After many years, I recently made the switch from the ASICS brand of running shoes to Brooks. Back in April of this year, I posted how loyal I have been to ASICS since my high school running coach recommended the brand to me, but unfortunately the Gel Nimbus model I have been purchasing has quickly evolved over the last couple years to a point where it no longer suits my needs.
One of the aspects of the Gel Nimbus 11 that ASICS touts as a benefit is the large toe box that has been incorporated into the shoe, but this is not something that agrees with my feet. I view the new offset lacing that the shoe provides as a benefit, but the traditional lacing never bothered me, and the large toe box outweighs this aspect of the shoe.
Of course, there is always the option of wearing thicker socks, but I moved away from Thorlos years ago after deciding that the Neutral Plus shoes I was purchasing had more than enough cushioning, and it makes no sense to purchase such expensive running shoes if one needs to rely on socks for a proper fit. Before I discuss my positive experience with Brooks over the last few weeks, let's take a look at some recent pairs of ASICS I've worn over the last few years: Gel Nimbus 6, Gel Nimbus 8, and Gel Nimbus 11.
ASICS Gel Nimbus 6
I still remember when the Gel Nimbus 6 was delivered to my place. The shoes seemed very flashy at the time. This aspect of the shoe is hard to tell now, because the shiny silver embellishments have long since worn out. I also did not much care for the large blue heel that boldly declared its possession of I.G.S. (Impact Guidance System) that ASICS describes as "linked componentry that enhances the foot’s natural gait from heel strike to toe-off".
However, the shoes grew on me rather quickly, and one of the reasons they are so worn out at this point is because I have been wearing them so frequently on weekends since I put them into retirement from running. I do not choose running shoes based on appearance, but it does not hurt if shoes are still viable for casual wear after their brief lifespan on the trail.
ASICS Gel Nimbus 8
The Gel Nimbus 6 and Gel Nimbus 8 are my all time favorite running shoes because of their fit and durability. I also like these two incarnations of the Gel Nimbus because they let me feel the trail when running. This aspect of these two shoes is comparable to a sports sedan that does not hide the feel of the road from the driver. Notice that the front portion of the side of the shoe shows quite a bit of wear. Enough wear that a hole is forming. And this shoe is obviously newer than the Gel Nimbus 6 depicted above.
While this is a form-fitting shoe, a benefit of the shoe that ASICS touted and I enjoyed, they wore much more quickly than the Gel Nimbus 6. Even though I tend to wear a pair of running shoes for the trail longer than is recommended, I was forced to stop running in these shoes much earlier than expected. And because of the color (this copper color happened to be the best choice in my opinion for the Gel Nimbus 8), they have no relevance off the trail.
ASICS Gel Nimbus 11
The Gel Nimbus 11 is a great looking shoe. And when these shoes were delivered, I remember being pleasantly surprised by the offset lacing, which was a bit awkward at first but ended up being one of the few benefits of the shoe beyond appearance, which I mentioned earlier is not a reason I ever purchase a particular running shoe.
The increased amount of Gel in the heel is obvious in comparison to the Gel Nimbus 6 and Gel Nimbus 8. However, the increased amount of Gel significantly raised the level of cushion awareness, and unlike the Gel Nimbus 8 the sports sedan is no longer present. The extremely large toe box is extremely annoying, to the point that I need to tie my laces extremely tight to avoid movement in the toe while running.
Earlier in this post, I mentioned that I purchase Neutral Plus shoes. In case you are not familiar with running shoe categories, take a look at this guide. The Neutral Plus category is designed for men who have high arches, and are 180+ lbs in weight or run over 25 miles per week. The problem with the Neutral Plus category is that it is one of the smallest categories in terms of available running shoes from all the available brands.
There are no brands in this category that I consider serious running brands outside of ASICS, Mizuno, Saucony, and New Balance. However, New Balance shoes have a reputation for being clodhoppers. And Saucony is, well, Saucony. So when it was time to purchase a new pair of running shoes a few weeks ago, I opted to try out Mizuno WAVE Creation 11.
Immediately on opening the box after delivery I was fairly certain that the WAVE Creation 11 would not be the right shoe for me because of the humongous toe box that is even larger than the toe box of the Gel Nimbus 11. Trying the shoes on and walking in them a few minutes quickly killed any probability that I might adopt them. What other shoes are left? It was time to consider the Neutral running shoe category.
Unfortunately, this shoe category has been overrun with shoes that do not suit my needs, beginning with the fact that this shoe category is technically intended for men who have high arches, but who also weigh less than 180 lbs and run less than 25 miles per week. But I happened to come across the newly redesigned Brooks Glycerin that seemed to straddle the Neutral Plus and Neutral categories, so I thought I would try it out.
Brooks Glycerin 8
On first checking out the Glycerin 8 online, it seemed to be a long-shot pick. Compared even to the Gel Nimbus 11, the shoe immediately looks bulkier. Dare I say clodhopper? And customer reviews of the shoe are all over the map, unlike the Gel Nimbus line of shoes which gets fairly consistent positive reviews. People seem to love or hate this shoe. The biggest complaints seem to be that the shoe does not have enough cushion, and that the shoe is too heavy.
On unpacking the shoe after delivery, it did seem that the shoe was slightly heavier than the Gel Nimbus 11, but the weight is just barely past the JND for that aspect of the shoe. The shoe also did not appear to be as clunky as that depicted online in all the reviews and shoe retailer websites. My amateur photograph above is arguably better than many of the other photos I have seen, which just do not do the shoe justice, although I do admit that, like the Gel Nimbus 6, I was not particularly fond of all its embellishments.
Of course, as I mentioned earlier in this post I do not purchase shoes solely because of their appearance. After a couple days of contemplation as to whether I should hit the trail with the Glycerin 8, it was time to try them out, so I set out on one of my shorter routes that combine time on both the Illinois Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail. I could already sense the difference between the Gel Nimbus 11 and the Glycerin 8 during the first mile of my first test run. The fit was much better, I could feel the trail again, and after running the first several miles I noticed that I was using less energy to run than with the Gel Nimbus 11.
The additional "bounce" that positive reviewers of the Gel Nimbus 11 often seem to rave about in my opinion is not a benefit at all. Since running is good for one's knees (I still recall the Runner's World article from a couple years ago that supports this conclusion), and the supposed additional bounce actually causes more energy to be consumed, perhaps the Glycerin 8 is the way to go. After several weeks running with the new Glycerin 8, my affair with the ASICS Gel Nimbus line of shoes has ended. For now.
It is important to realize that shoe categorizations such as Neutral and Neutral Plus can only serve as rough guidelines for fit. There are so many variations within each category across all of the brands and models. And weight categories that use an artificial threshold of 180 lbs can be misleading, especially since there is no upper limit in the 180+ lbs category, and there are many runners such as myself who are on the border line in weight.
As for the 25 miles per week threshold, I will have to wait and see, because I run significantly more than 25 miles per week. I will plan to provide an update later this year on my further experiences with the Brooks Glycerin 8, but I would love to hear from other runners in the meantime on their shoe choice experiences.