text: It's been painfully clear to any ASICS fan that they have been doing some serious cost cutting with their shoes in the last many years. Literally painful. Less GEL, lower heels, way too narrow, way too short....whatever they can do to use less materials and bring down their cost.  The Nimbus 17 uses no sewn on overlays. Asics claims it's all for weight savings but lets face it, its an ingenious way to cut down on materials. What the savings DID allow them to do is to give you a generous toebox again and a shoe that is true to size. Add in more cushioning, and this should bring the Nimbus fans back, right? Well, maybe.  I have almost 100 miles on my NIMBUS 17 and I can tell you a few things. I loved the 15, disliked the 16, and I'm mixed on the 17. The short answer is that they are WAY too soft and squishy to my taste.  What felt great at the store has changed dramatically after some use. The white foam on the inner heels is just pathetically soft. You can crease this foam just looking at it hard enough. Mine have had it after roughly 100 miles. These uppers which did feel glove like are now just loose and sloppy. They feel terrible and offer absolutely no control or lock-in.  I'd recommend these to feather-light runners (woman) who are PERFECTLY neutral. That is it. At 175 pounds I've torn these up in no time. I cant imagine what a 200+ pounder would do to these shoes. I've worn ASICS since the 80's but its time for me to let go and try another brand.