Feature Friday: Asics Gel-Nimbus 11 Shoe Review

Fridays always call for a celebration. Every week, I welcome in the weekend by starting off on the right foot: Fritter Fridays. Most Fridays start off with a quick trip to the local bakery for a fresh, crisp, sickeningly sweet Apple Fritter. Healthy; No, Happy; Yes :) Do you have any weekly rituals?

My weekly ritual does not usually include two rest days, but after the 20 miler on Sunday and the triple workout on Monday, I have been t-i-r-e-d. (I did manage an hour of walking) I waged an epic battle with gravity yesterday; I fought and fought; and after much slothing around in the sheets, gravity was too much of a formidable force to overcome. I passed out by 9PM and got 9.5 hours of sleep. Epic indeed.
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Today's Feature Friday is a little different, since I am doing a shoe review!
Back in October, I was very fortunate and won a contest over at OnlineShoes.com, and received a free pair of Asics kicks. I love me some shoes! (BTW, OnlineShoes.com is quickly becoming my favorite place to buy shoes, since in my small-ass town, it's hard to find sneakers with the right size/color/fit)

After much hair-pulling and head-scratching (too many choices!) I decided on this lovely gem:

Asics Gel-Nimbus 11

(Image source)

I've put just shy of 100 miles on these puppies, and I must say they are quickly becoming one of my favorite long distance shoes.

These are actually the first pair of Asics I have ever worn. My first impression of these shoes was that they are quite bulky/big for running shoes. However, they are unbelievably light! How do they do it?

The fit is nice and snug. My feet literally feel like they are standing atop a big marshmallow. I don't have that feeling like I'm so close to the ground, like in my Mizuno Elixirs.

According to the Asics website:

The cushioning and stability of this hugely popular trainer is even better this year, with the addition of a new comfort-centric lightweight upper.

The cushioning is the feature that stands out the most to me. I have found that many "neutral" shoes feel kind of flat and un-supportive. I have just the slightest overpronation in my left foot, so the amount of cushioning helps on the 13+mile runs.

The longest I've been in these shoes is 18 miles, and it provided enough support for each and every step. Despite all this amazing cushioning, these shoes really are light. Seriously. Technology never fails to amaze me. My Nike Pegasus shoes do not have nearly the same amount of cushioning, and I can definitely tell by the end of the run.

Other features of this shoe include an anatomically correct lacing system, an anti-microbial sockliner, and gender specific forefoot cushioning.

One thing to note though, is that I think this particular shoe comes up pretty high around the ankles; more so than any of my other shoes. At first, I thought the height would bother me, but I've gotten used to them, and I don't notice it anymore. But depending on where your ankle bulges out, this shoe must rub that ankle protrusion bone, FYI.

They have other cute colors too, like this one I REALLY wanted, but alas they did not have that color available in my size at the time. But hey, who's complaining? beggars can't be choosers, and a new pair of shoes is SUPER DUPER CHILL no matter the color :)

Because of the thickness/cushiness, I wouldn't use this shoe for racing, short distances, or speed work. But for those LSDs, these babies work great. I still haven't decided if I'll wear these or the Nike shoes for the LA Marathon, but I'll take both of them with me. (OMG only 30 days away!!!) I'll for shizzle be wearing these on my 14 miler tomorrow.
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So I'm still going to wage war with gravity and the dead/lead/heavy feeling in my body. I have a 14 miler to bust through tomorrow! I can't believe how "short" a distance 14 miles sounds like now. I mean, compared to 20, 22, 26 miles.... 14 miles is, as we say in Japanese, "Asa-meshi-mae". (Literal Translation: Before Breakfast. Meaning: Something is so easy/no-brainer, you can do it before breakfast) There you go. Your language lesson of the day :)

Have a super duper terrific weekend, and I promise I'll be back with a more regular posting schedule, and will make my way around all your guys' awesome blogs too! This week has been extra busy!

Thanks and Adios ladies and gents :)