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ASICS Novablast 5

ASICS Novablast 5

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.

See the problems 48 owners report →

What 145 owners say
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
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
41%
142
Other forums
50%
2
Independent blogsino affiliate links
100%
1
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiowner comments
63%
102
Affiliate blogsipaid commission
100%
1
No clear verdictiSetup, 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.

How buyers rate it elsewhere

Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.

Top quotes, sourced

2,114 reviewed · 248 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube— neutral

“son increíbles. El único problema es que en mojado no agarran nada, pero son ultra cómodas, divertidas y no pesan mucho. 100% recomendadas.”

YouTube▲ recommend

“Look at that Nova Blast, Bouncy yet Stable. And the comfort level.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“novablast has way too much cushion for me. too soft for my taste.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“All looks the wrong size to me. Too small.”

YouTube— neutral

“Asics Novablast 5 = daily runs and easy runs”

YouTube▲ recommend

“I just bought novablast 5. So far, its good for me. Bounce and good energy return. Satisfied”

YouTube▲ recommend

“me parecen una maravilla tras dos tiradas largas de 17-20kilometros, estoy encantando con ellas”

YouTube— neutral

“de momento me noto más cómodo con mediasuelas un poquillo más firme como la novablast 4”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“Confirmado la talla, vienen muy chicos y tuve que devolverlas.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“A mi lo que no me gusta de asics es el drop de 8mm, para mi gusto maximo 6 y si puede ser 4 mejor.”

YouTube— neutral

“Son perfectas. Las tengo con 40 km y una maravilla. Solo una pega. Hacen mucho ruido al pisar”

YouTube▲ recommend

“más reactiva, más fácil, más divertida, más cómoda”

YouTube— neutral

“Asics is nice for slow and easy tuns, but heavy and bulky for faster paces.”

YouTube▲ recommend

“Lightstrike pro evet yumuşak ama asics midsole çok daha dayanıklı.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“Menudas vueltas para decir que tiene un mal agarre en mojado”

YouTube▲ recommend

“Novablast come 2nt very nice shoe”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“Get whatever, skip Novablast.”

YouTube— neutral

“3 semanas con ellas y contento. Como pega diría que no tienen una gran adherencia con suelo mojado y son bastante ruidosas”

YouTube▲ recommend

“he ganado a las mismas pulsaciones unos 15 segundos el km con el mismo esfuerzo y que la zapatilla se siente como si tuvieras minimuelles”

YouTube— neutral

“sin ninguna duda me quedo con la 3, es la mas divertida con diferencia”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“en mojado es de lo peor”

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— neutral

“Ganó casi en todo, porque perdió el magnífico diseño de novablast 4”

YouTube▲ recommend

“Fico mais confortável correndo com o novablast 5. Drops de 8m me dão maior controle e menos dor nos pés.”

Showing 1–24 of 248

Common problems & things to know

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!”

r/RunningShoeGeeksⓘ good to know

“Id say these are slightly wider than the NB4.”