6 Best ASICS Running Shoes – From Daily Runs to Racing

1. ASICS Gel Nimbus 28 - Daily Trainer for Cushioned Easy/Recovery Runs

Also Available at
Zappos ; REI ; ASICS

The ASICS Gel Nimbus 28 sticks to its guns, delivering big, soft, highly cushioned comfort with a healthy dose of plusness and protection for the easier end of your weekly mileage. This is the shoe to choose for lower intensity efforts – those big base-building miles.

The Nimbus 28’s soft stack delivers a super-protective ride. If you’re looking for guaranteed, easy-cruising comfort in a highly cushioned, neutral daily trainer – that’s also a big mileage workhorse – this is one to consider. Provided you don’t mind bigger, heavier sneakers. Because even though it’s a little lighter, the Nimbus 28 remains a bit of a beast.

From the first step-in, it oozes plush comfort and solid security, with big, highly padded heel collars, tongues and wrapping mesh uppers that cocoon your foot without being cramped. Like sliding into the seat of a big saloon car.

There is a shade more sprightliness from the midsole that brings a bit more energy and fun but this is still best for low and slow cruising in protective comfort and it’s good at what it does. A good choice for anyone who tends to land heavier.

2. ASICS Gel Kayano 33 - Best Stability Shoe for Daily Miles

Also Available at
Zappos ; REI ; ASICS

ASICS made some important changes to its premium stability shoe, with a new dual-layer, dual foam set up and a new stability system. But the Gel Kayano 33 still serves up a reliable, supportive ride for those who need a little help.

A reliable workhorse stability sneaker, geared towards the easier miles, the Kayano 33 still shares some design DNA with the ASICS Gel Nimbus 28. And runners looking for some added stability would likely use it for the same kind of runs as the neutral cushioned option. 

The dual-layer, dual foam set up now uses a top layer of FF Blast Max for softness, response and comfort. That’s paired with FF Blast+ from the last-gen Kayano 32, sitting below to help cradle the foot and provide enhanced stability.

There’s also a new stability system ASICS calls Fliuidsupport that replaces the previous 4D Guidance System to provide forward guidance from heel strike to toe-off. But uses the geometry of the shoe rather than inserts to provide the natural guidance and stability. The result is a smoother and plusher running experience. 

People who liked the Kayano 32 may now find this new setup a bit less controlled. But there’s good inherent stability and reliability underfoot and the Kayano 33 has shuffled a teeny bit closer to the energy of regular daily trainers.

3. ASICS Novablast 6 – Best Value All Rounder

Also Available at
Zappos ; REI ; ASICS

The ASICS Novblast has always held its own as a more affordable, big-stack, versatile all-rounder that’s a pretty good tool for a marathon training block. More recently it dropped into the shade of the Superblast and Megablast. But it’s bounced back with a new midsole setup featuring a slab of higher-response FlyteFoam Turbo Squared foam – the same foam you’ll find in the Megablast – under the forefoot. 

That works alongside FlyteFoam Blast Max in a dual-foam system that brings more life to the toe offs and a more propulsive ride without losing the balance that made the Novablast 5 a reliable ride. The grip has also been upgraded with more reliable ASICSGRIP rubber.

The result is a daily trainer with ramped up bounce – cushion under the forefoot but plenty of spring out of those softer landings with a decent dose of energy. If you found the Novablast 5 a bit too bricky, or a bit tame, the softer, more responsive forefoot serves up some of the cushion you crave with a lot more fun and pop. 

The Novablast 6 delivers on its brief. A cushioned, energetic daily cruiser that’s serving up some excellent versatility. A useful weapon for a marathon training block and a good option for beginner runners who only want to splash out one pair of running shoes. 

4. ASICS Megablast – Best Workhorse Daily Trainer

Also Available at
 ASICS

The ASICS Megablast comes with a premium price tag that won’t suit all budgets. But then you’re investing in a sneaker that offers maximum versatility – a rotation-killer that can handle almost any run.

It combines racy uppers and heel package with a max stacked, light and punchy FF Turbo Squared supercritical midsole that’s excellent when you hit its sweet spot marathon pace but has the protection to cater for slow and easy and even a bit of top-pace potential – if you don’t mind doing pickups and intervals in a bigger sneaker.

The ride offers more pillowy softness and bounce than the ASICS Superblast 2 and is at its best when you’re running with intent, locking in your best form. Smooth, springy with an accommodating fit that suits big miles and long time on feet, it’s even got marathon race potential for runners who want energy when they’re moving well but also guaranteed protection if they’re not.

Overall, the Megablast is an excellent, energetic road eater built for cruising miles. It’s up there with the Adidas EVO SL as one of the best all rounders going, offering everything you need to train for – and race – a marathon.

5. ASICS Sonicblast – Best Trainer for Faster Intervals 

Also Available at
Zappos ; REI ; ASICS

The somewhat forgotten supertrainer in the Blast family, ASICS describes the Sonicblast as ‘built to boost your energy, especially during those fast-paced training sessions’. It’s a genuinely good, plated super trainer that’s fun, fast and easy to get comfortable in. It’s punchy, nimble and a bit snappier than the bouncier Megablast and Superblast 3. 

The dual-foam setup deploys a mix of FF BLAST MAX and FF TURBO SQUARED², for a happy balance of cushioning with pop that works well when you pick up speed.

The Pebax ASTROPLATE sitting between the foam layers also adds a shot of stiffness to inject some extra snap and propulsion into the proceedings. It’s heavier than the ASICS Megablast and not as bouncy, but I find it offers a snappier, more controlled ride that works well on both the track and tarmac. If you like a shoe with a quicker return and a rockered ride, it’s a great alternative to the Megablast and the now very soft Superblast 3. 

6. ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo - Best Carbon Plate Shoe for Racing up to the Marathon

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ASICS

The Metaspeed Edge Tokyo and its sibling Metaspeed Sky Tokyo are among the best carbon race shoes going. A great shoe to go chasing PRs. The Tokyo is designed specifically for cadence runners who turn their legs over fast, the Sky is built for runners who stride it out. 

The Edge’s dual foam set up combines a top layer of ASICS new lightweight and bouncy FF Leap foam (same as you’ll find in the super light Metaspeed Ray Tokyo) with a bottom layer of FF Blast Turbo Plus foam used in the Edge and Sky Paris

The Leap foam is soft, cushioned and compressive and saves a bit of weight. Sandwiched lower in the stack is a curved full length carbon plate that adds some welcome stiffness. 

The Edge Tokyo is light, smooth and efficient and the FF Leap turbo charges the energy return and brings some additional cushion. It’s softer than the Sky Tokyo – think more trampoline than slingshot. But it’s an effective race-day option that’ll handle everything from 5km to the marathon. 

My ASICS Shoe Rotation

Id’ usually choose three shoes in a rotation: one fast racer, one daily for tempo miles and one softer, more cushioned for recovery runs. But if I was picking my current ASICS shoe rotation, I’d probably pick just two shoes.

I’d select the ASICS Metsaspeed Edge Tokyo for racing and sparing use on my shortest, fastest training sessions – think track intervals. Then it’d be a toss up between the ASICS Megablast and the Novablast 6 for the rest of my weekly miles. But I’d probably save a few bucks and go for the cheaper Novablast.

That’s a massive complement to the versatility of the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo and the Novablast 6. For my style of running, both shoes offer enough all-round capability to cover everything outside of my fastest miles. From the easiest slowest runs up to my tempo efforts.