Asics officially unveiled a pair a two new entries in its Blast family — the Sonicblast and Megablast — on Wednesday which join their familiar Novablast and Superblast siblings as part of the company’s focus on noticeably responsive trainers that simply offer more bounce on the run.
And with a lineup loaded with four choices for runners looking to stack their weekly shoe rotations, Asics is hoping that the entire Blast family is not only considered, but are cemented as mainstays in a crammed landscape of stacked trainers that simply feel good, plush and light.
The Novablast is on its fifth iteration while the Superblast is two generations old and have both solid reputations that make it easy for the Sonicblast and Megablast to build on the existing Blast family’s co-signs. The new shoes promise something different (and springy) as they hope to earn their stripes in this first tour of duty.
OVERVIEW
Asics has thankfully taken the guesswork out of where the shoes in the Blast roster should slot in a typical lineup, with a basic chart breakdown that shows that all roads lead to varying levels of bounce (with Novablast, Sonicblast, Superblast and Megablast listed in order of purpose).
The Sonicblast slots just above the Novablast and arrives as a daily trainer with speed on the agenda. With no predecessor to compare it to, the Novablast is a likely benchmark. Yet, the Sonicblast brings its own formula to the table as a sandwich of FF Blast Max and FF Turbo Squared foam are what you’ll feel in each step. A flexible Pebax plate — not carbon — completes the package that Asics promises is among its lightest materials.
The woven upper will feel familiar and is joined by a flat tongue and heel collar that isn’t too beefed up. Asics says the Sonicblast will weigh 256g (just over 9 ounces) in a men’s size 9, sits high with a 46mm stack in the heel with 38mm up front (8mm drop), rides on the Asicsgrip outsole that the Superblast and Megablast have (and not the Novablast) while tapping the wallet for $180 in order to pull it from the store shelf.
The Megablast sits atop the four-shoe lineup and crams all of the effort of the Blast family in a model that is lighter than its siblings, has no plate, rides on a meaty 45mm stack (37mm in the forefoot with a 8mm drop) and benefits from the lessons of refinement learned via the Superblast and Novablast.
At $225, the Megablast inches toward race-day shoe prices and despite a promising list of features, cheaper alternatives already exist and it might be a challenge prying customers away from rivals — and the Superblast, an in-house favorite.
The Megablast rides solely on a FF Turbo Squared midsole that Asics notes is for “ultra bounce” and is the company’s “most energetic cushioning yet.” Price aside, the Megablast finds itself beating the pavement against names like the Nike Vomero Plus, Brooks Glycerin Max, HOKA Bondi 9 — with the established New Balance SC Trainer v3 lurking around as a reminder that a stacked, light rider is much snappier with a carbon plate along for the ride.
Meanwhile the Megablast gets an engineered mesh upper to stick with the theme of being light across the board but doesn’t skip out on the bulk where it matters, like the generously padded heel area.
IMPRESSIONS
The Sonicblast gives Asics its plated contender that can hang in the arena with a similar model, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5. The details in the complete Sonicblast package is proof that Asics just isn’t using the Blast “family name” to make a pair of new shoes appear at premium prices while serving mashups of the best components of the Novablast and Superblast.
As the king of the Blast empire, the Megablast knows it must deliver well beyond the spec sheet and brings plenty to the table — even if it comes at a hefty price premium. But as the cost of entry in the shoe world increases, so does the overall value and Asics is banking on the Blast foursome to offer a complete assortment that keeps runners in their ecosystem. It’s a strategy that is competent enough to work and Asics is likely more than happy to reel in buyers at the higher end of its roster or through “cheaper” avenues like its now-entry level point in the Blast crew, the Novablast.
The Asics Sonicblast ($180) and Megaablast ($225) will be available on Asics.com on September 1.
