ASICS Novablast 3

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.7 oz · 8mm drop · 41/33mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The ASICS Novablast 4 replaced it

How it ranks

The ASICS Novablast 3 rates in the 99th percentile overall among daily trainers. Its strongest dimension is cushioning (99th percentile); its weakest is durability (69th). Of 31 runners who came to it from another shoe, 31 preferred it to what they ran before.

Based on 49 runner reviews.

ASICS Novablast 3

/ 5

Exceptional

Overall rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Exceptional (99/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 99% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

99/100
Overall

Overall rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Exceptional (99/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 99% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

99
Cushioning

Cushioning rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Exceptional (99/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 99% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

99
Value

Value rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Exceptional (98/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 98% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

98
Comfort

Comfort rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Exceptional (97/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 97% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

97
Appearance

Appearance rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Excellent (91/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 92% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

91
Durability

Durability rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Good (79/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 69% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

79

What runners say

“I have 800 miles on mine and they are still in good shape.”
5/5 Full review
“When you get this shoe out of the box, you can tell it's a very bouncy and energetic shoe.”
SupahSlowSub5 5/5 Full review
“At 304 miles, the exposed midsole in the forefoot is completely shredded.”
SupahSlowSub5 5/5 Full review
“The shoe lasts at least 500 miles with minimal loss of midsole integrity.”
Nate Tagg 4/5 Full review
“After 75 miles, I lost this bouncy feeling. I felt the foam compress more and not rebound as much.”
SupahSlowSub5 5/5 Full review
“It does not have great grip. It's not noticeable in summer with dry weather, but in winter with damp conditions you can feel some sliding on wet surfaces.”
Ovaltime 4/5 Full review
“The comfort is impeccable. It feels like you're running without shoes.”
Tina Eileen Muhs 5/5 Full review
“Light and fast enough for threshold/MP type workouts, but durable and cushioned enough for long runs and daily training.”
5/5 Full review
“Over 500 miles, foam still protects well and upper still in good condition.”
3/5 Full review
“I got 1000k out of them, which is great.”
5/5 Full review

Prefer this shoe over another

80% 36/45

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • A majority of reviewers like this shoe more than their last shoe.
  • Reviewers rate this shoe better than the Novablast 2.
  • One of the most popular shoes among LetsRun.com readers.
  • Rated among the top 5% of shoes overall.
  • Rated among the top 5% of shoes on comfort.

Cons

  • Complaints about traction in bad weather.
  • Rated below average on durability.

Reader Ratings

87 reader ratings
5/5
53
4/5
33
3/5
1
2/5
0
1/5
0

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 16–20 of 49 written reviews

one of the best trainers on the market

Anonymous runner · Dec 26, 2023

5/5

Overall

The Novablast 3s are a lightweight neutral daily trainer that can do it all.

For pros, they feature plenty of outsole foam, cushioned for long runs but not too mushy. The rocker provides enough snap for threshold efforts, tempos, or even longer track intervals. Additionally, the upper is roomy and durable—as I approach 100mi, the shoes have shown no signs of wear.

For cons, the 3s lack a heel loop and feature a longer tongue that isn’t as locked down as other ASICS offerings. However, these issues are very minor.

Overall, I am genuinely excited to lace these up for both long runs and workouts. At about $100 on sale, the Novablast 3s are a steal for their versatility.

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
5/5

Novablast 3

Tina Eileen Muhs · Dec 16, 2023

5/5

Overall

This shoe is hands down my favorite shoe of the year!! The cushioning is great for easy recovery runs. YET!! This shoe can also handle faster paces when needed. It can be used as a long run shoe as well. I fell in love with this shoe from the getgo!! I have a pair in my closet waiting for me as well.  The comfort is impeccable . It feels like you're running without shoes for lack of a better description . The colors are fun and vibrant also. This shoe is great for people recovering from injuries as well. I can't say enough about it!!

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Excellent All Around Trainer

ryanvanbuskirk · Dec 4, 2023

5/5

Overall

Any pace, any distance, great underfoot feel and responsive foam. Upper a bit tight in the toebox to start but should loosen over a few hundred miles.

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Good, gets the job done

Anonymous runner · Dec 3, 2023

4/5

Overall

Not mind blowing but a good all around shoe: could do tempos in it but also long runs which I appreciated. Sometimes not quite as cushioned as I would appreciate for very tired legs, but generally pretty good. Feels responsive and up for relatively fast stuff, but obviously not a true speed shoe.

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
4/5

Best Value for any Shoe on the Market

Anonymous runner · Nov 29, 2023

5/5

Overall

It’s a perfect daily trainer, handles long runs and medium long runs perfectly, is light and bouncy enough for workouts, rolls through the gait cycle well. couldn’t ask for more except potentially better grip on the outsole. the durability is only around 300 miles but that’s the price of such a light and bouncy foam, and you could probably push further if you needed to. overall, 9/10 shoe for me. 

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Where to buy

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Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

ASICS Novablast 3
ASICS Novablast 6
ASICS SUPERBLAST 2
Novablast 3
Novablast 6
SUPERBLAST 2
Current shoe
Choose a model
Best value
Newest
Lowest price / Best overall / Best comfort
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
8.7 oz M
—
—
Stack
41/33mm
—
—
Drop
8mm
—
7mm
Release
2022 Q3
2026 Newest
2024 Q2
MSRP
$140
—
$200
Best price
—
$154.95
$149.99 Lowest price
Ratings
Overall
Exceptional (99%)
Very good (84%)
Exceptional (>99%) Best overall
Comfort
Excellent (97%)
Good (71%)
Exceptional (99%) Best comfort
Cushioning
Exceptional (99%)
Very good (90%)
Exceptional (99%) Best cushioning
Durability
Above average (69%)
Below average (32%)
Exceptional (99%) Best durability
Appearance
Excellent (92%)
Bottom tier (10%)
Exceptional (97%) Best appearance
Value
Exceptional (98%) Best value
Above average (69%)
Very good (87%)
Specific shoe

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Where the ASICS Novablast 3 sits

The Novablast line

Compare every Novablast version

Reviewers came to it from

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