Gel Nimbus 28 vs Magnify Nitro 3

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 Magnify Nitro 3 is Puma's big, soft, everyday max-cushion running shoe, and at £140 it undercuts most of the plush daily trainers it lines up against. This is the shoe you reach for on easy days, long runs and recovery miles when your legs want protection more than speed. The NITRO foam midsole is tall and forgiving without turning to mush, and Puma's PUMAGRIP outsole is genuinely excellent in the wet. At 287g it is not a light shoe, and you feel that on faster efforts, so treat it as a cruiser rather than a tempo tool. It runs neutral, with a 10mm drop that suits heel and midfoot strikers. In our view the real story is value: you get proper max cushioning and grippy, hard-wearing rubber for less than a Gel Nimbus 28 or Glycerin 22. If you want soft daily miles without paying £170, it belongs on your shortlist.