Asics Superblast 2 Review: The Super Trainer That Won Me Over

I’ll start with the thing that almost made me return these: the Superblast 2 felt stiff. Coming from years of soft, cushioned Hoka Cliftons and a Novablast 5 that felt like running on a cloud, my first run in the Superblast 2 was jarring. The midsole was firm. Almost rigid. I remember thinking, “people are paying $200 for this?”

I stuck with it. And somewhere around mile 20 or 30, something clicked. The firmness isn’t a flaw — it’s the point. This shoe doesn’t absorb your energy the way a plush trainer does. It stores it and gives it back. The FF Turbo Plus foam is designed to return energy on each footstrike, and once you stop expecting softness and start expecting propulsion, the ride makes complete sense.

The super trainer concept

The Superblast 2 sits in a category called “super trainers” — shoes that bridge the gap between daily trainers and carbon-plated race shoes. They’re built for runners who want race-day performance in a shoe they can also train in. No carbon plate in this one, but the FF Turbo Plus foam (the same compound used in Asics’ elite Metaspeed racers) gives it a responsiveness that regular daily trainers can’t match.

Think of it this way: the Novablast 5 is for the runs where I want comfort. The Superblast 2 is for the runs where I want to go.

On the road

At tempo and long-run paces, the Superblast 2 is outstanding. The energy return is real — there’s a snap to each stride that propels you forward, especially once you’re warmed up and moving with purpose. The 8mm drop and stiff platform create an efficient ride that rewards faster turnover. I’ve done half marathon distance training runs in these and felt strong through the final miles in a way that my other shoes don’t deliver.

For easy runs, I reach for the Novablast 5 instead. The Superblast 2 can do easy miles, but it doesn’t want to. It’s like driving a sports car in a school zone — technically fine, but you’re not using it for what it’s built for.

Buying it twice

After 100 miles, the blue pair still has plenty of life left. So why did I buy a second one? Partly because I want a fresh pair for race day — I plan to run my next half marathon and eventually a full marathon in these, and I want a pair with zero mileage for that. And partly because at $200, these will likely sell out or be discontinued when the Superblast 3 fully takes over. I’d rather have a backup than scramble to find the right shoe later.

The Edo Purple colorway is also just gorgeous. The lavender upper with coral-pink sole is one of the best-looking running shoes I’ve seen.

Superblast 2 vs. Novablast 5

Since I own both, this comes up a lot. They’re very different shoes despite both being Asics.

	Superblast 2	Novablast 5
Price	~$200	$140
Ride feel	Firm, responsive, propulsive	Soft, plush, cushioned
Best for	Long runs, tempo, racing	Easy runs, recovery
Break-in	Needs 20–30 miles to click	Comfortable from step one
Energy return	High — snappy and propulsive	Moderate — bouncy early, plush later

They’re not competing with each other — they’re complementary. Together they cover almost every type of run.

The verdict

The Sunny One says: The Superblast 2 is the best running shoe I own. Not the most comfortable (that’s the Novablast), not the most versatile (that’s the Pegasus), but the best for actually running — the shoe that makes me faster and makes long runs feel achievable. If you’re training for a half or full marathon and want one shoe that handles both training and race day, this is it. Give it 30 miles before you judge it. I almost gave up on it too early, and it turned out to be the shoe I liked enough to buy twice.