Gel Nimbus 27 vs Vomero 18

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 Nike Vomero 18 is Nike's plushest everyday running shoe, a max-cushion daily trainer built to soak up easy miles and protect your legs over the long haul. This is the Vomero finally getting the soft, tall treatment people have wanted for years: a deep, dual-foam midsole that disappears underfoot and keeps feeling fresh deep into a run. It is not fast and it does not pretend to be. At 325g it is a substantial shoe, and the 10mm drop plus generous stack push it firmly into the cushioned-cruiser camp rather than the tempo one. We rate it as a premium easy-day and recovery option, the shoe you reach for the morning after a hard session or for a long, conversational effort. If you want one well-padded daily trainer to carry the bulk of your weekly mileage in comfort, the Vomero 18 makes a strong case. Just do not expect it to feel lively when you push the pace.