Asics Gel Cumulus 27 Review | Great Beginner Running Shoe

If you liked the Cumulus 26, excellent news not a lot has changed The Asics GEL Cumulus 27 remains a solid daily run shoe for most folks, but especially those with high arches.You don’t often see shoes with anything to help underpronation, which is rolling to the outside of the foot. So it’s nice to have something that’s not overbuilt to recommend to our runners.

If you like a nice moderate cushioned neutral running shoe to be the work horse in your rotation this is a great option. I’d say newer runners may gravitate to it based on the price, durability and it’s not super heavy, a reasonable stack height and comfortable!

Asics Gel-Cumulus 27 Overview

If the Superblast is their nod to a super trainer without a plate and the Nimbus 27 is their max cushioned shoe, the Cumulus remains your steady Eddie. Nothing super flashy, and yet dependable.

After months of testing out a lot super cushioned super big stack height shoes, sometimes a daily trainer can feel a little bleh. But I actually found my body feeling relieved to put on a trusted shoe that was going to feel good for a lot of miles.

At an 8mm heel to toe drop, it’s also in the sweet spot for many runners to prevent knee pain and yet not overwork the calves.

When I say it’s a great beginner shoe, I just mean that’s a really great price point, it’s got what you need and not all the extras. Plus before you dive in to the super max cushioned shoes, it’s really important to have a solid base. That ensures you have the form, the ankle strength, etc to handle those shoes.

The Cumulus is a unexceptional shoe in a really nice way. It was enjoyable to wear, I didn’t think about it, I just put in my miles and went on about my way. Which isn’t to say that they haven’t thought about the foam and the technology in this shoe.

They have. It’s not super heavy and that’s thanks to the FF Blast. It’s also not using a bunch of geometry to create a rocker feeling or heavily influence your footstrike in anyway.

While it’s not a lightweight running shoe, it’s pretty good for a daily trainer. I certainly didn’t notice it feeling overly heavy or clunky at any point. But again I wasn’t trying to race in it, just some easy miles with strides or a little pick up here and there to test the speed.

If I were being total honest, I’d probably just reach for the Asics Novablast 5 most of the time. Between the two as daily trainers, it has more pop and pretty similar cushion feel for a little less weight.  That being said it’s $20 more and a higher stack height, so not the choice for everyone.

Gel-Cumulus 27 Fit

Putting on the shoe and looking down, it has a very hour glass fit. Maybe just because of how the sole flares, but I’d say because it’s not very wide. Unlike a lot of other Asics shoes, I’d almost describe this one as narrow.

Except that it does have more room in the midfoot for those running with high arches and easily with a little lacing change I think you’d find this comfortable.

Lengthwise I was comfortable in my standard Asics size, which is also what I’d wear in Brooks, New Balance, etc. I’ve heard some say it was a wider toe box, but that’s not how I’d describe it. Again, this could be having put on a lot of actual wide toe box running shoes from Topo, Altra, etc.

The tongue is fine. I like that it’s not padded taking up any room and would probably be cooler in the summer. It’s thin and well…fine.

The heel is lightly padded, super comfortable and I felt really locked in without needing to do my standard heel lock lacing to keep my foot from pulling out of the shoe.  If I had needed to the laces would be stretched to full capacity, but it can be done.

Similar Shoes to Gel Cumulus 27

What’s currently out there to rival this massive cushioned shoe? We’ve tested a few that feel similar, but different based on the brand fit:

• On Cloudmonster (A go to daily trainer we recommend a lot because runners love the moderate cushion and lower heel drop)
• Nike Pegasus Plus (Similar cushion, weight, higher heel drop and price point – could go a little faster)
• Hoka Clifton (Another moderate cushioned trainer, 5mm drop and wider fit)

Asics Nimbus Vs Cumulus

Both shoes can go the distance, so now it’s about figuring out which one is going to hit the mark for you.

At first glance these might appear to be similar cushioned daily run shoes, but they are in fact wildly different in fit and feel. We’ve got a full review of the Asics Nimbus 28, but here’s a little breakdown.

• Nimbus is a max cushion shoe, much bigger stack height
• Nimbus feels far more cushioned and definitely not a shoe to pick up the pace
• Both shoes can be used for long runs
• Cumulus can pick up the pace for marathon style workouts because it’s lighter
• Cumulus feels a bit  more narrow
• Remember more cushion isn’t always better, it changes your feel of the ground which actually causes some runners to land with more force

Carbon Neutral Running Shoes

Sustainability is something we want to see brands pay attention to, so we’re happy to shout it out!This is important to all of us runners who want to keep spending miles outside in great fresh air!

Asics has stated, “We’re committed to reducing our CO₂ emissions throughout the value chain, so we’re being transparent about how we measure and continuously work to reduce our emissions.”

One way you’ll see is this is on the note inside the shoe which is measuring it’s footprint. 

This is done with a combination of the upper being made from recycled materials and a dying process that reduces water emissions by 33%. They also continued  75% of the upper is made with recycled content.

All right there you have it! Our review of the Asics Gel-Cumulus 27!

Go check it out at Asics.com $140

Looking for other running shoes??

• Best Treadmill Running Shoes
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• ASICS Vs New Balance

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