Asics Gel-Cumulus 27 Review: Compact Car for the Daily Commute

Introduction to the Asics Gel-Cumulus 27

ROBBE: Here’s all you need to know about the Asics Gel-Cumulus 27: I thought I hadn’t reviewed this shoe since the Gel-Cumulus 24 in 2022, which seems like it was a decade ago. Turns out, I reviewed it last year. It’s that forgettable. Counterpoint: Is it forgettable, or is it just so reliable that it blends into the background? For the sake of this review, we’ll go with the latter. In case you’re just happening upon the Gel-Cumulus, now in its 27th version, let’s give a little background about the shoe.

The Gel-Cumulus is one of the staples in the Asics line. No matter what comes and goes, you can guarantee that three models will always be attached to the Asics name: Gel-Cumulus, Gel-Nimbus, and Gel-Kayano. In the past, the Gel was the big selling point. When the Cumulus debuted in 1999, Gel had been around for awhile. It debuted in 1986 and was popularized in the iconic Gel-Lyte III, but really hit its stride when it made its way into the aforementioned models.

Photo courtesy of Asics

American culture was still riding high on things like Nickelodeon slime and the Creepy Crawlers bugmaker which I’m definitely not bitter about not getting for Christmas ‘92. Also, Pamela Anderson. Synthetic gel-like substances were a force to be reckoned with. 

Nowadays, the Gel exists as a PureGel foam segment that’s been tucked away inside the heel, encased in its own amber. It’s just waiting for someone to bring it back to life.

In terms of the Gel-Cumulus, the shoe is positioned as a reliable daily trainer on the lower end of the performance ladder. It has the pieces that make it a proper running shoe, but at a price point that’s accessible to the average consumer. In short, it sells a sh*t ton to everyday runners and the longtime consumer, some who have had the shoe for decades at this point. 

That’s enough backstory, so we should probably get to the review. If you’d like to choose your own adventure, you can simply go read the Asics Gel-Cumulus 26 review, because this one is going to be almost identical. 

That’s because almost nothing has changed since the last version. The midsole and outsole are the same, employing Flytefoam Blast Plus foam and FluidRide blended EVA/rubber, respectively. The shoe picked up a tiny bit of weight (10 grams), but not enough to be noticeable on the run. Really, the only change is an engineered jacquard mesh upper similar to the one found in the Asics Gel-Nimbus 27. Stack height remains the same and it retains the Ortholite sockliner. Price point remains the same at $140.

If you’ve chosen to stay on this ride, then let’s start moving, shall we?

What We Like About the Asics Gel-Cumulus 27

ROBBE: I’m so tempted to just copy and paste my thoughts from the Gel-Cumulus 26 and see if anyone notices, but for the sake of originality and SEO results, I’ll figure out a way to rewrite that review.

Looking back, there are a few notable differences. I don’t enjoy the upper as much as the last version, so we’ll bump that to the next section. 

Moving onto the ride and performance, the midsole feels identical to the last version, probably because it is. What’s weird is that I think I enjoyed it more this go-around. It’s not soft like the Nimbus, it’s not bouncy like the Superblast, it’s not buttery smooth and soft like the Novablast. It’s a bit dense, but not in the worst way. It feels like a simple running shoe, which is sometimes all you need. Most of the time, really. After weeks in high-stack, bouncy foams, sometimes I just want something simple, and the Gel-Cumulus provides that without getting into the harsh zone.

It’s not as flexible as its price counterpoint in the Novablast, but it’s still somewhat smooth. Despite the high stack height, it has a good ground feel without being too harsh. It’s not soft like the Nimbus and some may even call it flat (to be fair, it treads dangerously close to that territory). Others will call it traditional. Honestly, it just feels like a solid running shoe, which is exactly what it’s supposed to be.

I took this out for a few 6-mile runs and a 10-mile long run and I enjoyed it for the most part. It didn’t blow my mind, but it got the job done. It’s a mile eater, for sure. At just over 9 ounces, the light weight is what keeps this shoe in the go zone. It never felt too heavy on the foot, and the wider platform provided solid stability and ground contact. Though most of my miles were easy miles, I did use it for some pick-up strides at the end of my runs and it responded surprisingly well. Would I use it for a tempo workout? Probably not, but if you’re doing “one minute on, one minute off” type things, you could get it there. 

We’ve referred to the Cumulus in the past as a Honda Civic and the Gel-Nimbus as the Honda Accord (or the Corolla and Camry, if you prefer). That comparison still stands, though I’d say the Gel-Nimbus has taken a step backwards. The Cumulus remains the same ol’ compact car.

What We Don’t Like About the Asics Gel-Cumulus 27

ROBBE: There’s a few things for this section, but it’s a $140 shoe, so maybe that’s to be expected. The main change from last version to this is the upper. It’s a step down. For reasons that are unknown to anyone except for the designers who are beholden to switching things up for the sake of switching things up, they got rid of the stretch knit tongue from the last version. That tongue was the same tongue found in the Gel-Nimbus 26, and quite frankly one of the best tongues on any shoe in recent memory. But sure, let’s just throw it out for a generic mesh version. Makes sense.

Much like my experience with Gel-Nimbus 27, I just didn’t find that the upper had a great fit. I have a narrow foot, so I’m sure that plays into it, but I found that I had to cinch the laces pretty tight. Even then, it wasn’t totally snug.

The initial colorway for men is something. I guess we’ve burned through the ‘90s and ‘00s and have somehow come back to the ‘70s. So we have this brown, sun-dried tobacco spit with pistachio kind of look going on. It’s what I like to call the Napoleon Dynamite aesthetic. It’s not as bad as I’m describing, but Uncle Rico could definitely throw a football from his Dodge Tradesman van up and over the mountains with these shoes on. Better colorways are available (like an indigo and all-white), but if your name is Kip and you’re chatting with hot babes online all day, then hit that shop link at the bottom of this review.

This shoe is moderately light, so it wants to go fast sometimes. The problem is that it has such a wide base that it feels like a boat any time you want to pick it up. I know it provides good stability, but the whole thing lends to a plodding sensation. I found myself yearning for the sleek ride of the Novablast, but unfortunately I was tied down to the deck of the SS Life Raft, bobbing just above sea level for mile after mile.

Which brings me to my final point, a point I made in the review of the Gel-Cumulus 26: why would anyone buy this over the Novablast? They’re the same price with essentially the same midsole and nearly the same stack height. The Novablast is slightly lighter and faster, but those are all good things. It is softer, so maybe that’s the deciding factor. That said, it’s one of the best shoes you can buy at that price point. So why this?

Let’s ask the fiddler on the roof: Tradition! That’s the only answer.

Final thoughts on the Asics Gel-Cumulus 27

ROBBE: I actually enjoyed this shoe more than I thought I would or ever remembered. Sometimes I just want a simple shoe to shift into drive and take out for an hour-long drive on the roads. Is it the best shoe money can buy? Probably not, but it’s reliable and I don’t think you’ll regret picking it up. That said, I also don’t think you’d regret buying the Gel-Cumulus 26 on sale or the Novablast 5 at regular price. My vote is for those. Or for Pedro. Either one works.

You can pick up the Asics Gel-Cumulus 27 for $140 at Running Warehouse (featuring free 2-day shipping and 90-day returns) using the buttons below.