ASICS Novablast 3

Name: ASICS Novablast 3
Brand: ASICS
Rating: 4.6 (50 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.9 oz · 41/33mm stack · 8mm drop

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

How it ranks

The ASICS Novablast 3 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and value are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. Most runners who compared it with another shoe preferred it. The rating is based on 88 runner reviews and 5 other rated shoes in the Novablast product line.

Exceptional

Overall

Exceptional 98

Value

Excellent 96

Cushioning

Excellent 95

Comfort

Very good 90

Appearance

Good 89

Durability

Good 80

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

99 Very high

Very high 99

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Our ratings
Product line track record
External ratings

What runners say

“I have 800 miles on mine and they are still in good shape.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

“When you get this shoe out of the box, you can tell it's a very bouncy and energetic shoe.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS Novablast 2

“At 304 miles, the exposed midsole in the forefoot is completely shredded.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS Novablast 2

“The shoe lasts at least 500 miles with minimal loss of midsole integrity.”

4/5 Full review 52 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run

“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.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23

“After 75 miles, I lost this bouncy feeling. I felt the foam compress more and not rebound as much.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS Novablast 2

“The comfort is impeccable. It feels like you're running without shoes.”

5/5 Full review training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 25

“Light and fast enough for threshold/MP type workouts, but durable and cushioned enough for long runs and daily training.”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the PUMA Velocity NITRO 2

“Over 500 miles, foam still protects well and upper still in good condition.”

3/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 24

“I got 1000k out of them, which is great.”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS EvoRide 3

“The Novablast 3 combines cushion with responsiveness in a lightweight shoe that provides a great bounce straight out of the box.”

5/5 Full review 90 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39

“The outsole is almost perfect. It's very durable and I haven't noticed any grip issues on trails and wet surfaces.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS Novablast 2

“The upper is roomy and durable—at 100 miles, the shoes have shown no signs of wear.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 25

“By 300 miles, the cushion responsiveness is drastically reduced.”

4/5 Full review 15 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Rincon 3

“I feel like I have to put more effort into my stride and more force into the ground after the 75 mile mark.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS Novablast 2

“The midsole is a bit underwhelming—still comfy with some pop, but lacks the responsiveness of the previous model.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a marathon

“A signature feature is its trampoline-like decoupled groove.”

4/5 Full review 52 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run

“Got a little less than 400 miles on each pair before the upper developed holes.”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the On Cloudrunner 2

“Bouncy, but not very stable. Ankles get a real workout.”

3/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 24

“Cadence becomes slower and ground contact time increases. Not good for paces faster than easy.”

3/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 24

“I feel unsure every time I take a turn because I feel my foot move in the foot bed.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS Novablast 2

“Upper a bit tight in the toebox to start but should loosen over a few hundred miles.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run 3

“Not a ton of ground feel, so I'll probably mix these in with using less plush trainers.”

4/5 Full review 15 mpw training for 5K and 10K

“Slightly more volume toe-box so had to size down .5.”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Arahi 6

“I did go a half size down.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Brooks Ghost 15

Prefer this shoe over another

80% 36/45

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers find it bouncy and versatile, from easy runs to tempo work.
A 41mm heel stack at 8.7 oz, light for the cushioning.
Reviewers repeatedly call it the best value among daily trainers.

Cons

Many reviewers report slipping on wet roads and on tracks.
Reports on lifespan split widely, from one reviewer at about 300 miles to others past 500, and the exposed foam outsole is the first thing to wear.
Three reviewers call it clunky and unsteady through corners.

Novablast 3 rates 98. This shoe has very high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the ASICS Novablast

Each dot is one version of the Novablast, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

80 2020 75 2021 98 2022 98 2023 98 2025 89 2026

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Novablast 6

2026 · 5 reviews

89 Good

73 Confidence
Novablast 5

2025 · 19 reviews

98 Exceptional

89 Confidence
Novablast 4

2023 · 47 reviews

98 Exceptional

96 Confidence
Novablast 3 This shoe

2022 · 88 reviews

98 Exceptional

99 Confidence
Novablast 2

2021 · 7 reviews

75 Decent

85 Confidence
Novablast 1

2020 · 5 reviews

80 Good

78 Confidence

Runner Ratings

88 ratings

5/5 54

4/5 33

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.9 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 9.8 oz · Women's 8.0 oz
Release: 2022 Q3
MSRP: $140
Stack: 41/33mm
Drop: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Great shoe, durability only area for improvement

4/5

Overall

At first I was blown away by the responsivenss of the novablast 3s. The build feels sturdy, the trainer as a whole feels fairly light (not the lightest, but certainly not so heavy as to be noticeably an issue in stride). But the bounce is remarkable. I was looking for an affordable alternative to a carbon shoe and this fits the bill.

My only area for improvement really would be the longevity of the cushioning. For context I am a heavier runner; 183cm 100kgs. I have found that by 300 miles the cushion responsiveness is drastically reduced.

Anonymous runner · Jul 26, 2024

15 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Rincon 3

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 3/5
Value: 4/5

Novablast are a blast

5/5

Overall

These shoes are great. Soft and bouncy. Good for many miles. And they last. I have 800 miles on mine and they are still in good shape. As many have mentioned, the grip could be better, but I run in Portland OR where it is rainy, and I have never had a real problem.

Anonymous runner · Jul 25, 2024

25 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the HOKA Clifton 8

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

5/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jul 25, 2024

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

Novablast 3

3/5

Overall

Durable. Over 500 miles, foam still protects well and upper still in good condition. Wet traction is terrible. Bouncy, but not very stable. Ankles get a real workout. Cadence becomes slower and ground contact time increases. Not good for paces faster than easy. OK for long runs at easy pace, but the instability causes ankle fatigue. Listed as 8mm drop, but feels much higher. Foam protects against impact on concrete, but that's about all. Stick with the superblast.

Anonymous runner · Jun 20, 2024

20 mpw training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 24

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 2/5
Value: 3/5

My New favorite all-around trainer

5/5

Overall

This is my goto shoe; treadmill, road, trails, long runs and recovery days. Everything except speed work. Incredibly light, incredible cushioning, seems to last forever. I feel less beat up after hard workouts, I love this shoe. Last year's model, but I have two pairs.

Anonymous runner · Jun 15, 2024

40 mpw training for a marathon

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

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ASICS Novablast 3

Exceptional