Asics Novablast 4
The Shakout
Men: 9.2 oz
Women: 7.9 oz
Drop: 8mm
MSRP: $140
Mileage at Time of Review: 32
I missed out on the original Novablast, however, I have had a chance to run in the Novablast 2, 3 and now 4. The Novablast 2 was a very fun shoe to run in but had some instability in the heel that left a bit to be desired if you were a run walker. The three gained more stability in the heal and became a much more friendly shoe for the masses than the previous model, and with the four I believe that Asics has done an incredible job of making an amazing shoe that anyone can run in. It’s fun, lightweight for a daily trainer, has a very forward feel when moving in it, and the geometric pattern on the midsole makes it look incredible!
The Breakdown
The Outsole
In an effort to reduce weight Asics has placed a thin layer of rubber in key locations on the bottom of the shoe While there isn’t a ton of material available, there is enough that in most conditions I felt very confident about where my feet were going to be. Following a heavy rain I did have a bit of slippage, but I think that has more to do with the fact that the Houston area uses concrete for everything. If you’re running on asphalt, you shouldn’t have a problem.
While I do worry that at times we sacrifice durability for weight in our daily trainers, I think that the rubber on the outsole of the Novablast 4 is sufficient enough to get full mileage out of this shoe.
The Midsole
The midsole now uses the same foam that Asics introduced in the Nimbus 25, but don’t let that fool you. This is still a performance machine. It has a bit more plushness overall and more stability in the heal where it counts, but this isn’t the ultra plus squish midsole of the Nimbus. It is built with a much more forward moving geometry and toe spring and while the Nimbus doesn’t use a ton of gel, it does have some sandwiched into the midsole and that seems to make a difference as well.
In general I think that this midsole is incredibly well constructed and will be a very durable runner.
The Upper
The upper is a big improvement over the three in my opinion. Rather than the mesh upper from the previous version, they are using a woven upper that seems to have a bit more stretch and breathability than previous versions. There is plenty of cushion around the heel cup and you get a very nice, locked in feeling around the heel. I found that there is plenty of room in the upper and that with that room the shoe runs true to size.
Running and Walking
There is a high probability that if you ask me at the end of the year to make a list of my favorite running shoes, the Novablast 4 will be on it. Logically one would hope that as shoes progress, they continue to get better and better, thus making the latest version of the shoe the greatest. This logic is unfortunately not always accurate in the shoe world, but I think when it comes to the Novablast, the latest is also currently the greatest. I think that switching the foams out had the potential to make this shoe too Nimbus like, but they still managed to keep the bounce and the forward propulsion in this shoe that makes it great for a little bit of everything. You can run your easy miles in it for sure, but you can also pick it up and get some speed going without feeling like you’re having to work harder than you should.
I find that I favor this shoe for runs where I’m doing a some easy running in the warmup and cooldown, but have a workout in the middle. It does phenomenally on the long run, but I lean toward the Nimbus or something a little less peppy if I’m just out getting quality mileage in but trying to hit that cruise control. To me this shoe feels faster and while it can do the easy miles, I tend to want to push myself a little faster than I really should in a long run. If you like to throw some tempo miles into your long run, then this is definitely a solid option.
The Gym
I think that a lot of shoes can double in the gym and on the run, but I don’t think this is one that I would recommend for gym work. It’s an incredible shoe for running on the road or treadmill, but the shape and the aggressiveness of this shoe on the run remove it as a choice for me when I’m lifting.
Work
I think this is an incredibly comfortable shoe, and the fact that it feels even more stable than the Novablast 3 makes this a shoe that I would be comfortable recommending for daily wear to work. I think a shoe like the Cumulus or Nimbus are better suited for the job of a work shoe because they have a little less of a forward pushing dynamic, but when the budget comes in and you can only pick one, this is an incredible running shoe that can get the job done at work as well.
The Cooldown
Outside of the gym, it’s hard to say that the Novablast 4 is a bad shoe for anything. No matter your running style or goals, this shoe delivers and gets the job done. I’m looking forward to logging a lot more miles in it over the course of the year. I’m heading into a 5k/10k training cycle and doing a bit more speedwork than last year, so I’m excited to have this shoe in the rotation.
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