ASICS  Novablast 5 Road-Running Shoes - Men's

I purchased this running shoe for my treadmill and easy runs on campus. This shoe is light, cushioned, and feels great. The upper accommodates my wider-than-average foot, and the colorways are simple and eye-catching. The only issue with this shoe is the traction; it could be a little better, but it isn't the best for undesirable road conditions. The tongue is also very minimal, and while I think this is good for a shoe as versatile as the Novablast, I would enjoy a thicker tongue.

I wanted to like these shoes. They are highly regarded by running influencers and shoetubers. I enjoyed the softness and step in feel of the Novablast 4. However, I've found these shoes to have a very jarring, firm ride. The transition from midfoot to pushoff is very slappy. I got terrible shin splints. I returned these and am now rotating between the Endorphin Speed and Hyperion Max.

I’ve been using these for almost a year with consistent but relatively low mileage, rotating them 50/50 with the Adidas Adizero SL2 (which is slightly firmer). At first they felt very bouncy — almost too much. It even took me a few days to get used to walking in them. After a few runs the ride felt more natural. The initial bounce does reduce over time (as many people say), but they’re still very comfortable and well-cushioned for daily training. Outsole seems durable overall, but the rubber placement leaves some exposed foam between patches. If you’re not running on clean pavement, that foam can start to chip. Grip is good on dry asphalt but noticeably slippery on wet roads. The biggest downside is the upper. The toe box started developing holes on both shoes, even with moderate mileage. Under the same usage pattern, my SL2 still looks almost new. That’s disappointing for a daily trainer. Overall, very comfortable and fun to run in — but the weak toe box is the only thing stopping me from buying another pair unless they reinforce the upper.

VERY comfortable and true-to-size. I have wide feet and the toe box on the regular width fit perfectly. I use these for my daily running miles as well as for casual walking (theme parks, errands, etc.)

I always wear Asics and these are the worst I've ever had. I wasn't convinced when I bought them and should have purchased different ones. Here are the highlights: 1. The sole is squishy and doesn't provide enough support. It's like walking on a bosu half ball balance trainer. 2. These shoes are LOUD. When you're walking or running on pavement, the scraping noise of the soles on the asphalt can be heard a block away. It's hard to have a conversation when you're walking. 3. The shoelaces both broke after 4 months. 4. The sole of one shoe started separating after 6 months.

I don’t know what they have changed from the 4s to the 5s but it sure is disappointing. The 4s were the best shoes I’ve run in yet, and the 5s just don’t do it for me. The cushion/spring is nice, but whatever they’ve changed, they just aren’t the same. I am returning the 5s and ordered 2 more pairs of the 4s on sale while I can get them. Not looking forward to shoe hunting for something else once my 4s are toast.

I'm now over 150 miles on my Novablast 5s. At my easy going pace that I do well over half my running at they do really well and just feel like they're one with my feet. If you just need something for joy riding then these are great. My only gripe is that for me the 4s were good at that too but also had something to offer when I wanted to run with some tempo while these 5s do not.

I've been blessed with the ability to purchase over 30 shoes in the last 12 months since I want variety while I crank out 80 miles a week. The Novablast 5 is one of the best daily trainers, certainly the best ASICS daily trainer. It hits the Goldilocks level of softness with a good bounce response. Well done ASICS. I've had a few of your bad shoes but this makes up for it.

This is my first expensive running shoe and I really went back and forth about it for a long time. I’m really glad I went with the Novablasts. they felt a little wobbly in the store, but once I started running it never entered my mind again. highly recommend, even for beginning runners that are looking to run more often and increase those distances!

This is my second shoe that has this much cushioning. I've been running on LaSportiva trail shoes for years, but needed this extra padding to keep running in my 50's. I immediately was comfortable in these since I had raced in Asics for many years as well. The fit is perfect, the break-in time is nil, and the laces are infinitely adjustable, so very very comfortable on the top of my foot. I docked one star on this review because both shoes, on the inside, near the ball of my foot, started to rip, and on the tip of my right big toe, a hole appeared about 125 miles into the life of the shoe. Now, I ran these things on a gnarly trail in the Tetons, and I think that is when the ripping occurred, so these shoes, as many have said, can be a little fragile. But I ran 150 pain-free and injury-free miles on these shoes. I will gladly pay $1 per mile to stay fit and injury free. Hopefully, the second pair I've ordered last a little longer, and I'll be treating them a little more carefully.