Asics NovaBlast 4 vs 3 Comparison Running Shoe Review
The main difference between the Asics NovaBlast 4 and Asics NovaBlast 3 running shoes is the improved midsole performance in the NovaBlast 4. The new FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco cushioning provides softer landings and increased responsiveness with strategically placed cuts in the midsole.
Whether you're a heel striker, midfoot striker or forefoot striker, it offers a consistent feel and springy compression to crush your running goals. The lightweight cushioning is accommodating to neutral runners both seeking to shift the pace up a gear, or to cradle their feet in protection and add an element of pop to their running program.
This running shoe caters to a wider variety of running workouts compared to its predecessor - from interval training to mileage running. As Sportitude shoe expert Josh Willoughby explains in his shoe review below, it "certainly feels a lot more fun to run in".
The Asics NovaBlast 4 offers a snappier experience on toe-off, with an outsole that provides a cushioned and stabilising feel to complement the midsole. The upper delivers a secure lockdown with the foot-hugging heel counter and tongue wing design, featuring a slightly more padded tongue.
In the Asics NovaBlast 4, Asics put sustainable materials into play with the FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco midsole featuring 20% recycled content to run light while keeping your carbon footprint lighter on the environment.
Check out the review with full transcription below.
Hey, Josh here from Sportitude. In front of me I have the Asics NovaBlast 4 running shoes.
Today's shoe review is very exciting. I have been running in a pair of these now for nearly 3 months. I've loved what Asics have done with the new version.
It’s not a significant change, but it has a couple of subtle executions in the upper and midsole that I think is going to make the shoe significantly better and more versatile for the vast majority of runners.
In today's review we're going to be discussing the subtle changes from the Asics NovaBlast 3 to the Asics NovaBlast 4. I'll give you my feedback on how I've gone with the Asics NovaBlast 4 and give you all the information that you need at home to maybe make this your next shoe purchase.
Without further ado, let's get stuck in.
Who Is The Asics NovaBlast 4 Running Shoes For?
Before we jump into those changes regarding the outsole, midsole and upper, let's just talk about who the Asics NovaBlast 4 running shoe is for.
It's a versatile shoe, I want to call that out straight away. You may be a runner that's looking for one shoe, you run once or twice a week, or sometimes three or four times a week depending on your consistency with your running program. If you're looking for something light, fun and cushioned and you happen to be a neutral foot type, I would certainly consider the Asics NovaBlast 4.
If you're a runner that's looking for a second shoe in your shoe rotation that you can pick the pace up in and do some interval running in, but you want some protection underneath your body, let's have a conversation around the Asics NovaBlast 4. It would be right in your scope of shoes to consider.
Outsole
Let's jump straight to the outsole and talk all things rubber. With the base of the shoe not a lot has changed from the Asics NovaBlast 3 to the Asics NovaBlast 4. Asics have kept a very consistent theme, keeping the border of the shoe across the outsole and the back of the shoe.
The border around the medial and lateral side is pretty consistent in both models and not a lot has changed.
If anything, at the base of the Asics NovaBlast 4 running shoes the slit at the back is ever so slightly wider. It’s not a significant change, but that just aids in the overall compression on the lateral side for heel strikers.
The overall construction of this outsole is to complement the midsole to aid in additional cushioning on entry and stabilising through midstance. The execution of the outsole with deeper decoupled lines across this horseshoe or V shape at the forefoot of the Asics NovaBlast 4 is going to be a slightly more responsive toe-off to what we had previously in the Asics NovaBlast 3.
That's saying a bit, because that was a nice, snappy shoe. You'll find the Asics NovaBlast 4 gives a little bit more pop or response back through toe-off which is a great feature.
Upper
Let's talk all things upper. On a running shoe like this, it needs to be light and it needs to be breathable because that complements what this shoe is all about.
Regarding the upper, Asics have punched a few extra ventilation holes through the toe box which is going to only aid in the overall ventilation channels of the Asics NovaBlast 4.
The other great feature which I like is they've kept the tongue very thin like last year. The reason they have gone a little bit more padded in the tongue of the Asics NovaBlast 4 is it provides more comfort and customised lockdown. It's not a noticeable change when you put it on, but there is a couple of extra pads underneath the tongue which give you a little bit more comfort on top of your arch.
The other great thing is the tongue wing construction. Thanks Asics for that terminology - that tells us there is a gusset in both the Asics NovaBlast 4 and the Asics NovaBlast 3. The tongue is attached on the medial side as well as the lateral side to aid in that lockdown.
Coming back to the heel counter or heel collar, there’s identical materials being used and almost the same amount of memory foam on offer in the Asics NovaBlast 4 and Asics NovaBlast 3.
However, they've added a pull tab in the Asics NovaBlast 4 and the Achilles flare comes up a little bit higher. It doesn't tilt away from the Achilles, but it is slightly flexible and it will almost perform like an Achilles flare, an engineering construction that we've seen with multiple brands in the last couple of seasons. It helps in regards to that pull tab material and keeping your foot nice and locked down at the back of the heel counter with that internal construction.
Midsole
Let's talk all things midsole. There’s very similar technologies on offer, being FlyteFoam Blast Plus technology. However, in the new Asics NovaBlast 4 we have FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco. 20% of the materials within this midsole are from recycled properties.
