Asics Novablast 6 First Run Review: A Softer, Livelier Daily Trainer

Introduction

The Asics Novablast 6 is the latest version of one of the most popular daily trainers on the market, and it is a fairly significant update. The big change is the midsole, with smaller tweaks to the outsole and upper, and all of it comes at a slightly higher price: $155 in the US, with a UK price of around £140 expected.

The new shoe is also a little lighter than before, at 262 g (9.2 oz) in a UK size 9 (US 10), a drop of roughly 10 to 15 g compared to the Novablast 5. The stack height stays the same at 41.5 mm in the heel and 33.5 mm in the forefoot, with the same 8 mm drop.

What Has Changed in the Novablast 6

The headline update sits underfoot. Where the Novablast 5 used FF Blast Max Plus foam throughout, the Novablast 6 pairs FF Blast Max with a forefoot insert of FF Turbo Squared, which Asics calls its trampoline pod. That foam is used in the Megablast and Sonicblast trainers, and it is meant to add extra energy return and pop at toe-off. Note that despite the FF Turbo Squared branding on the side of the shoe, the main midsole foam is still FF Blast Max.

The outsole changes too. Instead of just AHAR LO rubber, you now get a mix: ASIC Grip rubber in the forefoot and a harder low-abrasion rubber at the back. The Novablast line has historically had slightly iffy grip in wet conditions, so the forefoot change could be a welcome improvement, though wet-weather testing is still to come.

Up top, the upper switches from mesh to an engineered woven material, with plenty of padding around the collar and a supportive internal heel counter. The tongue is minimal, keeping weight down without sacrificing comfort.

Fit and Sizing

The Novablast 6 fits true to size and remains one of the roomier Asics shoes. Testers in their usual running size found a spacious forefoot with plenty of wiggle room around the toes and sides of the foot. The toe clearance is generous, arguably more than in the Novablast 5, and the width is fairly average rather than narrow.

Changes in the midfoot are subtle but welcome. The lacing has been refined with slightly narrower laces, and lockdown across the midfoot feels a bit more secure and dialed in than on the Novablast 5, while staying comfortable rather than restrictive. The heel collar keeps the same thick, well-padded setup that holds the heel firmly without digging in, though it can run warm in heat.

If you have worn previous Novablasts, staying with your normal size should be the right call.

First Run Impressions: Comfort With More Life

The Novablast 6 feels like a cushy, comfortable shoe with a bit more life to it than its predecessor. The back of the shoe delivers soft, protective cushioning that is not overly squishy, smoothing the ride before you roll onto the forefoot, where the new FF Turbo Squared pod adds noticeable energy return.

Side-by-side running against the Novablast 5 highlights the difference. The older shoe stays soft through the forefoot with little pick-up, while the 6 offers a slightly firmer feel at the ball of the foot that lifts the toe-off in a more energetic way. It is not night and day, but it is there, and it may make the shoe more versatile for tempo efforts.

How the New Ride Feels at Different Paces

The verdict on pace is consistent across early runs: this shoe comes alive as you speed up. Around cruising pace and into up-tempo running, it feels smoother, more natural, and more agile than the Novablast 5, with a quicker heel-to-toe transition and a satisfying energy return that comes back quickly rather than feeling sinky.

At the very slowest paces, some found it a touch soft and slightly soggy, and it arguably loses a little of the immediacy that made the Novablast 5 feel snappier when shuffling along. The trade-off is a shoe that feels less sloppy, more balanced, and genuinely fast-adjacent for a non-plated trainer.

Compared with popular rivals in this bracket, the Novablast 6 feels noticeably more lively and modern. Testers put it alongside shoes like the Adidas Evo SL, Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, Nike Pegasus, and Brooks Ghost, and early impressions favor the Asics for riders who want more energy in a cushioned daily trainer.

Early Verdict and Buying Advice

The Novablast 6 looks like a genuine step on from the Novablast 5. The foam change works, the lighter feel makes it sprightlier, and the comfort that made the line popular is intact: an airy, roomy fit, good security, and plenty of padding where it matters.

Who should buy it? Runners who want a cushioned daily trainer with enough edge for tempo sessions and faster days, and who liked the idea of a Megablast-style feel at a lower price point. Beginners and experienced runners alike should find it easy to live with.

Who might hesitate? If you loved the Novablast 5 for its softer, more cruiser-focused character and quicker bite-back at easy paces, the extra softness here may not suit you. And with the price climbing toward £140 or $155, it now sits closer to premium trainers in the Asics Blast family, so the value argument shifts slightly.

Conclusion

The Novablast 6 is an encouraging, well-judged overhaul. Asics focused on versatile performance without giving up comfort, and the early running suggests the result is a livelier, lighter, and more versatile daily trainer that should appeal to a wide range of runners. Longer-term testing will confirm whether the wet-weather grip and easy-run comfort hold up, but as a first impression, this is one of the more promising updates in the daily trainer category this year.