ASICS Comfort Series Comparison
The ASICS Comfort Series comprises three shoes: the Novablast 5, the Nimbus 27 and the Cumulus 27. All three will take you through your daily miles and beyond in excellent comfort. While all three shoes are built with comfort in mind, they all have very different uses and will suit different runners. In this article, we will compare and contrast the series to see which may be the best for you and your goals.
Will it be the lively Novablast, the pillowy Nimbus or the versatile Cumulus? Read on and find out.
Three shoes but two different uppers on the comfort series
Andy: The upper is where a three shoe comparison really narrows down to two different styles. The Novablast has a stretchier upper which has a decent amount of volume in it while the Cumulus and Nimbus share pretty much the same design and material. All three shoes offer, as is expected of a comfort series, a decent amount of padding around the heel area. The Cumulus and the Nimbus offer the stoutest heel cups but all are fairly well structured.
As far as the padding goes, the Nimbus is probably the most comprehensively padded with the ankle and heel hugged by the foam roll. The Cumulus and Novablast have a more traditional style of padding with the foam extending to the top of the upper whereas the roll in the Nimbus finishes about 5mm or so below the mesh. While we are on the subject of padding, we shall take a look at the tongues. All three have gussets and really help wrap the foot well for a secure lockdown in the midfoot. The least padded and most stretchy of all three tongues belongs to the Nimbus which is just a sheet of elasticated material and offers very little padding. On the Cumulus and Novablast, the tongues feel very similar. A rather silkier material which has foam padding added to the areas where the laces pull tight.
As far as volume goes, the Nimbus probably offers the most, especially in the forefoot. If you have a lower volume foot, you may find some spare room in the Novablast. Meanwhile, the Cumulus offers the snuggest fit of all.
Overall, all the uppers of the shoes are comfortable. The lockdown on the Cumulus and the Novablast is probably a little superior to that of the Nimbus. All three offer appropriate padding for daily trainers. The gusseted tongue in each really helps the midfoot lockdown.
Midsole matters when it comes to purpose
Andy: This is where the three shoes really start to show their own personality. While none are low slung there is still a 5mm difference between the thickest and thinnest. The Nimbus, the max cushioned monster comes in at 43.5mm in the heel. Next, we have the Novablast at 41.5mm. Finally, we have the Cumulus at a diminutive 38.5mm. All three shoes have a drop of 8mm. However, the very distinctive ride of each comes from the foam used and the volume of it.
Despite having the same FFBlast+ foam, the Nimbus and Cumulus have a very different ride feel. With the extra volume of foam, the Nimbus feels quite wallowy and ponderous on the run. It is a shoe for slow, easy runs and really doesn’t help with much else. It lacks energy return and while it dampens the shocks of the road well, it does feel a little chunky and clunky. On the other hand, the same foam but in a lower volume between you and the road in the Cumulus creates a much more versatile shoe. 40g lighter than its bigger sibling and 5mm shorter in stack, the Cumulus can soak up the road shocks while also being used to pick up the pace a little if needed.
While it is not an all out speed day shoe, the Cumulus is definitely keener to go faster than the Nimbus. It feels more agile and lively on foot. Furthermore, as it is the lowest of the three shoes, it is also the most stable. This is something to keep in mind if you are prone to over pronation. Both the Nimbus and Cumulus also come with the ASICS PureGEL pads in the heel to soften the landings. The comfort series excels for heel strikers in these two shoes.
Meanwhile the outlier of the comfort series is the Novablast 5. Here, we find a midsole of FF BlastMAX. If you are looking for stability, stay well clear of the Novablast. It offers a super bouncy feel which is accentuated by the trampoline geometry of the forefoot. This is definitely the liveliest of the three shoes in the comfort series. While it is comfortable at lower paces, it can also pick it up with aplomb.
If fun is your biggest concern when buying new shoes, then the Novablast should be at the top of your list. If you are looking for stability, the Cumulus is your number one choice. The Nimbus is the choice if you want something for babying your legs on very easy days.
Slippy, slappy or silent. Take your pick of the outsoles
Andy: All three shoes have very different outsoles. The softest, quietest and grippiest of the lot is the FluidRide rubber on the Cumulus. This grips the road well and softens the foot strike even more. The Novablast features ASICS’ AHAR low hardness outsole rubber which seems to be the least grippy of all three outsoles. Finally, we have the ASICSGRIP and AHAR+ shod Nimbus 27. While the grip is good, the combination of midsole and outsole offers a rather slappy and loud ride.
Which of the comfort series is right for you?
Andy: The first thing to note is that the comfort series lives up to its name. All three of these shoes are comfortable. If that is your main concern when buying a shoe, any of these will fit the bill. However, each of the shoes has a very different use case and runner profile.
The greatest all-rounder and the shoe which will suit the most runners is the Cumulus 27. It is lower, more stable and more versatile than either of the others. The Cumulus is a shoe that the vast majority of runners will be able to put on and enjoy.
The most fun of the comfort series is, without a doubt, the Novablast 5. This offers bounce, pop and absolutely no stability. If you are someone who overpronates or has issues with their ankles, this should be your last port of call.
Finally, we come to the Nimbus. This is the most expensive of the bunch and probably the most limited. It is built like a tank, will last an age but it is really only a recovery day cruiser. Heel strikers will probably prefer the Cumulus or Nimbus as they have the PureGEL pads in the heel and offer more stability through the gait cycle.
