He has summited peaks throughout the Americas, trekked through Africa, and tested his endurance in 24-hour trail races as well as 6 marathons. Nimbus Lite has a very noticeable bounce to its ride, unlike the Cumulus which has a more traditional firm feel. To optimise for the individual movements of men and women, the midsole contains a series of planted pillars. There are two types of rubber used on the outsole of the Cumulus 23: AHAR+ on the heel and AHAR on the forefoot.

I had that experience a little recently with the Brooks Ghost 13 where there was too much forefoot flex resulting in forefoot fatigue towards the end of my 6-8milers. I actually wore it but didn’t review it because do we really need four people and a dissertation on the Cumulus? The GEL-CUMULUS™ 23 G-TX shoe helps you focus on the distance ahead as you move towards your personal best. Personally, if I was looking at this line of shoes for my next purchase, the Nimbus Lite 2 would have my attention hands down. I think there was some extra material that was folding under, which was a bit annoying but not a deal-breaker.With the 1mm of additional Flytefoam also in the mix this is clearly a more cushioned softer feeling Cumulus placing it closer to the NImbus Lite 2than before. However, most people do not have this level of strength to handle this much tension over long miles.

The Cumulus upper is clearly superior to the plasticky awkward fitting (for me) Nova’s and is roomier to boot. Formed with a sustainable compound in the outsole, the ASICS LITE Rubber is soft and designed to improve durability in high-impact areas. The upper also works more closely with the midsole's movement, which creates a smoother stride from footstrike to toe-off. Overall I found this shoe more comfortable for walking than running for me due to the issues with the posterior/lateral heel flare.

A very durable and consistent training shoe that is best for daily training miles, the Asics Gel-Cumulus 23 makes small tweaks from Version 22 to keep the tradition. The Asics Gel-Cumulus 23 is a traditional trainer with a slightly snug, very comfortable upper and a great ride for those who land a bit more forward. Many of their shoes are now gender specific, meaning the shapes, foam designs and flex grooves are specific to the unique biomechanics of each genders mechanics.

There is good flex through the toes and the overall transition from heel to toe in this shoe is fairly natural and smooth. To improve cushioning and flexibility, we added a 3D SPACE CONSTRUCTION to the top layer of the midsole. There’s a second layer of dense foam under the heel which helps runners compress into a specific area without losing stability. This technology was first seen in the higher end Kayano Lite and has trickled down to the humble Cumulus. However, the toebox tapers a little, so those with wider feet may want to try the wide or wait for the upper to break in.This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them. This one offers a bit more versatility due to its lighter weight, but this may be a situation where less isn’t more. The updates to the Gel-Cumulus 23 include a softer upper, a 3D construction zone in the midsole, and a new full-length Flytefoam. Another key update is that the Gel component in the heel has been tuned to a softer formula to give an overall softer feel to the heel. Better options for fast days include the Asics Noosa Tri 13 ( REVIEW), ASICS Hyperspeed ( REVIEW) or the ASICS Magic Speed ( REVIEW).