After 22 years, a product can develop stale. That’s precisely what occurred to the Nimbus collection. The identical runners had been shopping for the Nimbus yr after yr and it wasn’t gaining many new clients.
In 2020, the revolutionary Nimbus Lite was launched. It was designed to be a funner model of considered one of ASICS’ hottest impartial trainers, the Nimbus. It focused younger, quick runners who discovered the common Nimbus too heavy and cumbersome.
After I first ran within the unique Nimbus Lite, I took an instantaneous liking to it. It felt environment friendly, energetic and versatile; it was a breath of contemporary air. I most popular the Lite model to the common Nimbus.
It’s a superb technique by ASICS to maintain each fashions although. There can be an enormous uproar in the event that they had been to discontinue the standard Nimbus and change it with the brand new model. The Lite mannequin remains to be the much less in style of the two fashions.
This yr’s Nimbus Lite 3 has an analogous look and experience to the Nimbus Lite 2 however the midsole has been modified to be barely softer. The eco-friendly midsole nonetheless has cellulose nanofibres in it that are a waste product of sugar cane.
The Nimbus Lite 3 has a brand new higher which isn’t as plush because the earlier Nimbus Lite uppers. It weighs 9.2 oz (261 g), 0.3 oz (8.5 g) lighter than the Nimbus Lite 2. It additionally prices $10 greater than final yr’s model.
ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3 First Impressions
image of ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3
I wasn’t all that excited concerning the Nimbus Lite 3 till I put it on and walked round. It felt actually squishy underfoot and so much softer than I anticipated it to really feel.
My first run in it was a 12 km hill repeat session at 4.54 minutes per kilometer. On that run, the Nimbus Lite 3 felt versatile, cushioned, and really pure.
The shoe it jogged my memory most of was the New Stability Insurgent v2 nevertheless it felt barely firmer and extra steady. Each footwear are very versatile and don’t have a lot midsole construction.
In comparison with the Nimbus 24, the Nimbus Lite 3 didn’t really feel as energetic however the experience felt squishier and plusher. What I appreciated most concerning the Nimbus Lite 3 was how easy the experience transitions felt.
It felt nice proper out of the field with no break-in interval required.
ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3 Sole Unit
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Flytefoam is now one of many older, blander midsole foams within the ASICS assortment with the current innovations of FF Blast, FF Blast+ and FF Turbo.
The Flytefoam within the Nimbus Lite 3 is nonetheless extra thrilling than common Flytefoam as a result of it’s made from organically derived supplies so it has extra give.
The midsole of the Nimbus Lite 3 has a excessive charge of compression with out a lot rebound. I discovered it to be greatest suited to gradual or restoration runs due to its marshmallow-soft experience.
Flytefoam makes the Nimbus Lite 3 really feel like a max-cushioned coach, designed for primarily simple runs. Something sooner than 5 minute tempo and you end up wishing for one thing a bit firmer or with extra power return.
The Nimbus Lite 3 has loads of long-distance consolation although. The midsole cushioning feels substantial and it doesn’t backside out. You possibly can simply do a full marathon in it should you needed to.
It has a brilliant versatile forefoot which additionally provides to the max-cushioned coach really feel however the snappiness simply isn’t there for pace work. It feels too relaxed.
One factor that the Nimbus Lite 3 does higher than different tremendous smooth using trainers just like the Invincible Run and the Insurgent v2 is that it feels very steady as a result of it has a really broad forefoot, midfoot and rearfoot. Throughout runs, I by no means felt like my ankles had been below stress.
image of ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3
You continue to get the compulsory GEL within the forefoot and the rearfoot which is hidden contained in the midsole of the Nimbus Lite 3 nevertheless it’s largely there for advertising functions. You don’t really feel the GEL in any respect.
One of many greatest variations between the Nimbus Lite 3 and the Nimbus 24 is that the Nimbus Lite 3 doesn’t have a tough, floating Trusstic shank in its midsole. This makes it so much much less structured than the midsole of the Nimbus 24.
The Nimbus Lite 3 has a gender-specific outsole so the boys’s model has a barely totally different outsole to the ladies’s model.
The boys’s model has an additional oval rubber piece in the course of the midfoot which the ladies’s model doesn’t have. Which means that the ladies’s one has smoother transitions and is extra steady on the midfoot however the males’s one provides extra sturdiness.
AHAR+ is on the rearfoot and softer, much less sturdy AHAR is on the forefoot. Similar to on the Nimbus 24, I additionally observed important outer heel put on on the Nimbus Lite 3’s heel lugs so sturdiness is just not excellent.
Flytefoam of the Nimbus Lite 3 is way denser and extra immune to cuts and abrasions than the FF Blast+ within the Nimbus 24 so the Nimbus Lite 3 has the extra sturdy sole unit general.
ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3 Higher Unit
image of ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3
70% of the Nimbus Lite 3’s engineered mesh higher is recycled content material and the brand new higher feels extra streamlined, largely partly to its up to date skinny, knitted tongue.
I like this transformation as a result of it makes the Nimbus Lite 3 really feel leaner and sooner. The tongue is semi-gusseted so there’s no tongue slide and the knit additionally permits higher air flow due to this fact the shoe is cooler.
The collar and heel tab are nonetheless generously full of foam so the rear of the shoe is opulent and there’s no heel slippage.
image of ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3
The Nimbus Lite 3 has a roomy, accommodating midfoot and a big toe field which is extra suited to wide-footed runners than narrow-footed ones.
I went down a half dimension from my regular and the match felt good whereas carrying very skinny socks however I discovered myself craving extra size once I wore thick socks. Nearly all of runners might want to go true to dimension.
ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3 Conclusion
image of ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3
I loved working within the Nimbus Lite 3. It’s nonetheless a enjoyable shoe to run in however the enjoyable issue has been barely diluted.
The Nimbus Lite 3 is an enchancment over the Nimbus Lite 2 as a result of it’s lighter, has a cooler higher and a plusher experience. Sadly, it nonetheless makes use of ASICS’ older Flytefoam in its midsole.
I’m unsure why ASICS selected to make use of Flytefoam and never FF Blast+ within the midsole of the Nimbus Lite 3. FF Blast+ would have made it sooner and bouncier.
The Nimbus Lite 3 was designed to be a sooner, lighter, extra versatile model of the common Nimbus however the brand new Nimbus 24 truly feels just like the sooner shoe. Its midsole springs again a lot faster after every footstrike so the Nimbus 24 feels prefer it has an additional gear.
The 2 trainers have the identical worth however I’d select the Nimbus 24 over the Nimbus Lite 3. The Nimbus 24 with its new midsole foam looks like a extra premium shoe so it makes you are feeling such as you’re getting extra worth to your cash.
I believe $160 for the Nimbus Lite 3 is an excessive amount of. The Novablast 2 is just $130 and the Insurgent v2 can be $130. Each trainers are additionally very smooth however are much more versatile than the Nimbus Lite 3 as a result of they will choose up the tempo.
I’d nonetheless nonetheless advocate the Nimbus Lite 3 for you in order for you a max-cushioned coach which is marshmallow-soft and really versatile for under gradual, simple or restoration runs. It’s additionally about an oz (28 g) lighter than different max-cushioned trainers.
As editorial coverage, we don't settle for free samples from corporations.
We bought this pair of ASICS GEL-Nimbus Lite 3 at Operating Warehouse with our personal cash.
