ASICS Novablast 5 vs Novablast 4: Which Novablast should you buy?

[@tomyang714]

Asics made changes in Novablast 5 partially to better differentiate and accommodate Superblast. Novablast 4 was kinda like a mini Superblast.

[@napnap5094]

It’s produced as a daily trainer peeps and it’s bloody good a that! It is fast enough for 99% of the people watching this, get a grip.

[@simonkerr7128]

100% 🤣 That's why there's a superblast! Consider the Mizuno Neo Vistas for a speedier daily trainer too.

[@noahsmolsky4434]

Love the 5!! I am a smaller runner and for me the 5 is bouncy and fun. I personally don’t find it mushy and I don’t sink in it.

[@Pb44104]

The cool thing about the 4 was that if you are a heavy runner like over 200 lbs and pronate, you can enjoy some performance trainers without blowing them to shit in less than 100 miles or getting injured. They are like a stability shoe that closer to some of the top shoes and aren’t total flat bricks. I have had the 5 for a couple weeks 40 miles, the crushing of the inside heel is already starting for me, it took 200 miles for the 4 to have the same wear. Love the shoe and soft foam experience like the Nikes, just can’t be buying a new shoe every month unfortunately.

[@philipppuchner1115]

Have you tried the Puma Foreverrun Nitro and the Saucony Tempus 1/2 as a mild stability shoe? The Tempus has even the Race foam in it and shouldn't feel like a stability shoe. Also the Puma since both are mild stability shoes. For more: get the Asics Kayano 31 (or 30 on discount). GT2000: #9 good, #10 best, #11 wider and hard, #12 unrunable hard brick!, #13 i didn't put on but due to the shore hardness rating of the midsole it may be softer again, between #10 and #11 I believe. Look it up at runrepeat where they cut the shoes in half and measure everything.

[@philipppuchner1115]

Btw I also love my NB4TR and not really planning to get the NB5,since i got fatter again (92kg now) and fell in love recently with Puma (also stiffer shoes like NB4).

[@Pb44104]

@ I’ll have to check that out, I might go back to the 4 after the 5 but also get the tr they still sell it and it’s getting cheaper

[@simonchittenden9769]

I have the 5s. Favourite shoe I have ever run in.

[@Bradley_schaller]

I have two 4’s and enjoyed the hardness. I am absolutely in love with my more V5 and invincible 3 for everyday and recovery runs. I’ll likely skip on these 5’s solid video thanks!

[@rpmautopartsinc.7922]

Novablast are too firm and make my knee hurt, so Nike Invincible are way better, soft and bouncy

[@Bradley_schaller]

@ yea I like them for gym days and treadmill days because of hardness but yea I would never wear my 4’s on a street. Tbh Invincible 3 is my absolute number one shoe but I’m just so tired of the same aesthetic of it for over 4 years I stopped buying them. It’s the same look as invincible 1&2 and all the past 3’s

[@philipppuchner1115]

​@@rpmautopartsinc.7922the softer the foam, the more it tackles the knees and hips. Ditto heel striking: knees and hips. Forefoot striking: more on everything below the knee (shreds your calves at first). Says doctors of running and read it more than once someplace else, i can't remember unfortunately.

[@Decisions4u]

@@Bradley_schaller I had heel slippage issues with my Nike Invincible 3’s.

[@The090919900222]

The Novablast 4s really had to grow on me a bit to like them. I recently got back into my Novablast 3s and I realised what I was missing with the softer foam. I got much more response and turnover with the shoe. Im getting the 5s soon and if its back to a softer compound then it'll be really amazing

[@philipppuchner1115]

For me it was the opposite: got the NB4TR, then the NB2 and then NB3 - didn't like it, couldn't do anything well, was wobbly, no, sold it after 1 run. After that i ran again in NB4TR and it is so much better for me, it is like running on rails and i have a perfectly neutral gait... But 90, now 92kg🥲

[@nobujak]

It may sound crazy, but I still wear Novablast 2 at a gym for workouts (just not for running any more). Not that I love them; they just won't break at all.

[@Vincent98-v7m]

Nice review!

[@Decisions4u]

Own both, prefer the feel and ride of NB 5. For reference I weigh 191 lbs, use shoes for all day wear, HIIT workouts and short runs

[@STOPLY1NG]

Novablast 5 is just a softer version. I prefer the Novablast 4 because it's more versatile.

[@cencul9912]

I can't help but feel that the Novablast 4 is a bit slappy in terms of the heel-to-forefoot transition. Probably similar with the older Novablast series and a 5. Durability of the outsole isn’t great either

[@TischTosh]

Is this like the NB rebel v2 then? Im still running in these and after 2-300 miles, they're starting to lose their bounce. I'm tiny and like soft bouncy shoes😊😊😊

[@MrFrescocotone]

The 5 is waaay to soft, it saps all energirs, especially at slower pace. 4 is way better

[@philipppuchner1115]

How heavy are you? I fear the same with my 92kg/200lbs and loving my NB4TR and slighly stiffer shoes (Ghost Max 1, Puma VN3, Noosa Tri 14-16, GT2000-10, ...)