I like it when brands are doing all they can to use recycled or applicable materials in their running shoes to keep their carbon footprint down or reduce the impact to the environment as much as they can.
Asics are putting in an effort there and kudos to Asics for doing so. In saying that, the actual performance of the midsole is better in the Asics NovaBlast 4. You get a softer feel underneath the body on first entry and it does not matter if you're heel striking, midfoot striking or forefoot striking in this shoe. Your first entry is plusher, your re-stabilisation through midstance is more consistent and your toe-off has more pop through exit and release.
Let's go into how Asics have done that because looking at the two shoes, there is subtle changes in the execution of how the midsole has been positioned. However, with the overall construction and geometry of the heel foam with the Asics NovaBlast 4, you get a little bit more volume around the back that's going to aid in compression. The reason it's re-stabilised is because you get a little bit more width on offer and thicker rubber through the midstance phase.
However, the biggest change or the best feature of the Asics NovaBlast 4 is the pop and release on toe-off. Having deeper cuts through the midsole through the forefoot allows the shoe to sink a little bit more. The outsole and the midsole work in harmony together which then aids in that release of your gait cycle. It’s a really comfortable shoe on release.
I love how this running shoe just flies out of your gait cycle, and that's without the aid of TPU plastic with carbon plates. It feels snappy on toe-off and it feels stable through the entire transition.
I liked what the Asics NovaBlast 3 did for me and I enjoyed running in that shoe. It was light, cushioned and it had a bit of snap, but the Asics NovaBlast 4 running shoe certainly feels a lot more fun to run in.
It’s also going to be talking to a few more of those runners who are looking for potentially a lighter mileage shoe or a shoe that you can pick the pace up in and get more pop through toe-off. The Asics NovaBlast 4 is a running shoe you should certainly consider.
The Wrap Up
In summary, let's take a deep dive look at my personal pros and cons or likes and dislikes with the Asics NovaBlast 4 running shoes. There's not a lot I don't like about this shoe. In fact, I had to really think hard about the features of this running shoe that maybe I would like to see subtly improved. For me with the Asics NovaBlast 4, it's the tongue.
The gusseted construction is fantastic, an absolute tick and I love how it locks down. However, the Asics NovaBlast 3 had a very thin, breathable tongue and I really liked how that felt on top of my arch. It offers plenty of ventilation through the entire shoe.
This year, there's not quite the same amount of ventilation, but the trade-off here is you do get a little bit more through the toe box in the Asics NovaBlast 4. The execution in overall ventilation is pretty similar between the two models, I just would have liked to seen the tongue be a little more breathable.
The other thing that I absolutely love about the new Asics NovaBlast 4 is the consistency with the midsole. It feels a little bit more cushioned, more stable and it offers more response through toe-off. That's exactly what you want with a running shoe like this.
If you want to purchase a shoe that's going to be light and cushioned for mileage running, you can certainly grab the Asics NovaBlast 4 and give it a go. If you want that slightly higher stack and more cushioned and protective shoe for interval running, the Asics NovaBlast 4 is going to talk straight to your needs.
The other thing I want to talk about is stack height. The heel-to-toe drop is 8mm in both the men's and women's model. The stack height is slightly different between the two genders. In the men's model it's a 41mm heel height and a 33mm forefoot height. In the women’s model it's a 40mm heel height and 32mm forefoot height.
There's going to be subtle variances between manufacturers, so just keep that in mind. It's in and around that 40mm mark, so that's the best way to take all that data in.
I don't have anything that I don't like about the outsole, simple as that. It performs well and protects the midsole which is exactly what you want and expect from an outsole. The overall surface area coverage is on point and it's going to be a relatively durable rubber for this type of execution of midsole.
If you were grabbing the Asics NovaBlast 4 and doing every single run in it four, five or six times a week, it's going to crash pretty quickly. However, if you're a person that's looking for one shoe that you may vary going out the door once, twice, three times a week or you're looking for that second shoe in your shoe rotation, I would certainly consider the Asics NovaBlast 4.
There you have it, that's my take on the Asics NovaBlast 4. If you have any questions or comments around this running shoe, please contact our Sportitude shoe experts and let us know.
If you have any theories about this as a category, if you've used the Asics NovaBlast 3 previously, or have been lucky enough to run in an Asics NovaBlast 4, please let us know what you've thought about this running shoe. We love hearing from you the running community all over the world.
Until next time stay safe, be kind to one another, get your friends and family out running and we will see you on the road. Take care.
FEATURES
- Use: Max Cushioned / Versatile
- Support: Neutral
- Upper: Engineered Woven
- Midsole: FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco
- Sustainability: Recycled materials
- Similar Shoes: Saucony Endorphin Speed
Men
- Heel Height: 41mm
- Forefoot Height: 33mm
- Offset / Drop: 8mm
- Weight: 260g / 9.2oz (US 9)
- Width: D (standard)
Women
- Heel Height: 40mm
- Forefoot Height: 32mm
- Offset / Drop: 8mm
- Weight: 225g / 7.9oz (US 7.5)
- Width: B (standard)
Asics NovaBlast 3
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