Asics NovaBlast 3 vs 2 Comparison Running Shoe Review
The main difference between the Asics NovaBlast 3 and Asics NovaBlast 2 is that the Asics NovaBlast 3 delivers a lighter, more energised running experience.
The Asics NovaBlast 3 is a neutral running shoe that offers balance - providing shock-absorbing cushioning to cater to your high mileage runs, coupled with lightweight responsiveness to push for a faster, snappier pace during your tempo sessions.
Asics have shed weight from the upper, refining the distraction-fit of the tongue while ensuring comfort with plush memory foam and a supportive heel lockdown. Your feet are cradled by the midsole that wraps up the sides for a deep, harmonious fit that moves like an extension of your body.
The full-length FlyteFoam Blast Plus cushioning provides a combination of protection and springiness, with stabilising compression to glide smoothly over the road during daily training. An AHAR Plus outsole shields high-wear zones from repetitive impacts to extend the lifespan of your best running shoes so you can look forward to a long-term partnership.
Check out the review with full transcript below.
Hi guys, welcome to Sportitude Running. My name is Josh and today we're going to be doing a running shoe review and talking all things Asics NovaBlast 3. This is an extremely exciting shoe which has had a fair bit of change from the Asics NovaBlast 2 and where it has come from with the Asics NovaBlast version 1 a couple of years ago. Asics have taken some serious insight from developing both of those running shoes and rolled it into this fantastic package which I have in front of us.
In today's review we're going to touch on all the important factors. We'll look at the midsole, upper and the outsole and give you all the information that you need at home to potentially make this your next shoe purchase. Without further ado let's get stuck in.
Runner Profile
Before we jump into all the tech pieces of today's review, let's talk about who the Asics NovaBlast 3 is catering for. Being a lightweight cushioned shoe, it plays in a couple of different silos. We’ve had people purchase this for some daily training because it has a fair bit of cushioning underneath the foot. We'll touch on that in the midsole part of this review.
Being quite lightweight, it’s versatile so it can be that second shoe in someone's rotation where they're looking for a slightly quicker, snappier feel but also if you're searching for some protection. It plays in both spaces, being mileage and your lighter progressive runs.
You could even session in this shoe and I know there's a few people out there that are using it for their race day shoe. That is probably the person who doesn't really like the fit, feel and function of carbon plated running shoes. They want something light, snappy with a little bit more protection. The Asics NovaBlast talks straight to that market.
Note that it is a neutral shoe. Nothing has changed regarding the Asics NovaBlast 1 to the Asics NovaBlast 2. There's no engineering on that medial side that's going to offer any additional arch support so it's targeting a neutral foot type.
If you're a mild overpronator or you happen to be a supinator, it's still going to be A-OK as long as you get fitted correctly and this shoe performs well in your testing.
Upper
Let’s jump into the fun part of the review. I'm going to jump straight to the upper because when a brand executes a great upper, it makes a huge difference with the overall performance and the function of the shoe.
Let's talk about the rear of this shoe first. I can tell you right now it has an internal heel counter. It's kind of deceptive because it looks like the running shoe is quite shallow, however your foot sits within this midsole. The midsole wraps up around these walls of the heel counter ever so slightly, so you sit nice and deep inside this shoe. The internal heel counter gives you that lockdown you require at the back of your heel.
The memory foam around this collar is absolutely prime, it’s plush, it's fantastic. I still think this is the best heel counter / internal collar that Asics have done in my opinion. They really nailed how this shoe fits and feels around the back of your heel and Achilles.
As you're coming through to the tongue region of this shoe, if we can rewind the clock and go back to the Asics NovaBlast 1, it had a really long tongue. The Asics NovaBlast 2 was a little bit thinner than the Asics NovaBlast 1. However, Asics have really addressed the weight reduction and a lot of it has come out of the upper. It’s an extremely lightweight tongue in the Asics NovaBlast 3.
It’s a gusseted construction, so that means the tongue is attached to the midsole on the medial and the lateral side. Being thin, it's incredibly breathable and it's hardly there on top of your foot. You get a really good conformed and minimalist feel on top of your arch which is fantastic.
The other really notable point is the fact that the upper is now a jacquard mesh in comparison to what it was last year which was an engineered mesh. All that means is they have a little bit more attention to detail, making it a slightly stronger configuration with the weave that they have used in executing the performance of this upper. It’s very breathable, stable and strong with a conformed fit. I love what Asics have done with Asics NovaBlast 3.
Outsole
Let’s jump straight down to the bottom. There’s not a lot to talk about regarding the outsole because it's a relatively minimalist approach on what Asics have done with protecting the midsole, being the asset of the running shoe. AHAR Plus rubber is on play. It’s a durable compounded rubber and it’s going to wear very well in those high friction areas.
