ASICS Men's Gel-Cumulus 23 Trainers

Product Information

It now has a softer upper, 3D Space Construction zones in the midsole and a full-length, bottom layer of Flytefoam. The small updates that ASICS has made to the Cumulus 23 have improved it but have made it heavier too, although on foot, it doesn’t feel like a heavy shoe. Your foot bounces off the pavement with a springy, cushioned response when you run in the GEL-CUMULUS™. The GEL-CUMULUS™ range maxes out on cushioning and the GEL™ cushioning technology is designed to give you the light bouncy feeling of running on clouds. A softer GEL™ technology unit is positioned under the heel to improve cushioning while the FLYTEFOAM™ midsole material helps create a smoother and more supportive ride. Formed with a sustainable compound in the outsole, the ASICS LITE Rubber is soft and designed to improve durability in high-impact areas.

Another gender-specific feature is the 3D cloud construction in the midsole. Both midsoles in the men’s and women’s shoes provide support specifically for their foot shape. It gives you that built-for-you feel, which makes this shoe that much more comfortable. I enjoyed the Cumulus 23 most on middle distance runs at easy or steady paces but if I only had one running shoe and it was the Cumulus 23, I’d be very happy with it because it can also handle a variety of different distances and paces. Saucony Freedom 4 - Newly-dropped out of Saucony, featuring PWRRUN PB as seen in the Endorphin Collection It also doesn’t feel like an exciting shoe. It does however feel well-rounded, well-built, reliable and luxurious. The significant updates that ASICS made to the Gel-Cumulus™ 22, which made them a massive improvement on their predecessor are now in the Gel-Cumulus™ 23. One of the most significant is the gender specific features. What this means is that the mid sole is different in both the men's and the women’s shoes and provides support specifically for their foot shape. This makes the shoes much more comfortable.In a world where daily trainers have carbon plates and super foam midsoles, the dependable ASICS Cumulus 23 still doesn’t feel like a boring shoe. Walking around in the Cumulus 23, I could feel that the layer directly underfoot was less spongy than the Nimbus 23 with less of a sink-in sensation.

Response is present but not sharp propulsive as say the firmer Saucony Ride 13-14 gets when you step on the gas. Cumulus 23 has smooth easy transitions from its long flex pattern at all paces but starts to feel soft and a bit wobbly upfront at uptempo for me where that consistency of feel of midsole through outsole gets a bit overwhelmed by the strike forces. I know I’ve mentioned forefoot flexibility a few times already, but I want to point out that it is not overly flexible to the point of being a little tedious to run in. 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. There is none of that here. Some combination of the smooth and firm midsole keeps things turning over easily. I’ve had a really good run of testing daily trainers of the more traditional variety lately and this is one of my favourites.

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The Gel-Cumulus™, like the Gel-Nimbus™ and the Gel-Kayano™ are ASICS' classic, staple shoes and have been around for some time. They form part of the 'Run Further - Neutral' range. ASICS is certainly not resting on its laurels as they just keep getting better. The technology is simple but the comfort is there.....a versatile, well cushioned and durable running shoe which is also great value for money. Flytefoam has come a long way. What used to be a really firm, unforgiving foam only suited for fast runs, has now become softer, more lively and more versatile. Stability: B- (Neutral shoe. However narrow midfoot and posterior/lateral heel flare creates excessive load/instability) A 3D SPACE CONSTRUCTION has been added to the top layer of the midsole to improve cushioning and flexibility. The Gel-Cumulus™ 23 continues the Cumulus™ tradition of being a light, versatile, neutral running shoe with its focus being to provide an even smoother and softer ride. At 230g the women's shoes are slightly lighter than the previous model with the 10mm drop remaining the same. So here's the technical information.

These hexagonal shapes in the midsole act like pillars to allow the midsole to compress more in those zones which increases softness. The Gel Cumulus fits true to size. It’s not too narrow or too wide. This shoe should accommodate a wide variety of foot shapes easily. Dang, I want to hate the Gel Cumulus, but it’s comfortable ASICS has been doing well in footwear design recently. 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 plenty of evidence that joints, biomechanics, bone structures and overall shapes are different between genders (Ferrari et al., 2004; Krauss et al., 2008; Luo et al., 2009; Wunderlich & Cavanagh, 2001). This is particularly important in the forefoot as the flex grooves need to line up with the metatarsophalangeal joints (toe joints). If this is not lined up well, there may be excessive pressure into the ligaments, small muscles, tendons, bones and the anterior portion of the plantar fascia. So having gender specific flex grooves, shapes and cushioning is important. Compared to other mid-priced, neutral daily trainers from other brands, the Cumulus receives the most updates annually which keeps things exciting and fresh.Towards the rear, you get a traditional rigid internal heel counter sandwiched in ample padding that runs around the heel and ankle. While the Nike Pegasus, New Balance 880, Saucony Ride and Hoka Clifton receive upper-only updates every other year, you can expect the Cumulus to get a brand new upper, midsole and outsole every year. The Gel Cumulus 23 is a shoe that doesn’t make you think about which shoe to wear for what run. This shoe is designed on a budget for the runner that just wants something they can comfortably jog in day-in and day-out no matter what type of workout they are aiming for. One of my favorite things about ASICS shoes is their outsoles, and this shoe is no different. The Cumulus 23 features a new AHAR LITE rubber. This is a great rubber that’s lighter than before but doesn’t sacrifice durability. I can see this shoe lasting a long time because of the outsole. This outsole is also grippy and provides a lot of ground feel. If you’re someone who likes to feel connected with the surface you’re running on, then you’ll appreciate this outsole as much as I do. ASICS GEL-Cumulus 22 Versus ASICS GEL-Cumulus 23