4/5
Overall
I wore the Nimbus 12 for years (after stockpiling them when they went out of production), and the quality appears to have decreased. Running 60-70 mpw in the summer and hard workouts during the year, I never got seriously injured wearing the 12s, but I had hip and toe problems pretty soon after I switched to the 16s, even though I've only been running every other day (roughly 30 mpw) with them. The injuries eventually dissipated, perhaps because I stopped running on uneven surfaces, and I've managed to run about 900 miles in these shoes (about the same as the 12s).
The decrease in quality also appears in the speed with which these shoes wear out. The rubber soles were pretty worn down in places by the time I reached 300 miles, and are now almost entirely gone in those places. I still wear worn-out 12s as walking shoes and their soles aren't as worn down. The upper also seems flimsier on the 16s, though it hasn't caused problems.
Finally, the fit has changed dramatically. I wore the 12s in a 9.5 2E and they were slightly too narrow in the toe box, but it was never an issue, though my toenails took a beating occasionally. The 9.5 2E was way too narrow in the 16s. I had to get the 4E, which was too big in the heel (but fit towards the front), so I had to use a lace-lock to prevent my foot from sliding around. And yet my toenails were still getting pounded, in spite of the much larger toe box.
Anonymous runner · Jun 5, 2016
30 mpw came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 12
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 3/5
