SCORE: 9/10

WEIGHT: 10.9 oz. (men) | 9 oz. (women)

Heel Drop: 10 mm (men) & 13 mm (Women)

Type: Neutral

Pros

• Well-cushioned for a comfortable running
• Solid and stable
• Comfortable than the Nimbus 19, 20 and 21
• Its engineering is perfect for daily training
• Durable

Cons

• Quite heavy, thus not good for speed

Take Away

The engineered mesh in the upper component has fewer overlays, which gives the shoe a slick look. It also offers a great fit which is an improvement from the nimbus 19, 20, and 21. All the three predecessors have a poor fit.

The Asics-Gel Nimbus 22 has a strong heel counter that gives your foot a perfect lockdown and overall comfort. Also, its midsole is an improvement of the previous versions. Therefore, the fit, sturdiness, snugness, soft midfoot, roomy toe box, and overall aesthetics make the Nimbus 22 a better upgrade of the Nimbus 21. It is meant to be a heavy-duty daily trainer shoe or a long-range shoe but not for speed.

Aciscs Gel-Nimbus 22 Instant Impression

When I tried it on, I felt comfortable in the feet, maybe because of the neutral heel drop. However, the shoe felt somehow heavy. This is to mean that Nimbus 22 is not the right running shoe for someone who loves speed. Instead, it is a typical trainer shoe especially. It fits a person looking forward to racking up miles.

Despite the thickness of the mesh, you can still feel cold air passing through the shoe especially, around the toe area. It is capable of keeping your feet cool and dry at all times. Hence, it is great for running in the hot summer.

However, I felt that the ASICS used a very thick material on the upper. Though it got the comfort aspect right, I think reducing the mesh's thickness could have made the shoe a little bit lighter.

The toe box is roomy and I felt my toes splaying comfortably. Besides, my foot is not too wide. Therefore, because of the roomy toe box, and considering that it’s a neutral shoe, I think the Nimbus 22 can accommodate a range of foot types.

The Nimbus 22 fit true to size, has snugness and it is responsive with every footstrike.

Aciscs Gel-Nimbus 22 sole Component

 While the Nimbus 19, 20, and 21 have extra firm heels, the Nimbus 22 has a dual-density Flytefoam Gel-cushioning midsole of 10mm heel drop. The cushioning has added comfort and responsiveness to the shoe to give a runner an imaginable smooth midfoot strike. Also, the gel cushioning makes the forefoot very flexible and responsive. You can feel an excellent toe-off.

The extra-cushioning of the forefoot has significantly improved the overall ride of Nimbus 22.

The soft cushioning has not deprived Nimbus 22 of stability. At the footbridge, is a deep-sitting TRUSSTIC™ device (an arc support plastic) which provides enough tarsal stability when propelling.

Notable is the midsole that flares outwards to form a broad base under the forefoot and heel to enhance stability.

The outsole of the Nimbus 22 is what you would expect to find in a heavy-duty trainer shoe. It is designed to handle whatever you throw at it. For instance, the furrow-like flex treads at the outsole cut deeper than in the Nimbus 23 to make the forefoot zone more flexible. It is also for aiding in the absorption of ground impact. Also, the deep-cutting treads add more traction especially, when running on trails and wet roads. These treads are made of AHAR rubber.

A significant update to the Nimbus 22 is doing away with the 'guidance lines' at the midsole, which is a dominant feature in most Asics running shoes, and compensating them with a soft midsole.

Overall, there is an improvement of the outsole compared to the last three Nimbus series. The sole of Nimbus 22 is firm but more cushioned and stable.

Aciscs Gel-Nimbus 22 Upper Component 

There is a bit of improvement on the upper component compared to the Nimbus 21. The engineered mesh has few overlays, which gives the shoe some frills. Also, the overlays grip the foot but not in a restrictive way.

The thick material absorbs too much water when running under wet conditions.

It also has an Eva sock liner footbed cushioning for extra –padding. With the extra padding, you can rack up extra miles effortlessly.

ASICS did not go wrong with the heel counter. It perfectly locks down the foot when running. Hence, the firm heel counter combines with the sufficiently-cushioned tongue, mouth, and inside of the shoe to provide a soft snug fit.

Conclusion

It is not as smooth as the New Balance 1080 v10 or Asics Triumph 17, and Asics NovaBlast but, it has that soft feel, which ASICS is known for. With Nimbus 22, it takes more runs for the midsole to break in. Though its mid-sole is not as stiff as the Nimbus 19 and 21, it has the Fytefoam and Gel at the heel and forefoot area to give the shoe soft support when doing either midfoot or heel strike. You can utilize Nimbus 22 better by doing rotational running to give the shoe a longer lifespan. 

I conclude that ASICS made this shoe to target longer-distance runners because it is sufficiently padded to give extra energy return. Regardless of how many miles you clock, you will not feel foot cramps and tiredness. Hence, the nimbus 22 is best for long runs and cross-training. It is not a speed shoe.

Unfortunately, 10.9oz can be a little bit heavy.