Shoe review: Asics Superblast

The Superblast is the newest addition to Asics’s Blast series. The Superblast is a high-quality trainer, designed for a tempo or long run. While the long run is, in my opinion, the shoe’s ideal purpose, it’s certainly a great shoe for an easy run, or even a race. This is the first iteration of the extremely bouncy, jack-of-all-trades trainer–it’s essentially a combination of the Novablast 3 and the Metaspeed Sky+ or Edge+.

Category: Neutral cushioning
Weight: 239 g for men’s size 9
Drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 45.5 mm
CAD$280

Upper

The upper is a cross between the Novablast and the Metaspeed; the tongue and collar have a touch of padding, so they fit tight to the ankle, without any rubbing or chafing–much like the Novablast. An upper should be so comfortable that you barely notice it’s there, and the Superblast achieves that perfectly. 

Meanwhile, the fabric of the upper is very light and breathable, as in the Metaspeed. I found the upper extremely comfortable, but my only note is that it fits a bit big, so consider going down a half size. 

Midsole

The midsole is a combination of foams. The Novablast, my favourite daily trainer, uses FF Blast foam and the Metaspeed uses FF Turbo–put them together, and you get the Superblast. The Turbo is in the front (for pop), and the Blast is in the back (for durability and stability). The shoe feels fantastic–it’s bouncy and light, but also feels substantial. This combo is what makes the Superblast so great for the long run. (There is no plate in this shoe.) 

While the shoe is a little more expensive than the Novablast, the Turbo foam and high-end touches up the ante. 

Fun fact: this shoe’s stack height (45.5 mm) puts you outside of the World Athletics rules for marathon racing–so if you’re trying to run a world record, leave this shoe at home, because it’s too tall. (But for anything else, go for it!)

Outsole

Much like the Novablast, the Superblast has a trampoline pod outsole, which means the areas that get the most wear are protected by the brand’s Ahar rubber. This makes for great grip on slippery Canadian winter runs, without added weight. (The rest is exposed midsole, but since these parts don’t contact the ground, they are unlikely to show much wear.) 

Final thoughts

This is a perfect long-run shoe. When you’re doing a sustained effort, this is the shoe you want. The Superblast is an ideal middle ground for someone training for a race and looking for a versatile shoe. It’s got pop, but it’s not quite as aggressive as a plated shoe, and will help to keep your legs fresh for the next day of training.