I love running shoes more than most things in life. Not a single birthday or Christmas has gone by where I haven’t been given a pair (not to mention the odd Valentines day as well). So it is a perk of my job that I often get to be one of the first to trial new running shoes that come out. I love the feeling of putting on a fresh pair of kicks, the excitement of seeing how, if at all, it adjusts my run. And then the true test, how do my feet feel after? Are all toenails intact? So I was thrilled when Asics asked me to trial their brand new GEL-NIMBUS 22, the 22nd iteration of its top-of-the-range long-distance running shoe. The trainer promises to provide long-distance runners with superior cushioning for the most comfortable ride in the series to date. 

I must admit that since I have had two very cheeky little boys what I now qualify as a long-distance run would make the pre-kids Sadie laugh into her homemade electrolyte drink (also a thing of the past). Nowadays a long-distance run is over an hour but very rarely over an hour and a half. In this particular case of the GEL-NIMBUS™ 22’s first outing, it was a neat 1 hour run on Wimbledon Common, and I can report that the trainers did not disappoint. Not only were they uber comfortable but the FLYTEFOAM™ technology genuinely felt like it helped me spring further with each stride. I had no shin splints (super common when I try on new trainers) and my ankles also felt great and supported throughout. When I got home, I kicked the sneakers off with ease and my feet felt great. Fun fact about Asics, the name comes from the Latin Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body”. I have always felt like I run for my mind, and a stronger body is just the byproduct of the way I maintain my mental wellbeing and so love that this brand name is so in line with that – a brand that was created over 60 years ago, a brand that is clearly always ahead of the curve.

To shop, visit Asics.com