ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21

Name: ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21
Brand: ASICS
Rating: 4.4 (9 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 11.1 oz · 8mm drop · 35/27mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The ASICS GEL-Nimbus 22 replaced it

How it ranks

The ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21 ranks above most daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 9 runner reviews and 13 other rated shoes in the GEL-Nimbus product line. Another 3 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Good

84/100

Overall

Good 84

Cushioning

Exceptional 98

Comfort

Excellent 95

Durability

Good 90

Value

Good 82

Appearance

Decent 77

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

82/100

Moderate 82

What runners say

“This version has too much cushioning and actually bothers my knees because it is too spongy and my impact phase feels weird”

3/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 19

“Just the right amount of cushioning, neutral control, reasonable weight, and fine durability”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw came from the ASICS GT-2000 6

“These shoes last 3 times longer than Nike”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“They fit perfectly for my foot size and shape”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw came from the ASICS GT-2000 6

“They aren't the lightest shoe, or the flashiest looking”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw came from the Saucony Ride 8

“Any time I have tried other shoes they did just not feel as comfortable”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw came from the ASICS GT-2000 6

“Has amazing cushioning and support”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“It lasts quite a bit!”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“In bad weather conditions this shoe is also the best!”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

Prefer this shoe over another

56% 5/9

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers repeatedly single out the comfort and cushioning for daily miles.
Several long-time ASICS runners report the shoes last well.
One reviewer with hammertoe says the wide fitting kept her running.

Cons

At 11.1 oz reviewers keep lighter shoes for faster running.
One reviewer finds it has too much cushioning and prefers the ride of the version before it.

GEL-Nimbus 21 rates 84. This shoe has moderate certainty. See how we rate shoes.

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.

Rating

40 60 80 100

73 2013 69 79 2015 82 66 2017 78 84 2018 81 76 2020 92 98 2023 90 76 2024 78

Release year

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

GEL-Nimbus 28

2026 · 5 reviews

78 Decent

59 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 27

2024 · 2 reviews

76 Decent

74 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 26

2024 · 24 reviews

90 Good

90 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 25

2023 · 88 reviews

98 Exceptional

98 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 24

2022 · 18 reviews

92 Very good

91 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 23

2020 · 4 reviews

76 Decent

73 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 22

2019 · 1 review

81 Good

54 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 21 This shoe

2018 · 9 reviews

84 Good

82 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 20

2017 · 7 reviews

78 Decent

83 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 19

2017 · 11 reviews

66 Below average

87 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 18

2016 · 4 reviews

82 Good

80 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 17

2015 · 3 reviews

79 Decent

74 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 16

2014 · 38 reviews

69 Below average

93 Confidence
GEL-Nimbus 15

2013 · 53 reviews

73 Decent

96 Confidence

Reader Ratings

9 ratings

5/5 5

4/5 3

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 11.1 oz
Release: 2018 Q4
MSRP: $160
Stack Height: 35mm heel - 27mm toe
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Wide shoes help

5/5

Overall

Problems with hammertoe---ordering these shoes in a 'wide' really has helped a lot to keep me on the roads!

Anonymous runner · Jul 9, 2019

25 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Old Faithful

4/5

Overall

I’ve run in ASICS shoes for 18 years and have never had an issue. This is my first pair of Nimbus’s and just like the other shoes I have worn in the past, these too were exactly what I’ve come to expect. Comfortable, durable, and very runnable. Sure, they aren’t the lightest shoe, or the flashiest looking, but I have other shoes that are lighter for speedwork, and other shoes for showing off.

Anonymous runner · Jul 3, 2019

30 mpw came from the Saucony Ride 8

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

Asics Nimbus 21

3/5

Overall

This shoe is cool looking and very comfortable. That being said, I liked previous version better because they had a better ride. This version has too much cushioning and actually bothers my knees because it is to spongy and my impact phase feels weird.

Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 19

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

ASICS GEL-Nimbus 21 Lite

5/5

Overall

I have been running for over 10 years and this is the best shoe I have ever worn! It lasts quite a bit! has amazing cushioning and support. In bad weather conditions this shoe is also the best! Light weight and very comfortable! The price is high, but worthy because these shoes last 3times longer than Nike!

InternationalRunner · Mar 3, 2019

70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35