Which ASICS Running Shoe Is For You

Have you wondered about Asics running shoes? What the difference is between their gel lineup, their Nova Blast lineup, and all the new things? I know you have because you asked. So we're gonna do a quick and dirty breakdown for you today. I have fallen in love with a lot of Asics shoes over the last couple of years of testing and I will tell you I wasn't using them that much before then, which says a lot about this Blast lineup that they have come out with and was quite intentional on their part. So traditional Asics, you've got your daily trainer in the cumulus. This is where they're still using that gel, usually in the heel. I would just consider these a very traditional feeling running shoe. Great daily trainer, great durability, but gonna be that thing that if you liked what you were running in, you'll still like these. The Nimbus is them taking it to that max cushion level. Their newest model is a little softer. Some of you are gonna love that and some of you like me are gonna be like, I think it might be working my legs and my hips a little more than I want it to. Okay, daily, common, gels, but then they released this whole Nova Blast line. Super Blast, Mega Blast, Sonic Blast, but Blast is the lineup and in these we are getting rid of that gel. Most of these are lighter. The Nova Blast is a fantastic option for the person who wants one shoe, daily trainer to take you all the way through half marathon or marathon. The Super Blast version feels like this, but it is lighter and you can really pick up the pace. So I would say mid-packers, great option. It's gonna carry you through. If you have that little bit of a PR goal, the Super Blast is more expensive because it's a little lighter, but it does let you pick up the pace. No carbon plate or anything like that in these. I will say you might as a heavier runner find a little more durability in some of these or in the max cushion, but we've seen pretty good lifespan on the Nova Blast and the Super Blast, which isn't always the case when you start getting into a little more expensive shoe that's a little lighter. So impressive. The two new shoes they threw in last year were the Mega Blast and the Sonic Blast. So the Mega Blast is not carbon plated. It is really, really light. As you can see, it is a max stacked cushioned shoe, but it's much more bouncy. So you're not sinking in like something in the Nimbus. It is what they would call the mid-packers like marathon PR shoe. I would say you're getting close to fairly similar to the Adidas Evo SL that was sort of a runaway hit this year, but it's more expensive. It's really light, very thin upper. Fun ride, fun ride. I still might recommend the Super Blast too. So the other shoe is the Sonic Blast, and this one is plated and it's considered that tempo shoe. So again, your mid-pack runner could race in this. Certainly not what you're going to see the front of the pack in, which is going to be more of the Metaspeed or the Meta Ray is like the fastest of the fast. So the Metaspeed is interesting because it comes in two versions and the basic difference has to do with where you land and it is very noticeable. So I have tried both versions to figure out which one is best for me. I do best with the Edge because I am not a forefoot striker. So I'll post a link below so that you can understand the difference between the two. I really enjoy this shoe for fast running. Obviously as a carbon plated shoe, it is super bouncy. It is more expensive. I would not expect a very long lifespan out of it, but it is very thin upper. And if you know your foot strike, this is one of the few that is really catering to that difference in foot strike to help you find your speed and have the best gait. So back to the Sonic Blast. I'm not sure it's found its place yet. It is a fun shoe. It is if you are someone who wants to have a rotation and so you've got the Nova Blast for your nice easy long runs. You've got this for when you're doing your tempo style workouts and then maybe the Mega Blast is your race day. Maybe the Metaspeed is your race day. It's just not a shoe that I think the majority of you are going to use as much. And I would say it's a slightly more narrow fit than the majority of ASIC shoes. They are not wide shoes, but they are not narrow like a Saucony or a Nike. So I hope that quick breakdown gave you some thoughts on these different shoes. But as always, I really like to hear your questions. What do you want to know about ASICs or another brand? I'll drop a ton of links below. We have obviously done detailed reviews on every single one of these shoes.