ASICS Novablast 5 vs Saucony Ride 17 – The Best Reliable Ride?

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

The midsole stacks on the Novablast and Ride have moved apart. The ASICS Novablast 5 now has a much bigger wedge of midsole with 41.5mm in the heel and 33.5mm in the forefoot for an 8mm drop.

The Saucony Ride 17 now looks conservative by comparison with 35mm in the heel and 27mm forefoot also for an 8mm drop.

When it comes to weight, in our US 9.5 test shoe, the now lighter ASICS Novablast 5 tips the scales at a pretty impressive 8.9oz / 251g. The Saucony Ride 17 weighs 10.3oz or 293g.

On price, the RRP for both shoes is $140. Though you can find the Saucony Ride 17 in sales for a chunk less.

Design

The Novablast 5 packs a max-stack midsole from a new Flytefoam Blast Max foam that’s tuned to be softer but also deliver more bounce than the Novablast 4. There’s a large rocker to smooth the transitions and a reduced heel extension to cut the weight and improve the ride for heel strikers. 

The Saucony Ride 17 has a big but-not-max-stack of the livelier PWRRUN+ foam that we got first in some of Saucony’s faster shoes. There’s also Saucony’s familiar Speedroll rocker to encourage smooth shifts from heel to toe. The Saucony Ride 17 is starting to look more traditional, old school if you will, compared to the newest max-stack hulks.

Up top the Saucony Ride 17 has engineered mesh uppers, medium padded heel collars and a medium padded gusseted tongue. There’s also quite a stiff heel counter to boost the support and security and heel pulls for easy slip on.

The ASICS Novablast 5 now has a more premium Jacquard mesh that takes styling cues from the Superblast. The Novablast 5 heel collars are more padded than the Ride 17. You’ll notice that if you like the plushest of heel collars. The Novablast 5’s gusseted tongues are thinner though with a nicely wrapping design we’d usually find in faster training shoes.

Flip them over, and the Saucony Ride 17 outsole has a good covering of grip and durability in all the right places. The Novablast 5 outsole sticks to a relatively standard covering of ASICS AHAR Lo rubber. However, you’re still not getting the top-level grip of the AHAR Plus you find on the ASICS Superblast 2.

Fit

When it comes to fit I ran in a US 9.5, which is my regular size in both shoes. The fit on both is good and I found they both worked well true to size. I get good security and hold in all the key areas: heel and midfoot. With no slipping or rubber.

The Novablast 5 Is considerably roomier in the toe box but the Ride 17 offers ample wiggle room in the toe box, too. I like the airy fit of both shoes. Though some runners find the Novablast 5 a bit too spacious. If, like me, you’ve got quite wide feet, you might find the extra space is welcome, particularly in shoes you lace up for the longer miles.

Check Out My 5 Best ASICS Shoes Here

Performance

In testing I’ve run loads of miles in the Saucony Ride 17. It’s one of my go to shoes for my casual runs. I still use it a lot when I’m after reliable comfort and I’m not busy testing other shoes.

I’ve covered well north of 50 miles in the Novablast 5, including a full 4-hour solo marathon test.

I’ve used both shoes across the same range of paces and terrain, covering slow and easy long runs, right up to faster intervals and progression runs. As usual I’ve tested them mainly on the road but thrown in some light off-road excursions, too.

Check Out My 6 Best Saucony Shoes Here

I love the Saucony Ride 17. There’s excellent disappearing comfort and a really good ride that balances cushioned landings with rolling response and a bit of springy energy.

For me it’s one of those shoes that feels natural straight out of the box. It’s not totally effortless but it’s very easy for covering long miles, whether you’re moving slow and easy or pushing things slightly more uptempo. It’s not super soft or the most energetic but it’s consistent.

For me it’s one of those shoes that feels natural straight out of the box. It’s not totally effortless but it’s very easy for covering long miles, whether you’re moving slow and easy or pushing things slightly more uptempo. It’s not super soft or the most energetic but it’s consistent.

I’ve had runs where I’m full of energy, running in good form where the Novablast 5 has been brilliantly energetic. But on heavier legs, I sometimes found it soggy, like the shoe is working against you somewhat.

That was the case during a pretty heavy legged marathon test. But even then it delivered comfort and protection in a reliable ride that took care of my tired feet and legs right through those important final 6 miles of the 26.2.

My Verdict

You’ve got two very competent daily trainers here. I enjoy running in both and you can lace these shoes up for very similar runs. Like the New Balance 1080V14, they perform better from the easier end up towards marathon pace.

The major difference comes down to the ASICS Novablast 5 having a softer, more cushioned edge, thanks to the bigger stack. Some runners will prefer that softer ride, particularly at the easier end of things. You’re also saving a bit of weight with the Novablast 5, so it’s probably a shade more speed friendly.

However, I find the Saucony Ride 17 more consistent and a bit smoother. The lower-stack ride offers a bit more ground feel and there’s a bit more ease in the transitions from the Ride 17 rocker.

So if I was choosing one shoe, I’d probably choose the Saucony Ride 17. Not least because you can now pick it up on really good deals.

It’ll do the same job as the ASICS Novablast 5, just for a chunk less outlay.

That said, the ASICS Novablast 5 is a very good, versatile daily trainer and if you were looking for one shoe that could eat most of a marathon training block, it’s definitely worth considering.