I ran 35 miles in the Asics Novablast 5 — and it's a comfy running shoe with a smooth ride

The Asics Novablast 5 is an impressive daily trainer that offers a winning balance of comfort and speed. It feels as comfortable as premium cushioned running shoes like the Asics Gel-Nimbus 26 or New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v14 while being lighter and more affordable, and it’s one of the best running shoes for both beginners and experienced runners.

I’ve tested every generation of the Asics Novablast and the Novablast 5 is my favorite version of the shoe yet, with its new midsole foam and adjusted heel bevel creating a smoother, softer ride than the Novablast 4. However, it’s not a huge upgrade on the older shoe, so finding a deal on the Novablast 4 would be a better value approach.

In my Asics Novablast 5 review I’ll cover my testing and compare it to both its predecessor and rival daily trainers from other brands that I’ve tested, such as the Nike Pegasus 41 and Saucony Ride 17, and other Asics models like the Asics Superblast 2.

Asics Novablast 5 review: price and availability

The Asics Novablast 5 launched in November and costs $140 in the U.S. and £135 in the U.K., which is the same price as its predecessor. It’s good value compared with top cushioned models like the Asics Gel-Nimbus 26, which cost at least $160, and competes with other mid-range daily trainers like the Nike Pegasus 41 and Brooks Ghost 16.

Asics Novablast 5 review: design and fit

The Asics Novablast 5 is currently available in eight colors and a wide range of sizes, but at the moment only one color is available in a wide size, with the rest only being available in normal width.

The shoe has a roomy fit though so it will accommodate wider feet — I stuck to my normal running shoe size and the fit was good for me around the toes and I had secure hold at the heel.

Like the Novablast 4, the Novablast 5 has an 8mm drop and a stack height of 41.5mm at the heel and 33.5mm at the forefoot, which is in line with many max-cushioned shoes.

The Novablast 5 is lighter than most highly-cushioned shoes though — it’s 9.6oz in my men’s size 10, which is a similar weight to the Novablast 4.

Upper

Asics has updated the upper on the Novablast 5, which is made from a jacquard mesh material as opposed to the woven mesh on the Novablast 4. This change is designed to make the shoe a little more breathable, though in practice I didn’t notice much of a difference when wearing the Novablast 4 and Novablast 4 at the same time.

It is a comfortable and breathable upper though, and though it is a roomy upper that was a bit too spacious for my narrow foot in the toebox, I didn’t have any problems with the heel or midfoot lockdown when running in the shoe.

Midsole

The midsole on the Asics Novablast 5 is made from a foam called FF Blast Max Plus, which is a softer and lighter foam than the FF Blast Plus Eco material used on the Novablast 4. It’s still not a very squishy foam though, so the shoe is stable despite the high stack height.

It’s not the most responsive material either, and certainly less bouncy than the wild (and somewhat unstable) original Asics Novablast. The shoe has a mild rocker on the forefoot, and the heel bevel has been shortened to create a smoother ride than the Novablast 4, which I did notice as a heel-striker.

Outsole

Asics has also updated the outsole on the new Novablast, with a new version of its Ahar LO rubber that’s softer and designed to provide better grip.

I have found the grip to be good on wet and even slightly icy pavements while running in the winter, and the durability has been fine for me so far as well with no signs of wear and tear.

Asics Novablast 5 review: running performance

I wasn’t a huge fan of the first three generations of the Asics Novablast. The first version was fun but a bit unstable for me, the second lost the fun, and while I liked the Asics Novablast 3 more, it lost some of its bounce after a few runs.

The Asics Novablast 4 was a big improvement for me, thanks to the smoother rocker on the shoe, and while Asics has changed the upper, midsole and outsole on the Novablast 5, it has a similar overall ride for me, which is a good thing.

It has been improved slightly thanks to the reduced heel bevel, which makes it run more smoothly for me as a heel striker, and the new foam in the midsole is a tad softer without being unstable or mushy underfoot.

For such a cushioned and comfortable shoe, it’s also quite light and so you can use the Novablast 5 for faster runs reasonably well, though it’s not as versatile and speedy as a plated trainer like the Nike Zoom Fly 6 or Hoka Mach X2, or a lightweight plate free shoe like the Asics Superblast 2 or New Balance Rebel 4.

For me the Novablast 5 was at its best on easy and steady runs, and it’s great for long runs thanks to the soft cushioning and rockered ride, which helps to keep you ticking along when tired.

I wouldn’t view it as a racing shoe myself — I prefer to use one of the best carbon plate running shoes — but for a newer runner looking for a trainer to do it all, it would be a good option for training and races.

Should you buy the Asics Novablast 5?

The Asics Novablast 5 is a very good daily trainer that will work well as a do-it-all shoe or as part of a rotation with a faster shoe for workouts and racing.

It’s good value too, and in its band of shoes where it competes with the likes of the Hoka Clifton 9, Nike Pegasus 41 and Saucony Ride 17, it’s the shoe I’d recommend most highly. Unless you want a higher drop shoe, in which case the Puma Velocity Nitro 3 is a great daily trainer that’s also more affordable.

I also prefer it to the Asics Gel-NImbus 26, which is billed as the premium cushioned shoe in their range and more expensive than the Novablast 5, but I find the latter just as cushioned while being lighter and more versatile.

The Asics Superblast 2 would be a step in performance as it’s a lighter, more capable all-rounder shoe with lots of cushioning as well, but the Superblast is a lot more expensive than the Novablast 5.

If you can find a great deal on the Novablast 4, I would consider that instead as it’s also a good shoe that can handle the same kind of runs as the Novablast 5, and will appeal to the same kind of runners. I prefer the smoother ride on the Novablast 5 as a heel-striker myself, but it’s not a huge upgrade.