Gel Nimbus 28 vs Glycerin 23

The Gel Nimbus 28 is ASICS at its plushest: a max-cushion neutral daily training shoe built to soak up the miles and protect your legs, not to chase pace. This is the shoe you reach for on easy days, recovery jogs and long steady runs when comfort matters more than speed. At 278g it is on the heavier side, and with a tall 39.5mm heel and a moderate 5.2mm drop the ride is soft, planted and forgiving rather than quick. If you loved the Gel Nimbus 27, the 28 keeps the same brief and refines the feel. We rate it as one of the most dependable premium daily trainers for higher-mileage runners who want a cushioned running shoe that simply gets out of the way. It is not a do-everything shoe and it is not cheap, but for what it sets out to do it is very good.

The Glycerin 23 is Brooks at its plushest: a max-cushion daily training shoe built for the soft, unhurried side of your week. This is not a shoe chasing a personal best. It is the one you reach for on recovery days, easy miles and long relaxed runs when you want your legs coddled rather than told to work. The DNA Tuned midsole is deep and forgiving, with a tall 38mm heel stack and a moderate 8mm drop that suits heel and midfoot strikers alike. At 300g it is not light, and it never pretends to be fast, so if you want a snappy tempo shoe look elsewhere. What you get instead is comfort you can rely on, mile after mile, in a neutral running shoe that feels like it was tuned for pure cruising. If you want the same plush ride with a touch of support, the Glycerin GTS 22 adds guide rails. We rate it as one of the most dependable soft daily trainers going.