Scored on 145 verified owner verdicts, from 2,114 comments read across 5 communities
TL;DR
Owners love how soft, bouncy, and comfortable the Novablast 5 feels fresh out of the box, and most call it a versatile daily trainer with a roomy toe box for the price. The big recurring gripe is durability: the midsole bounce dies early for many runners, often between 100 and 300km, after which it feels flat and lifeless. A sizable group also reports forefoot or arch pain they blame on the front pod, and several note slippery grip on wet pavement and a loud, slappy ride.
41% of 145 verified owners recommend the ASICS Novablast 5, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
2,114 comments reviewed · scored on the 145 clearest verdicts
41%
Recommend
60 owners
26%
Neutral
37 owners
33%
Don't recommend
48 owners
Last 6 months:33% recommend(15 recent verdicts)→ holding steady vs older reviews
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
41%
142
Other forums
50%
2
Independent blogsiIndependent blogs with no affiliate links or paid relationship — we checked every one.no affiliate links
100%
1
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiOrdinary owner comments (not the reviewer), but here they sit too far from the owner consensus on Reddit and forums — channel comment sections can skew heavily positive or negative by trend — so they're shown for perspective and kept out of the score.owner comments
63%
102
Affiliate blogsiThese blogs earn a commission when you buy. Across our data they rate products ~35 points more positively than actual owners — shown for transparency, never counted in the score.paid commission
100%
1
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
—
5
Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 41%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
What owners like
Soft, bouncy ride when fresh · 22 · 15%
Comfortable, well-cushioned feel · 18 · 12%
Versatile daily trainer across paces · 15 · 10%
Roomy, wide toe box · 12 · 8%
Good value for the price · 6 · 4%
What owners flag
Bounce and midsole die early (durability) · 24 · 17%
Forefoot pod, arch, and foot pain · 16 · 11%
Slippery grip on wet pavement · 8 · 6%
Loud, slappy on pavement · 5 · 3%
Too soft, lacks stability · 5 · 3%
Who it's for
A great fit if
Neutral runners wanting a soft, bouncy daily trainer
Easy days, long runs and beginners building mileage
Runners with wider feet who want a roomy toebox
Value seekers wanting an all-rounder that won't break the bank
Look elsewhere if
High-mileage runners needing foam that lasts past ~250km
Forefoot strikers prone to arch or forefoot pain
Runners needing stability or grip on wet roads
Synthesized from what ASICS Novablast 5 owners say — not a spec sheet.
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
Top quotes, sourced
2,114 reviewed · 246 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube▲ recommend
“Look at that Nova Blast, Bouncy yet Stable. And the comfort level.”
YouTube— neutral
“they're incredible. The only problem is that in the wet they have no grip at all, but they're ultra comfortable, fun and don't weigh much. 100% recommended.”
Translated from Spanish
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“novablast has way too much cushion for me. too soft for my taste.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I just bought novablast 5. So far, its good for me. Bounce and good energy return. Satisfied”
YouTube— neutral
“Asics Novablast 5 = daily runs and easy runs”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“All looks the wrong size to me. Too small.”
YouTube— neutral
“for now I feel more comfortable with slightly firmer midsoles like the novablast 4”
Translated from Spanish
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Sizing confirmed, they come very small and I had to return them.”
Translated from Spanish
YouTube▲ recommend
“me parecen una maravilla tras dos tiradas largas de 17-20kilometros, estoy encantando con ellas”
YouTube▲ recommend
“más reactiva, más fácil, más divertida, más cómoda”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“What I don't like about asics is the 8mm drop, for my taste 6 max and if it can be 4 even better.”
Translated from Spanish
YouTube— neutral
“They're perfect. I've got 40 km on them and they're wonderful. Only one gripe. They make a lot of noise when you land”
Translated from Spanish
YouTube— neutral
“Asics is nice for slow and easy tuns, but heavy and bulky for faster paces.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“Lightstrike pro yes it's soft but the asics midsole is much more durable.”
Translated from Turkish
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Menudas vueltas para decir que tiene un mal agarre en mojado”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Get whatever, skip Novablast.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“Novablast come 2nt very nice shoe”
YouTube— neutral
“3 weeks with them and I'm happy. As a gripe I'd say they don't have great grip on wet ground and they're pretty noisy”
Translated from Spanish
YouTube▲ recommend
“at the same heart rate I've gained about 15 seconds per km with the same effort, and the shoe feels like you've got little springs”
Translated from Spanish
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“en mojado es de lo peor”
YouTube— neutral
“sin ninguna duda me quedo con la 3, es la mas divertida con diferencia”
YouTube— neutral
“It gained in almost everything, except that it lost the magnificent design of the novablast 4”
Translated from Spanish
r/RunningShoeGeeks▼ don’t recommend
“I put 80km into my NB5's and realised they did not give me anywhere near enough stability, so I'm selling them on. Shame as I got them in Teal and they look incredible”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I'm more comfortable running in the novablast 5. 8m drops give me more control and less pain in my feet.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
Redditⓘ good to know
“Asics Novablast 5 - soft daily trainer, still getting used to the softness”
r/RunningShoeGeeksⓘ good to know
“I think they're true to size. Toe box volume on the 5 is better, I think, than the 4. Maybe not as much height as on the 4, but definitely a little wider”
r/RunningShoeGeeksⓘ good to know
“the SB2 are still a price increase over NB5 for no significant benefit unless one really tries to improve their performance”
r/RunningShoeGeeksⓘ good to know
“I have run in multiple pairs of NB and SB and they are both true to size. They are so different but I keep buying them!”
