So ASICS had another sneaky little surprise for us waiting in the wings and that came in the form of the Superblast. This trend of new high-cushioned trainers that can be used for half-marathon and marathon-level distance training has become all the rage. Instead of being left out, ASICS decided to lean into it and deliver something that fits perfectly in that category. It’s something illegal that you’re not supposed to race in, but something that can be used for those marathon-level training days. It doesn’t have a plate, but it feels like it has a plate and it is pretty expensive, and we’re not quite sure how to feel about it… but here we go.
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- Totally unexpected and totally cool, but also we are kind of unsure where they fit…
- Weight – 8.43oz or 239g for a US Men’s 9, 7.5oz or 213g for a US Women’s 7
- Cushion – 45.5mm of cushion (34mm for women) and an 8mm heel/toe drop
- Pricing – $220.00 USD
- Colors – 4 colors available for men and women
Construction and Materials
- Upper – Features an asymmetric engineered mesh upper with a semi-gusseted tongue reminiscent of the Novablast 3.
- Midsole – Uses a dual-density design, mixing FlyteFoam Blast Turbo with FlyteFoam Blast+. This creates a softer landing experience while then transitioning in a more responsive take-off.
- Outsole – Features the same trampoline style outsole from the Novablast 3 but uses new AHAR+ rubber, which we WISH the Novablast 3 had.
Performance Review
Again the reason for this shoe is really clear. ASICS is missing a shoe in the distance training category where you’re not only training to put the miles on but also to keep the speed and tempo up. Most companies are delivering a plated solution, something like the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer or even the Puma Deviate Nitro 2, but ASICS did something a little different by not going plated. That doesn’t really matter though on here and we’ll tell you why.
It’s because the Superblast is an incredibly firm shoe. That midsole uses their FlyteFoam Blast Turbo mixed with FlyteFoam Blast+ so you get a soft landing and then an energized take-off. The crazy part is the engineering of that dual-density midsole has been done in such an incredibly stiff way. You can’t bend this shoe much like you can’t bend a plated shoe, the rebound is tangible in the design and in the feel. The only problem we found with this is that it can make the shoe itself just feel very stiff under foot, with virtually no softness. A plated shoe usually mixes softer materials with a plate with another layer of softer or firmer material for responsiveness. Here we lack a bit of that cushion because the entire midsole fees firm.
However, this design does lead to a tremendous amount of performance. The Superblast serves its purpose really well if you want to train in a big old stack, have a solid amount of responsiveness, and don’t mind a bit of a firmer feel. If you want a bit of cushion in there, it takes a bit to get to that point with these because even for us after 50-plus miles, things still feel a bit tense in the midsole.
We do love the upper on here and we would argue that the upper on here is actually a touch better than the Novablast 3, a shoe we love more than anything right now. It also feels a bit more natural than some of those other marathon-level trainers which have opted for really different upper designs, we are looking at you New Balance.
So the Superblast itself is really uncomplicated. It’s a simple upper using very normal metaphors that you’re used to, mixed with a huge midsole that is super stiff and is reminiscent of a plated shoe. I think for us, we just like a little bit of softness here and there and that is missing.
Overall Conclusion
The ASICS Superblast is a super cool shoe no question about it. ASICS set out to produce a distance-level trainer that can compete with others out there and they have done so successfully. For us, it is a little too firm and we are also concerned a bit about the price tag on them, but if you like the feel then they definitely function and do their job.
Learn more on the ASICS website
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Check Out Other Reviewers Thoughts
As always, we gather together some of our favorite reviewers so you can get a well-rounded view of the shoe. Here are our favorites.
