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.
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.
Confidence
99 Very high
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.
“I have 800 miles on mine and they are still in good shape.”
“When you get this shoe out of the box, you can tell it's a very bouncy and energetic shoe.”
“At 304 miles, the exposed midsole in the forefoot is completely shredded.”
“The shoe lasts at least 500 miles with minimal loss of midsole integrity.”
“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.”
“After 75 miles, I lost this bouncy feeling. I felt the foam compress more and not rebound as much.”
“The comfort is impeccable. It feels like you're running without shoes.”
“Light and fast enough for threshold/MP type workouts, but durable and cushioned enough for long runs and daily training.”
“Over 500 miles, foam still protects well and upper still in good condition.”
“I got 1000k out of them, which is great.”
“The Novablast 3 combines cushion with responsiveness in a lightweight shoe that provides a great bounce straight out of the box.”
“The outsole is almost perfect. It's very durable and I haven't noticed any grip issues on trails and wet surfaces.”
“The upper is roomy and durable—at 100 miles, the shoes have shown no signs of wear.”
“By 300 miles, the cushion responsiveness is drastically reduced.”
“I feel like I have to put more effort into my stride and more force into the ground after the 75 mile mark.”
“The midsole is a bit underwhelming—still comfy with some pop, but lacks the responsiveness of the previous model.”
“A signature feature is its trampoline-like decoupled groove.”
“Got a little less than 400 miles on each pair before the upper developed holes.”
“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.”
“I feel unsure every time I take a turn because I feel my foot move in the foot bed.”
“Upper a bit tight in the toebox to start but should loosen over a few hundred miles.”
“Not a ton of ground feel, so I'll probably mix these in with using less plush trainers.”
“Slightly more volume toe-box so had to size down .5.”
“I did go a half size down.”
80% 36/45
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Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Better Shoes Rating
Each dot is one version of the Novablast, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Release year
2026 · 5 reviews
89 Good
73 Confidence
2025 · 19 reviews
98 Exceptional
89 Confidence
2023 · 47 reviews
98 Exceptional
96 Confidence
Novablast 3 This shoe
2022 · 88 reviews
98 Exceptional
99 Confidence
2021 · 7 reviews
75 Decent
85 Confidence
2020 · 5 reviews
80 Good
78 Confidence
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
5/5
Overall
I love these shoes. I made them my long run shoes because I used to get numb toes on longer runs but never in these. I haven’t had them too long so can’t say too much about durability, but they are great training shoes especially for longer distances
[email protected] · Jan 9, 2024
20 mpw training for 5K and 10K
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.
Anonymous runner · Dec 26, 2023
40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 25
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!!
Tina Eileen Muhs · Dec 16, 2023
training for a marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 25
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.
ryanvanbuskirk · Dec 4, 2023
60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run 3
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.
Anonymous runner · Dec 3, 2023
50 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Saucony Kinvara 14
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