[@MrFrescocotone]

@philipppuchner1115 78kg. At slow pace the feel like molasses, sapping all efforts. NB4 are much more reactive at all paces

[@simonkerr7128]

Apart from weighing them, how come no one really touched on the lightness of the Novablast v5 when talking about the versatility of using it for faster runs. Being 10-15g lighter can make a big difference for picking your feet up quicker and reducing fatigue. Similar to the latest NB Rebel, which is also a great shoe.

[@amjm7]

I'm a fan of both iterations of the Novablast. Fascinated by the idea that the NB5 is no longer "versatile" and now exclusively "an easy run shoe". Let's say you're running a 21-25 minute 5K, I'm not so sure you'd be materially quicker in the 4 vs the 5? Neither really excel at top end speed work, both really comfy crusing around. Maybe I'm missing something?

[@garthcox4307]

4 all the way for me. However I won't be buying a second pair of 4s as I have the mach 6 too.

[@aminrosli9744]

I really want hoka mach 6 (but it’s expensive in my country). How does it compare to nb4?

[@garthcox4307]

@aminrosli9744 I'd say that they feel faster than the nb4 at the top end but also versatile enough for easy runs too.

[@jackiebigelow3274]

I love the Hoka Mach 6. Fit is totally different from the NB4.

[@jackiebigelow3274]

I did not find that these shoes were alike in any way. I returned the NB5 as the toe box was too roomy for me. The NB4 fit me well.

[@sebastianep]

I am extremely impressed with the Mach 6. Sooo much better than NB. Much more nimble but still soft and bouncy.

[@soltour87]

Novablast 4 was such a popular shoe. Just keep it the same but improve the upper

[@wah7788]

NB4 LE with jacquard mesh

[@philipppuchner1115]

​@@wah7788thanks for the tip 👍

[@andrewstorm8240]

Do I wait for the TR version as grip in NB5 is soft

[@Aron-t6m]

I always only buy the TR version of the NB

[@philipppuchner1115]

​@@Aron-t6mRight! If there is a TR version, there is no reason for the nonTR version to exist. +15g doesn't matter!

[@Aron-t6m]

@@philipppuchner1115 I have bought NB3 first without TR and it was slippery like hell and the outsole doesn't hold well after around 110 miles. The TR version from NB4 i have over 200 miles, still has plenty of life left and also use these on forest gravel paths.

[@kamilpioro9192]

Asics Novablast 5 or Saucony Ride 17 ?

[@imfanuvsport]

Im thinking the same!

[@imankomeil9993]

Did you have any problems with Novablast 5 in wet places? Is version 5 slippery?

[@Adriansyah1995]

Yep

[@imankomeil9993]

@Adriansyah1995 To what extent is it? Can it be ignored?

[@Larsschmidt14]

@@imankomeil9993 Same as four. See ben parks - the got some clips in his reviews about how slippery they are.

[@01nedend]

@@imankomeil9993it’s not insubstantial but I haven’t felt like I’m going to fall. I have slowed through turns though when it looks wet, psyched me out but I’m not sure it’s anything more than that.

[@ChrissyC2021]

Asics missing a trick not making 43. A lot of people between sizes. 42.5 too small and 43.5 too big.

[@philipppuchner1115]

There is no trick. It is simply a size conversion. A half US/UK size is more (larger) than a half EU size. Therefore there are rounding errors. For a specific size spectrum there are more EU half sizes than UK half sizes. So, for every US/UK size, there is a EU size, but for every EU size, there isn't a US/UK size every single time! UK 10 is EU 44,5 - For UK10.5 gets rounded down to EU 45 and the next size, UK 11 gets rounded up to EU 46. UK 11.5 is then 46,5. There is no EU 45,5? Doesn't matter because the shoes are produced in US/UK half sizes. When produced in EU half sizes, there are more different sizes for the company to produce (which is why most prefer US/UK halfsizes), it happens that 2 different (EU) sizes get the same US/UK size number! Every two full sizes or so there is the rounding error or the double used US/UK number. For example, the Italian brands La Sportiva and Scarpa produce in EU half sizes. If people who just look at US/UK sizes buy 2 times the same US/UK size, may end up with 2 different sized shoes (other EU half size!). That's why we more or less look at the mm, because every 5mm or so there is a new size - although the mm to real shoe inlay size and conversion chart differs from company to company

[@ChrissyC2021]

@philipppuchner1115 cheers for the explanation. It's just annoying that other brands throughout the sports shoe world can do size 43 but asic can't. Puma, Nike, Adidas seem to have 0 problem. Literally bought 2 Novablast 4s the other week in the sale. 42.5 and 43.5 and neither was a good fit. 42.5 too snug and 43.5 to wide and long.

