for over 10 years, and I really like this shoe for my neutral stride, and good cushioning. But my biggest complaint is durability, they never seem to last as long as I hope, at least for the price. But now days I try to buy the older model on amazon for better value, per mile. I think running in salty, wet, conditions in the northeast, and going on trails in the mud all summer doesn't help their durability.

Anonymous runner · Jul 22, 2019

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 18

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Stiff, responsive but comfortable. Not the most inspiring shoes but still bought another pair

4/5

Overall

I was amazed by the firmess of the ride when I first ran in these, having previously run in Adidas Glide Boost Supernova, which are super plush by comparison. But I definitely like the racy, responsive feel of these. Despite giving a firm ride, they're not uncomfortable and I've enjoyed many hundreds of blister-free miles in them. The toe box is very roomy, and the upper is also naturally vented meaning that it keeps feet relatively sweat free. These are a neutral shoe and I'm a bit of an overpronator - but having suffered with arch blisters courtesy of support shoes that dug into my arches, I'm happy that these seem to provide me with just enough support. I've not had any aches or injuries whilst wearing these, and I'm now on my second pair. The only downside is that I noticed that the tread started to show signs of significant wear after just a hundred miles, but the shoes themselves didn't start to lose support until well over 450 miles (I'm a 5ft 6' 58kg female) and were replaced at 500 miles with another pair. The toe area of the left shoe also wore through to the base material from running on the track once a week. I wouldn't say these are particularly mind-blowing shoes, and I'd go as far to say that many people won't like the firm ride, but they have been pretty good for my needs, if just a tad uninspiring.

Anonymous runner · Jul 8, 2019

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas Supernova Glide 7 Boost

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 3/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 3/5
Value: 3/5

Great shoes but could use a little more cushion

4/5

Overall

The bounce is good and the flexibility is good, but these shoes don't have the same cushion that I prefer in the Nimbus. They have great road-feel, though. They are also good for someone who needs minimal padding.

Anonymous runner · Jul 6, 2019

50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 26

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 3/5

Same quality from Cumulus, slightly more cushion

4/5

Overall

Been running in the cumulus since college and it always feels great on my foot. Plenty of cushion for me without being too heavy and I can do tempo and fartlek runs in them on gravel and dirt trails without feeling weighed down or like they are too bulky. The cumulus line has been a go to for me and the 20 is no different. Although, the colors mostly suck, which is pretty standard from ASICS men's shoes.

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 18

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 3/5
Value: 4/5

Okay Shoe, Nothing groudbreaking

3/5

Overall

Like most Asics nowadays, this thing is a resounding "fine." Good cushioning, lasting well after 200 miles, but very stiff (mostly in the heel) and not much energy return off the ground, which is odd because the cushioning doesn't feel super duper squishy. I'd take the comparable Brooks Ghost or Nike Pegasus over this one.

KingDipper · Jul 19, 2018

70 mpw training for middle distance came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34