ASICS Novablast review – definitely a blast!

I am not an ASICS person. I do have a pair of ASICS gel shoes but they always felt little too flat and narrow and somewhat hard. I do most of my runs in New Balance 1080s which I totally love. Having said that, I did get intrigued when several of my running Insta-buddies (not all of whom were ASICS Frontrunners ;)) started posting exciting comments/pictures/reviews of this new racing shoe called Novablast.

So I had no choice but to try these babies on. I was so impressed that I walked out of the shop with a pair, although I did not really intend to buy them there and then. So what convinced me?

• Design

Being a female I just love pretty things and those shoes definitely look gorgeous! Discovering they have them in London edition was like finding a hidden treasure (apparently this version was introduced only recently and is currently not available online). And they come with two sets of shoelaces – red and blue so you can switch as you please. The red ones will go nicely with my running club’s vest!

• Price

£130 for the London version, otherwise £120. That’s a decent price for an excellent racing shoe, especially compared to Just Do It competitor… Besides, there is no need to pay full price. I got mine for £108 because I asked nicely 🙂 . Telling the shop assistant “Hmmm I’ll have to go home and think about it, unless you convince me to buy them now” works every time.

• They feel light

Okay, they are actually not the lightest shoes out there but they feel light. ASICS website says 261g for men’s and 221g for women’s shoe. I popped mine on a scale and it was 266g, but I wear size 8 which is quite large for a female (normally, I am 7.5 but when it comes to ASICS I always need a larger size). Still, my 266g shoe feels incredibly light. They are airy and extremely breathable to the point they don’t even feel like ASICS.

• They are fast!

As soon as I put them on in the shop, I felt the urge to run. As if they had a spell cast on them which whispers in your ear “run fast, run fast” and “PB PB PB”. I tested them for the first time today and took over 30 seconds off my 5K PB (which I set only 3 weeks ago!). I started with a warm up and suddenly found myself doing 06:30 min/mile which felt like jogging. They are definitely PB shoes. They are bouncy with a bit of trampoline effect and spring you forward which I was well aware all the way through my run. They felt absolutely incredible, energising and powerful.

Now what are the downsides? Apart from me being stupid enough to buy white shoes, I can’t see any negatives. Perhaps, the marmite element is their bounciness. They are higher than most running shoes and very bouncy which is something I personally like, but I can imagine it is not everyone’s cup of tea.

My overall verdict: Love love love! The fact that I took my 5K PB from 20:56 to 20:23 speaks for itself. They are fast and light and “force” you to give it your best. I am totally in love and will sleep cuddling them all night.

Finally some specs:

Type: Neutral

Heel drop: 10mm

Surface: Road

Weight: 266g for size 8

Cushion: maximum, foam midsole

Price: £120

Go give them a go! ASICS do a 90-day trial so you can get your money back if you (for a mysterious reason) hate them. Now can we start racing again pleaseee? 🙂