ASICS Sonic Blast Review: A Stabilized Novablast, Plus Four Alternatives Worth Comparing

Introduction

The ASICS Sonic Blast is the newest member of the Blast family, and it is built around an idea many runners have asked for: a Novablast with a plate. It combines ASICS’s new FF Turbo Squared foam with FF Blast Max underneath, separated by a 3/4-length Pebax plate, and it lands in the tempo trainer slot of the lineup. The result is an interesting shoe, but one that very much runs a certain way. In this guide, we break down what the Sonic Blast is, who it actually suits, and which alternatives you should weigh against it before spending your money.

ASICS Sonic Blast: Design and Specs

The Sonic Blast uses a 46 mm stack height in the men’s version and 45 mm in the women’s, with an 8 mm drop on both. That leaves 38 mm of foam under the forefoot for men. On paper, there is a lot of technology here: FF Turbo Squared, the ATPU foam also found in the Megablast, sits on top, while FF Blast Max, the daily training foam used in the Novablast, forms the bottom layer.

Between the two foams sits a grey Pebax plate that ASICS calls the Astro Plate. It is a 3/4-length design with a teardrop shape in the forefoot rather than the full-length plate you would find in a carbon racing shoe. Combined with a very aggressive forefoot rocker, it gives the shoe a stiff, rigid front end that recalls older ASICS designs like the Evo Ride and the original Magic Speed. Up top, a thin jacquard mesh upper is strong yet breathable, with minimal heel padding but enough structure to keep the foot seated in the foam.

Protection comes from ASICS Grip, the brand’s tackiest outsole rubber, which addresses a common complaint about grip on the Novablast line. There is exposed foam in places, a side window that shows off the plate, and a small cutout in the rear outsole rubber that suggests the shoe is intended for heel or midfoot-to-heel strikers, giving the foam more room to compress at landing.

Weight comes in at a stated 9 oz (256 g), though measured samples have come in slightly higher at around 260 g. That is a bit heavy for what this shoe is meant to do, and it plays a role in how it performs on the road. The fit is true to your usual running shoe size, slightly generous but comfortable rather than sloppy.

How the Sonic Blast Runs

At easy paces, the Sonic Blast is genuinely pleasant. There is a softness on impact from the generous FF Turbo Squared layer, and the FF Blast Max underneath keeps the ride bouncy and cushioned. Running the shoe as a daily trainer at relaxed effort is where it feels most at home.

Push the pace, though, and the story changes. The shoe tends to hold onto the foot a little longer through the downstep before releasing into the next stride, which creates a sensation of sluggishness. The plate appears to be tuned more for stabilizing the foam stack than for propulsion, and the rigid rocker works to control foot movement rather than snap you forward. The combination of weight and delayed response makes faster running feel like a fight.

The overall impression is a very stabilized ride. If that sounds appealing, it can be. But if you are a midfoot or forefoot striker who likes to land on the front of the shoe and push off, the Sonic Blast will feel cumbersome and restrictive.

Who the Sonic Blast Is For

This is a shoe for a specific runner. If you are a heel striker who has wanted that plated Novablast feeling for years, the Sonic Blast delivers on the concept. It is also a strong option if you previously found the Novablast too chaotic or too squishy, because the plate and rocker finally rein in that ride into something controlled and predictable. For everyone else, the alternatives below are worth serious consideration.

ASICS Novablast 5

For daily training efforts, the Novablast 5 remains the simpler recommendation, especially for midfoot to forefoot strikers. It uses FF Blast Max in a fun, bouncy, cushioned package that works for most runs most days of the week, and it comes in at $150, a meaningful $30 less than the Sonic Blast’s $180 retail price. Unless you specifically want the stabilization the plate adds, the Novablast 5 is the better value for everyday running.

ASICS Magic Speed 4

The Magic Speed 4 is ASICS’s other plated trainer, built with a daily training foam, a carbon fiber plate, and a puck of FF Turbo under the forefoot. It sits across from the Sonic Blast in the lineup, but the two are intended for different strikers depending on where your foot hits the ground first. The Magic Speed 4 is firmer and faster when picking up the pace, while the Sonic Blast is better at daily training. You save a little money with the Magic Speed 4, but not much, since it retails at $170.

Brooks Hyperion Max 3

The Hyperion Max 3 shares the same recipe: a premium foam on top, a daily training foam on the bottom, and a plastic plate between them, plus a similarly aggressive forefoot rocker. The difference is scale. The Hyperion Max 3 is a max shoe with more of everything, and in many ways the Sonic Blast reads as a mini version of it. Choose based on how much shoe and how much rocker you want. It is not cheap, though, with a $200 retail price that sits at the top of this comparison.

Hoka Mach X 2

The Mach X 2 is the closest structural analog to the Sonic Blast. It was meant to be a faster version of the much-loved Mach, but it ended up as a stabilized version instead: premium foam over daily training foam with a plastic plate in between. Underfoot, it is far firmer than the Sonic Blast, with almost no softness despite its PEBA content, making it more responsive and punchy. The upper is also tighter, so sizing up may be worth considering. Originally $190, it is now widely available on sale for around $151, which makes it a much easier recommendation.

Buying Advice

The clearest way to choose is by how you run. Heel strikers who want a stabilized Novablast experience should target the Sonic Blast directly. Midfoot and forefoot strikers who simply want a great daily trainer should buy the Novablast 5 and pocket the savings. If you want more speed from a plated trainer, the firmer Magic Speed 4 or Mach X 2 fit better, with the Mach X 2 currently the value pick on sale. And if you simply want more of everything, more foam, more rocker, more shoe, the Hyperion Max 3 is the max-cushion interpretation of this formula.

Price matters too. At $180, the Sonic Blast sits above the Novablast 5 at $150 and the discounted Mach X 2 at around $151, while the Magic Speed 4 at $170 and Hyperion Max 3 at $200 fill out the range. Matching the shoe’s design intent to your stride is worth more than any spec sheet here.

Conclusion

The ASICS Sonic Blast is exactly what ASICS promised: a Novablast with a plate. For heel strikers and runners who found the Novablast too unruly, it finally offers that cushioned, bouncy ride in a stabilized, controlled form. For everyone else, the Novablast 5, Magic Speed 4, Hyperion Max 3, and Mach X 2 each solve the same problem from a different angle, often at a lower price. Pick the one that matches how your foot meets the ground, and you will be happier than picking based on hype.