[@Decisions4u]

What is better New Balance SC Trainer v3 or the Nike Zoomfly 6 (disregard price difference)?

[@philipppuchner1115]

Very different shoe! As far as i understand the SC Trainer v3 is a long run machine, so a Superblast contender, whereas the Zoomfly 6 is very versatile and can considered to be somewhat of an uptempo daily trainer with a plate and therefore a "supershoe"?

[@Decisions4u]

@@philipppuchner1115 Thats odd, Run Testers (Nick) just completed and posted a KZbin video comparison on the Nike Zoomfly 6 vs the Asics Superblast 2 and chose the Zoomfly 6! The Superblast 2 and New Balance SC Trainer v3 are often compared against each other. I am guessing there are others that wanted to know. Since Nick of Run Testers chose the Superblast 2, that answers my question on the Zoomfly 6 vs NB SC Trainer v3, since he already compared those two shoes.

[@tombola4046]

Love all the keyboard reviewers jumping on the bandwagon that probably don’t even own a pair let alone tried them! 😂

[@garthcox4307]

@tombola4046 but people can't buy every shoe so have to take a view from the reviews they trust. To me it sounds nimbus lite which isn't for me. Everyone likes different things which is why there are so many shoes

[@Pb44104]

I have both and I have 40miles in the five as a beginner runner, not that wild someone can own two $140 shoes and they are available in stores everywhere

[@fiddler8595]

I still have the novablast 3. I hear the 4 is more firm than the 3. Is the 5 similar to the 3? Thank you

[@alankwok3726]

If you like the 3 then you will not like the 4. Cannot stand the 4, very bricklike.

[@NickGrobler81]

I loved the v3, however I came to dislike the heel counter and lack of stability. It irritated my achilles a bit too. I felt it got lost in the shoe rotation - it was neither a recovery, decent daily nor up tempo. However v5 is softer, has a superior heel counter and provides more width for stability. It’s now a fabulous easy/ daily trainer.

[@philipppuchner1115]

​@@alankwok3726I like my 4TR best my far of all NB from 2 to 4. Never seen the 1 and haven't tried the 5 yet. For my liking and weight the firmer shoes (not the brick hard ones!) are much better, because this soft crap made for 50kg children just saps all the energy and your legs are destroyed after a proper run. I love my NB4 TR and now discovered the Puma Velocity Nitro 3 GTx, in which i ran for the second time today. Man, that Puma Nitro foam feels so good to me, really surprised! 😀

[@jonanobeso23]

Hi! Im searching for a pair of shoes for my threshold and tempo runs at about 3.40’ - 4’ per km. Preferably with a smooth plate or without plate and good cushioning. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

[@davidtaylor3]

I’d probably go with the Hoka Mach X2 or Asics Superblast 2, but there are plenty of shoes in the super trainer category to choose from.

[@simonkerr7128]

I tempo in the Mizuno Neo Vista and I love it. High stack yet bouncy and a smooth rocker with a plastic plate. Also second Dave's Superblast suggestion! (I tried them but didn't need them with the above shoe)

[@jonanobeso23]

@@davidtaylor3 thanks David!

[@jonanobeso23]

@@simonkerr7128 thanks simon!

[@martinmcgrath1985]

Why change a winning formula so much? I don’t understand that

[@xdd543]

Cant be selling the same shoe every year

[@martinmcgrath1985]

@ I know that but I think change the failings of it not the entire shoe

[@danielzayt6678]

one word: Superblast

[@martinweston8147]

@@danielzayt6678only makes sense if you can actually buy a pair of Superblasts, I’ve seen KZbin reviews of them but never seen a pair in stock on a UK website

[@MrJermson]

You can buy a few more pairs of NB4 @ a discount now!

[@buntyboomboom2978]

I had the 4 and felt like a brick, especially as a heel striker

[@charliechurcher930]

The 4 was terrible for me. Sold it after 50km

[@Aron-t6m]

The 5 feels mushy like a recovery shoe

[@GaryJahman]

I just bought the 3 for dirt cheap 😂

[@AngellicAkima]

Love the 3!

[@amandahager2039]

I loved the Novablast 3. I didn’t like the 4 or 5.

[@didiervanrompaey]

How fricking hard is it to find a shoe these days.... And when you think you found one they are out of stock.

[@soltour87]

I don’t bother buying brand new shoes when they first come out. Way too much hype on what are usually average shoes. I wait until the dust has settled and you can usually get some discounts

[@phehibs]

Great advice ​@@soltour87

[@JDeezle21]

Deadpool colorway ❤