Gel Nimbus 27 vs Glycerin Max 2

The Gel Nimbus 27 is ASICS at its most plush: a max-cushion neutral running shoe built for soft, protected miles rather than speed. This is the shoe you reach for on easy days, recovery runs and long efforts when your legs want padding underfoot and a forgiving ride. At 305g it is not light, and with an 8mm drop it sits in familiar territory for a daily trainer, but the appeal here is comfort, not pace. We rate it as one of the safest picks in the cushioned daily category, especially if you log steady mileage and value a shoe that feels the same in mile twenty as it did in mile one. It is a premium buy at £175 RRP, so it asks a lot up front. If you want the same soft, dependable feel in something a touch lighter and quicker, the Gel Cumulus 27 is the leaner sibling worth a look.

The Glycerin Max 2 is Brooks going all-in on soft, tall, protective cushioning. This is a max-cushion daily training shoe built for one job: swallowing up easy and recovery miles so your legs feel fresh the next day. With a 42.3mm heel stack and dual-density DNA Tuned foam underfoot, you sit high off the road and the landings are pillowy rather than snappy. At 305g it is a heavy running shoe, and it never pretends to be quick. There is no carbon plate and no pretence of speed. What you get instead is a big, forgiving platform and a smooth, rockered roll from heel to toe that keeps long slow runs comfortable well past the hour mark. In our view it sits at the plush end of the daily-trainer market, up against the Hoka Bondi 9 and Nike Vomero 18. If you want cushioning first and pace last, it delivers.