Gear Review - ASICS Gel Cumulus 26

Fast, Soft, Smooth

The ASICS Gel Cumulus 26 in Evening Teal/Bright Yellow

In Brief: A neutral, moderate cushion daily training shoe that defies its category with big updates from ASICS.

The old: The cumulus model within ASICS’ lineup has been a go-to daily running shoe for a long time, but these most recent iterations have shown the company, and the shoe trending in a new direction. Fans of ASICS’ previous shoes need not fret however - you can still expect the same plush feeling courteous of the proprietary Gel/PureGel cushioning, for instance. Older versions of the Gel Cumulus highlighted the Gel in the shoe’s midsole, and could quite regularly be depended on as a down-the-middle neutral daily trainer.

The new: ASICS have changed their formula for the Gel Cumulus 26 significantly from the Gel Cumulus 24. In hindsight, the past three models of the Gel Cumulus show a clear progression into the current state of running shoe technology for daily trainers. In some ways, the Gel Cumulus 26 feels like a hybrid between the Cumulus 24 and another Asics shoe, the NovaBlast. 

The Cumulus 26 is a daily training shoe that manages to incorporate the soft cushioning ASICS is known for, with a rockered sole that both smooths and speeds up the feeling underfoot. It is a light and fast feeling shoe with enough cushion to get runners through logging everyday miles that can really pick up the pace.

Keen observers will note that this newest version of the Gel Cumulus resembles another of ASICS’ shoes, namely the Nimbus 25. ASICS have begun to implement updates to the midsole design across a number of their shoe models, i.e., changing the midsole foam to Flytefoam Blast+ and using a rockered sole. The resulting effect is a soft but smooth feeling ride, and I am a big fan. 

For ASICS to switch away from their renowned Gel cushioning system would take a significant improvement in performance, which they have found in the Flytefoam Blast+. The new midsole compound is a combination of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and Olefin Block Copolymers (OBCs), interwoven with a layer of kevlar. The unique feature of the EVA+OBC combination is a series of alternating rigid and elastomeric blocks, giving the compound excellent softness and energy return. 

The success of ASICS new lineups of shoes is implementing this EVA+OBC midsole compound into new geometric midsole designs, namely a rockered sole. The softness and energy return of the new cushioning system in a rockered sole creates shoes that are just plain fun to run in - they're light and quick, but also soft without feeling excessively plush. Pushing the pace in these shoes is a joy, but likewise, it still feels lovely to sit back and enjoy the ride during easier paces. 

The bottom line: I can sometimes be frustrated by feeling like I need to bring multiple pairs of shoes with me for a workout, or the analysis paralysis caused by working out which shoe I should take out to run if I don’t already have a plan in mind. For all that I’ve run in this shoe so far, I feel as if it is an excellent blend of cushioning and versatility in pace. I would feel comfortable taking this shoe out on runs that could include anywhere between a 5k race effort and an easy jog, for lengths of time up to 80-90 minutes.