Asics Novablast 5 Review After 200 Miles: The Comfort Shoe That Keeps Earning Its Spot

I came to the Novablast 5 from the Hoka Clifton 8, looking for something with similar cushioning but more modern foam technology. The Clifton had been my daily trainer for years, but after Hoka changed the newer versions in ways I didn’t love (more on that in my Hoka-to-Asics article), I started exploring what else was out there. The Novablast 5 was the first Asics shoe I tried, and it made an immediate impression.

First impressions

Some running shoes need a break-in period. The Novablast 5 doesn’t. I laced them up, stepped off the porch, and thought: oh, okay. These are nice. The FF Blast Max foam — Asics’ latest generation — has an immediately plush, cushioned feel that’s different from anything I’d run in before. Not firm and bouncy like a race shoe, not dead-soft like memory foam. Just this pillowy, even comfort that made my legs happy from step one.

The Oatmeal colorway is clean and understated — a cream-toned upper with the Asics tiger stripe in grey. It gets dirty faster than a darker shoe, but it looks good when it’s fresh.

How the ride changes

This is the most interesting thing about the Novablast 5 and something I haven’t seen discussed enough. For the first 75 miles or so, the shoe had a noticeable springy bounce — the foam had this lively, trampoline-like quality on every footstrike. I liked it. It made easy runs feel playful.

Somewhere after that, the character shifted. The bounce mellowed out and the ride became more of a deep, soft plush. Not dead — there’s still energy return — but the personality changed from “bouncy” to “cushiony.” At 200 miles now, it’s firmly in the plush camp, and honestly, I prefer it this way for the role this shoe plays in my rotation. When I reach for the Novablast 5, I’m looking for comfort, not speed. And in that role, it delivers.

Where it excels

Easy and recovery runs are where this shoe lives. After a hard workout or a long run in my Superblast 2s, lacing up the Novablast 5 the next day feels like a reward. The cushioning absorbs impact without any harshness, and the 8mm drop promotes a smooth, natural stride. I can run 5–8 easy miles and my legs feel better than when I started.

Long slow distance works too. The foam doesn’t bottom out even on 12+ mile runs at conversational pace, and the roomy toe box gives my feet space to swell without feeling cramped. The stack height (41.5mm at the heel) is generous without feeling unstable.

Where it doesn’t

If you’re looking for a shoe to do tempo runs or speed work, look elsewhere. The Novablast 5 is too soft for that — at faster paces, the cushioning works against you rather than propelling you forward. It’s a comfort shoe, not a performance shoe. I learned this the hard way by trying a tempo run in them early on. The Superblast 2 is what I reach for when the pace matters.

The outsole traction is also mediocre on wet pavement. The AHAR Lo rubber does fine on dry roads, but I’ve noticed some slippage in the rain. Not dangerous, but noticeable if you run in all conditions.

The verdict

The Sunny One says: The Novablast 5 does one thing better than almost any shoe I’ve run in: it makes easy runs feel easy. It’s not trying to be a race shoe, a tempo shoe, or even a versatile all-rounder. It’s a cushioned daily trainer built for comfort, and it’s excellent at that job. If you’re building a rotation and need a dedicated easy/recovery shoe, the Novablast 5 is hard to beat at $140.