If you address that heel striking zone of this shoe, there's a semi vertical decoupled line through the central part of the heel which plays into the performance of the midsole. However, this outsole configuration wraps around the whole border of this running shoe both on the medial and lateral side.
Last year with the Asics NovaBlast 2 they didn't have the little pod on offer through the forefoot but they did in the Asics NovaBlast 1. I personally like that decoupled line that forks out around your forefoot and it’s more to do with the performance of the midsole. However, by adding this little piece it helps distribute that friction through the forefoot which is really important.
If Asics didn't have that there, that midsole would shear away pretty quickly which was the feedback with the Asics NovaBlast 2. When they didn't have this pod it bottomed out a little bit too quickly through the front half. I think most brands do a great job and Asics have obviously listened to feedback from the Asics NovaBlast 2 and executed a really good outsole with Asics NovaBlast 3.
Midsole
Let's jump to the midsole of the Asics NovaBlast 3. Like I said in my intro, this running shoe is very versatile and that really talks straight to what this midsole technology does. FlyteFoam Blast Plus is a light, cushioned and snappy midsole. That’s the best way to sum it up in 10 seconds.
This running shoe is going to be great for someone who wants to use it for easy day runs to get out the door, switch off and just roll your legs over. It's going to perform really well because it has ample cushioning underneath your foot. However, if you want to get the full experience of this running shoe and you want to turn the pace up and push it to your threshold pace or even use it for a couple of sessions, you're going to get a really good outcome.
The running shoe provides plenty of cushioning but also with this rocker through the forefoot it has a really snappy ride and exit out of your gait cycle. A lot of that is to do with the technology which is the foam, being FlyteFoam Blast Plus.
Putting in compression lines on the lateral and medial side helps the running shoe perform on that first entry, providing the amount of compression you're going to require from making contact with the ground. It helps re-stabilise through midstance, so you don't lose your support and hold as you transition through the mid part of your gait cycle. When you're releasing out of your gait, this running shoe has a really smooth rocker feel on the forefoot.
I love what this midsole represents, and I love what it's about. Its cushioned, it's light, it's snappy and it's nice and responsive as well.
Stack Height, Heel-To-Toe Drop & Weight
Let's jump to the key statistics. Talking all things stack height and heel-to-toe drop, it has 31mm in the heel and 23mm in the forefoot for that variance of 8mm in the men's model. In the women’s model Asics just dropped it by 1mm, so we have 30mm in the heel and 22mm in the forefoot.
While we're talking statistics, let's talk weight because that's why this shoe is so different and so popular. In the men's model a size 9 roughly clicked over at 253 grams and the women’s size 7 weighed in at 220 grams. It’s not the lightest shoe in the market, but it certainly doesn’t come into the same conversation as your your traditional weighted mileage shoes.
It really does hit a sweet spot and it's an extremely versatile shoe.
Similar Running Shoes To the Asics NovaBlast 3
Being a versatile shoe, other shoes that come into the same conversation are your Hoka Mach 5 (above) which is very light and versatile. It can be used for mileage and also some lighter, quicker runs. However, if I compare the two side by side, the Asics NovaBlast is certainly more cushioned.
The other running shoe would be the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 and that shoe has huge street cred regarding its performance. However, it does have that nylon plate so it’s a very different performing midsole.
However, being light and cushioned it can be used for some mileage running as well as obviously what it's designed for, being a quicker everyday shoe. In my opinion I think the Asics NovaBlast 3 is extremely cushioned. It’s very light and almost sits on its own regarding where it plays downstairs on our shoe wall at Sportitude.
The Wrap Up
That’s my take on the Asics NovaBlast 3. I've said it once, I've said it twice and I'll say it again. It’s a very versatile, light and cushioned running shoe. It plays to a lot of needs out there and I’m super excited to see what this shoe produces for all of you, the running community all over the world.
If you have any questions on the Asics NovaBlast 3 or you've had experience running in the Asics NovaBlast 1 or Asics NovaBlast 2, contact our Sportitude shoe experts and let us know how that running shoe went for you.
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FEATURES
- Support: Neutral
- Upper: Mesh
- Midsole: Asics FlyteFoam Blast Plus
Men
- Heel Height: 31mm
- Forefoot Height: 23mm
- Offset / Drop: 8mm
- Weight: 253g / 8.9oz (US 9)
- Width: D (standard)
Women
- Heel Height: 30mm
- Forefoot Height: 22mm
- Offset / Drop: 8mm
- Weight: 220g / 7.8oz (US 7)
- Width: B (standard)
Asics NovaBlast 2
For a more in-depth shoe fitting experience, you can book a free 15 minute video chat in a Live Fit session or make an appointment to discover your RunDNA at Sportitude Running@Hindmarsh.
Happy running!
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