Asics Megablast Review: A New Leader in Lightweight Luxury Performance

Last spring, Outside testers and editors named the Asics Novablast 5 as the best all-around road running shoe for 2025, noting that it works well for a wide range of runners, paces, and distances. That kind of versatility, however, usually means the model must sacrifice a bit of speed, and the Novablast 5 is no exception. As of now, however, that rule has changed: Enter the Asics Megablast, a max-cushioned trainer that does it all.
Asics engineers went full mad-scientist mode and whipped up a shoe that’s comfy enough for your daily miles and long runs, well-cushioned for recovery days, stable and supportive—yet light and snappy enough for uptempo miles.

I’ve put the Megablast through its paces for a few months, and can now say that Asics nailed it with this shoe. Here’s the lowdown.

Asics Megablast At-a-Glance

$225 at Asics

Weight: 8.1 oz (men’s size 9; women’s 10.5)
Stack Height: 45–37 mm
Heel-to-toe Drop: 8 mm

Pros

• Responsive, poppy midsole
• Extremely lightweight for such a high stack height
• Very stable
• Versatility to handle all types of runs

Cons

• Excess room in the toebox
• Upper too baggy for narrow-footed runners

Asics Megablast First Impressions

The Megablast had me at the specs: 45 millimeters of stack under the heel, a brand-new A-TPU midsole, and weighing in several ounces lighter than a typical trainer. That’s a dream shoe for me.

When the shoe finally arrived and I unboxed it, my initial impressions confirmed my expectations. The all-white prototype felt surprisingly light for something with such a thick midsole. At 8.1 ounces for a men’s size nine, it falls midway between a typical lightweight everyday trainer and a performance race-day shoe. A few steps into my first test run, I knew this was a special shoe.

A large part of Asics’s renewed dedication to innovation is its investment in experimenting with different foams. This year, the brand embraced a new foam called A-TPU. This highly resilient and energetic foam is quickly becoming the gold standard for high-end midsoles.

Asics first introduced A-TPU into its super shoe racing lineup under the name FF Leap. The Megablast features a slightly different density of A-TPU foam, called FF Turbo Squared. Asics claims that FF Turbo Squared is 32.5 percent bouncier, 9.6 percent softer, and 2.8 percent lighter than its previous super shoe foam, FF Turbo Plus. Those numbers are impressive, but it’s how it rides that truly counts.

The Megablast has a single density slab of FF Turbo Squared underfoot, unmoderated by any plate or firmer foam frame. To my surprise, however, the midsole wasn’t the super soft, mushy platform I had imagined. Whereas many of today’s faster shoes lean into a softer, trampoline-like ride, the Megablast felt highly reactive. The ride was incredibly poppy. The best comparison I can find is a lacrosse ball: firm to the touch, yet, when slammed against a hard surface, bounces back explosively.

While not a squishy shoe, with 45 millimeters of foam under the heel, the Megablast falls firmly in the max cushioned category and feels as such on the run.​ It’s not as tipsy as other shoes with similar height, but you are elevated quite a bit. There’s very little flexibility in the sole, making the rockered forefoot essential for smooth toe-offs. Unlike many plated shoes, however, I never felt the rocker preferred a specific pace or cadence and forced me into it. It performed consistently as I worked from 8-minute miles down to 5-minute miles. Given the density of the foam, stiff platform, and rockered forefoot, an embedded plate is unnecessary, and leaving it out was a good call as it would likely have changed the smooth mechanics of the shoe and limited its versatility.

One characteristic of super shoes is the unique, loud and annoying slapping sound they make when hitting the ground. In contrast, the Megablast produced a pleasing, rhythmic beat, like a conductor keeping perfect time for my stride. Each step landed and popped back with a crisp tap-tap that kept my cadence high as the responsive foam propelled me forward.

While the underfoot feel of the Megablast was close to perfect, I did have some issues with the upper. Made from an engineered woven material, it’s the kind of ultra-thin construction you’d expect from a stripped-down race-day shoe. I appreciated the light weight, but my usual men’s size 8.5 fit noticeably large. I had a ton of space throughout the toe box, even though my foot falls directly in the average width range (I’ve had it scanned). To get a firm hold, I had to tighten down the laces so tight that the upper bunched up towards the beginning of the eyelet row. Luckily, I was able to get a good, secure hold, but I would imagine runners with really narrow feet could run into some issues.

The price did give me hesitation at first: $225 feels steep for an everyday trainer, even if it’s a performance-minded one. Still, Asics has generally been among the more fairly priced brands. The solid daily trainer Novablast 5 comes in at a competitive $150, and its lightest super shoe, the Metaspeed Ray, is $300 (compared to $500 for similar tech from Adidas). So there’s likely a good reason Asics set this one at $225. One possible factor is the cost, time, and effort that go into developing today’s supercritical foams. And those that are used to spending $200 on the Superblast 2 should find the extra $25 fair for the improved performance.

Asics Megablast: Who Is It For?

Shoes are like utensils; each one is designed with a specific purpose in mind. After spending more than a month with the Megablast, I can confidently say this is one of those rare shoes every runner could benefit from for every type of run. It’s a true jack-of-all-trades.

For beginners, the Megablast could serve as a long-run workhorse, an uptempo trainer, and even a marathon race-day option. For intermediate and advanced runners, it could easily slot in as a long-run shoe or an everyday trainer with extra pop. Think of it as a lighter, faster, livelier Superblast 2.

If I were stranded on an island and only had one shoe to run in, there’s no doubt I’d want to have the Asics Megablast.

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