Reader review
4/5
Overall
Cees Gm2a · Apr 10, 2015
32 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 20
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
ASICS GEL-Nimbus 16
Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 11.5 oz · 10mm drop · 32/22mm stack
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The ASICS GEL-Nimbus 17 replaced it
How it ranks
The ASICS GEL-Nimbus 16 ranks below most daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 38 runner reviews and 13 other rated shoes in the GEL-Nimbus product line.
Below average
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.
Confidence
93/100
What runners say
“The fabric in the heel covering the heel counter wears out very rapidly causing a hole and then blisters”
“The inside material on the heel counter wears out quickly within 60 miles, requiring taping to prevent blistering”
“A well cushioned neutral durable every day shoe that gives good stability and is easy on the joints, knees, and ankles”
“A little too clunky for speed runs where I need my feet to be as light and nimble as possible”
“The rubber soles were pretty worn down in places by the time I reached 300 miles”
“The cushion has held all the way through 14 and 15 mile long runs”
“I've run 40-60 mpw for four years in this shoe with only one major injury”
“At about 3.5 miles in, my left foot goes numb”
“My toes go numb and painful in these shoes”
“My toenails were still getting pounded, in spite of the much larger toe box”
Prefer this shoe over another
48% 11/23
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.
Pros
- Reviewers praise the cushioning on long, easy runs.
- Reviewers stay in the Nimbus line for years, several of them across ten or more versions.
- Comfort is its best-rated dimension at 4.5 out of 5 across thirty-eight reviewers.
Cons
- Two reviewers report the heel lining wearing through and blistering them, one of them within 60 miles, and both tape their heels before running.
- Three reviewers report the fit running narrow, with numb toes or pounded toenails.
- Averaging 10.4 oz across the men's and women's builds, it is much heavier than the 8.9 oz median for daily trainers on sale, and two reviewers call it clunky for faster running.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
50
60
70
80
90
100
25
50
75
100
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the ASICS GEL-Nimbus
Each dot is one version of the GEL-Nimbus, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Release year
-
2026 · 5 reviews
78 Decent
59 Confidence
-
2024 · 2 reviews
76 Decent
74 Confidence
-
2024 · 24 reviews
90 Good
90 Confidence
-
2023 · 88 reviews
98 Exceptional
98 Confidence
-
2022 · 18 reviews
92 Very good
91 Confidence
-
2020 · 4 reviews
76 Decent
73 Confidence
-
2019 · 1 review
81 Good
54 Confidence
-
2018 · 9 reviews
84 Good
82 Confidence
-
2017 · 7 reviews
78 Decent
83 Confidence
-
2017 · 11 reviews
66 Below average
87 Confidence
-
2016 · 4 reviews
82 Good
80 Confidence
-
2015 · 3 reviews
79 Decent
74 Confidence
-
GEL-Nimbus 16 This shoe
2014 · 38 reviews
69 Below average
93 Confidence
-
2013 · 53 reviews
73 Decent
96 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 11.5 oz
- Release
- 2014
- MSRP
- $150
- Stack Height
- 32mm heel - 22mm toe
- Drop Height
- 10mm
Runner reviews
Reader review
5/5
Overall
ManBearCoach · Apr 8, 2015
30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Reader review
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Apr 7, 2015
40 mpw came from the Brooks Glycerin 11
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
Reader review
5/5
Overall
grahamsmack · Apr 7, 2015
30 mpw
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Reader review
5/5
Overall
#intheno · Apr 6, 2015
20 mpw
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
Alternatives
Other shoes worth considering.
More from ASICS
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
ASICS GEL-Nimbus 16 In Context
More on the ASICS GEL-Nimbus
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 28
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 26
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 27
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 25
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 24
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 23
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 17 next version
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 15 previous version
Reviewers Also Ran In
- ASICS GEL-Cumulus 14 3 runners
- ASICS GEL-Nimbus 15 2 runners
- ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16 1 runner