Discontinued · road · Daily · $110
High-drop budget Novablast cousin with a springy ride.
Built for daily, at a target pace of 7:30–10:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Asics Novablast 5.
Asics tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 33 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 12 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The rocker is moderate — enough curve to smooth the roll-through without dictating your footstrike. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.28 per mile at $110.
For the foams and plates Asics uses across its line, read the Asics brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
264 g / 9.3 oz
11 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
33 mm
3 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
12 mm
6 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$110
50 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Asics line it is lighter than the brand's median (268 g / 9.5 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
On Cloudgo
259 g / 9.1 oz · 30 mm · 11 mm drop · — · $130
Friendly entry point into On — soft, easy, comfortable.
Adidas Supernova Stride
280 g / 9.9 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $110
Entry Supernova with a simple, steady Dreamstrike ride.
Adidas Supernova Ease
285 g / 10.1 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $110
Flexible, forgiving entry daily for new runners and walkers.
Asics Versablast 4
260 g / 9.2 oz · 36 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $80
Asics Versablast 4: 36 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 288 g — specs from independent lab testing.