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Buyer's Guide

ASICS Novablast 5 Review & Sizing Guide

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Buy Novablast 5 as a do-it-all daily trainer with playful bounce and broad pace versatility for do-it-all shoes you should look at: ASICS Novablast 5; skip it if you want maximum stack height or a firm stable platform — Superblast 2 or Vomero 18 fit those briefs better.

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Key facts

Use case
Daily mileage, easy runs, light tempo; soft enough for recovery, lively enough for pickups.
Ride
FF Blast Max midsole, no plate, lower and more playful than Superblast 2.
Fit
True to size; standard ASICS last with reasonable toe room.
Versatility
An elite-rotation racer used it as daily trainer alongside Superblast 2 long-run shoe <ref id="c3">current rotation: daily - Novablast 5, long - Superblast 2</ref>.
Value
$140 retail, often £109 on UK SportsDirect and similar US sale prices.
Colorways
Heavy seasonal colorway drops including LA Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, and ASICS Track Club editions.

Full breakdown

ASICS Novablast 5 is the soft, bouncy, do-it-all daily trainer in the ASICS lineup — lower stack than Superblast 2, more playful than Vomero 18, and the shoe owners reach for when they want versatility. A Canadian winter HM runner used Novablast 5 for his first half marathon and listed it as a one-shoe rotation candidate alongside Vomero+ and Endorphin Speed for do-it-all shoes you should look at: ASICS Novablast 5, Puma Velocity Nitro, Saucony Endorphin Speed 4/5, and Hoka Mach. Buy it for a fun, soft daily trainer with real pace range.

FAQ

How does Novablast 5 fit and size compared to other ASICS?

True to size in the standard ASICS last. The Vomero 18 vs Novablast 5 winter reviewer wore a size 11 in both after his foot grew and called the Novablast comfortable as his daily without needing a wide width Novablast 5 first HM, 2:16 finish. Buy your normal ASICS size; if you have wide feet, ASICS offers width options on some colorways.

Is Novablast 5 versatile enough as a one-shoe rotation?

Yes for most runners — it covers easy, daily, and tempo paces well, and owners consistently include it in shortlists of true do-it-all daily trainers. The Vomero 18 reviewer explicitly recommended Novablast 5 in the do-it-all rotation alongside Puma Velocity Nitro, Endorphin Speed 4/5, and Hoka Mach for do-it-all shoes you should look at... ASICS Novablast 5. If you want one shoe that handles 80% of your weekly miles comfortably, this is a strong buy.

Novablast 5 vs Superblast 2 — which one for daily training?

Novablast 5 for daily, Superblast 2 for long runs and steady aerobic work. A 6'2 85kg marathon runner posted his actual rotation as Novablast 5 for daily and Superblast 2 for long runs daily - Novablast 5, long - Superblast 2, recovery/easy - Puma mag max, which is the consensus split: Nova for fun bouncy daily miles, Superblast for steady high-stack long runs. Choose Nova if you want one shoe; add SB2 later for the long-run slot.

What is a good sale price for Novablast 5?

Retail is $140-150; sales drop below $110 in the UK and around $90-105 in the US once the next-generation Novablast leaks. SportsDirect listed Novablast 5 at £109 with size 12 available UK Asics Novablast 5 £109 @ Sportsdirect. Wait for the seasonal turnover and the new ASICS Track Club / city marathon colorways to discount the regular stock.

Are the LA Marathon / Tokyo Marathon colorways worth the premium?

Only if you are a collector or running the actual race — performance is identical to the standard Novablast 5. The LA Marathon Mojave/Amethyst was ASICS marketing for the March 2026 race with a city-tone palette and LA heel print inspired by the city of Los Angeles, designed with a vibrant color palette that's reminiscent of the city's tones at golden hour. Skip the markup if you just want the shoe; buy the standard colorway on sale.