ASICS Novablast 6 Review
By Matthew Klein
ASICS Novablast 6Price: $154.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 8.8 oz, 249 g (men's size 9), 7.7 oz, 218n g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 41.5 mm heel / 33.5 mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Neutral Daily Trainer
Pros: Comfortable fit, responsive forefoot, lighter ride, wider sole creates some guidance
Cons: Clunky/slappy transition, FF Blast Max feels dead in the heel, excessive heel padding makes fit slightly short, excessive lateral forefoot flare causes a medial push
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The ASICS Novablast 6 is a neutral daily trainer for those who want a lighter ride with a bouncy forefoot. The fit features a highly padded heel and a thinner forefoot mesh that creates a slightly short fit that is secure. The midsole is a combination of softer but not responsive FF Blast Max in the heel with a large section of FF Turbo Squared in the forefoot. The trampoline transition returns from prior versions, making this a unique riding shoe for those who want a quick/abrupt heel transition and a solid toe off over easy and long miles.
SIMILAR SHOES: Saucony Ride 19
PAST MODEL: ASICS Novablast 5
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The ASICS Novablast 6 runs slightly short for my men's US size 10. This is due to the extra padding in the heel. The overall fit is normal to slightly snug, with some stretchiness from the light mesh material. The volume is lower, particularly in the forefoot. The toe box is tapered with a lower volume sitting over the toes. I have not had blisters even on longer runs, so this feeling does go away while moving. The midfoot fits normal in width due to a thinner but well-gusseted tongue. The tongue has additional padding at the top that easily protects the top of the foot from the laces. I did not have to tighten down the laces to get a secure fit. Those with a low instep may need to loosen the laces from the somewhat lower volume in the midfoot. The heel fits snug due to a huge amount of heel cushioning. There is a mildly flexible heel counter in the rearfoot, although I did not notice it at all due to the extra padding. I did not experience any heel slippage, but still wished there was a little less padding so the fit was more true to size. I assume this padding will compress after more miles (currently at 45). Currently, those with heel sensitivities will do fine as I have no discomfort at all.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Hoka Gaviota 6, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Saucony Azura, Salomon Aero Glide 3
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Mildly
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Somewhat
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes (may change with mileage)
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Moderate
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The ASICS Novablast 6 is a lighter daily training shoe. The midsole is made mostly of FF Blast Max with a large forefoot section of FF Turbo Squared. The Blast Max provides a compliant but not resilient ride, while the forefoot is noticeably softer and more responsive. This means the heel is cushioned but feels flat, while the forefoot has more pop to it. With the more squared heel and stiffer rear section, this makes for a clunky heel transition that slaps you down into the forefoot. There is a curve to the heel with a slightly lateral and steep heel bevel. This causes the quick transition from heel strike to foot flat. This took me some time to figure out and the shoe attempts to slap you into the forefoot FF Turbo Squared. I instead found that landing slightly farther forward felt better, more natural and brought out more of the responsive forefoot. For those reasons, I believe the Novablast 6 will work better for those who land at the midfoot/forefoot or heel strikers with a low inclination angle (ie land with less ankle dorsiflexion). There is an 8mm drop, although this felt a little higher due to the transition. There is some mild flexibility in the forefoot but the shoe overall is not flexible. Those mild toe mobility problems will do fine in this shoe due to the normal-size forefoot rocker for this stack height, although those with more extreme stiffness problems will need a stiffer and more rockered shoe.
The Novablast 6 is a daily training shoe with a little uptempo capacity. The FF Blast Max feels better at consistent and steady efforts, excelling on long runs once I figured out the heel transition. The FF Turbo Squared does add some bounce off the forefoot, but trying to run fast is difficult with the less responsive FF Blast Max. For those reasons, I have found the Novablast 6 to be best as an easy/daily and long run shoe. The durability adds to this, as outsole rubber has no wear after 45 miles. There is a little bit of wear on the exposed FF Blast Max but the midsole has not changed since my initial run. For those reasons, I expect moderate to high durability about of this shoe.
Video: Nathan's Review of the Novablast 6
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The ASICS Novablast 6 is a neutral daily training shoe. Some mild elements add guidance, including a wider sole (filled in midfoot), sole flare and large sidewalls in the rearfoot. The posterolateral heel bevel, although sharp, does create some lateral bias combined with the softer FF Blast Max in the heel. There is also a solid amount of medial heel flare that further adds to this lateral bias. The heel also has large sidewalls on both the medial and lateral sides of the foot that help keep the foot centered. The midfoot is wide but has a slight elevation on the lateral side compared to the medial side. This creates some additional lateral bias that is offset by some higher lateral flare in the midsole. The forefoot is wider with early lateral flare that is somewhat offset by later medial flare. The sharp bevel and slappy transition of the heel offset some of this as it accelerates the transition from heel strike to foot flat, exacerbating any pronation (or supination) that may exist. The softer FF Blast Max also compresses quickly and feels like it fights with the stabilizing elements. This creates a conundrum as there are stable elements, but they are offset by the softer or slappier components, making for an overall neutral ride.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The ASICS Novablast 6 is an interesting upgrade for the series. The midsole feels more contrasted with the compliant but not bouncy heel and the bouncy/responsive forefoot, compared to the more consistent ride of version 5. The upper is comfortable, although short due to the extra heel padding. My major suggestions are focused on the heel padding and the lateral sole flare in the forefoot. The padding is a bit excessive and functionally shortens the shoe. I'd rather have a bit more flexible heel counter and more consistent moderate padding throughout the entire height of the heel (rather than just the top). I would suggest toning down the excessive lateral forefoot flare, as it creates extra medial bias that makes it feel like I am missing the center forefoot pod. This could also be corrected by moving the peak of the medial flare more proximal in the forefoot.
My final piece of advice is to improve the heel bevel angle and avoid the "trampoline" effect. It feels as if the heel throws you onto the forefoot, which may make sense in isolation to the foot but not with regard to general lower extremity biomechanics. Increasing the speed of the transition of the foot from a dorsiflexed to foot flat/plantarflexed position during the loading response phase of gait dramatically increases the forces through the muscles that control this motion. The anterior tibial muscles, including the anterior tibialis and toe extensor muscles, eccentrically work to lower the foot down during this transition. Increasing the speed increases the intensity of the eccentric contraction. A fast eccentric contraction causes the most muscle damage of any time of contraction. This is not optimal for newer or recreational runners. I would instead consider an additional puck of FF Turbo squared in the heel, in a strategic way to bounce the runner forward, rather than slapping them in that direction.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The ASICS Novablast 6 is for those who land farther forward or those who want a cushioned, lighter training with a bouncy forefoot and shock-absorbing heel. The fit will work best for those who are between sizes (given the slightly short fit) and those who want a highly padded heel with a lighter forefoot mesh. The midsole will work best for those who want shock absorption but do not want a bouncy ride in the heel and can tolerate a slappy and stiff heel transition. The Novablast 6 will work best for those wanting an easy and long run shoe, with a bit more versatility for those who land farther forward. Version 6 returns the slappy feeling, so if you like that in versions prior to number 5, you will like it here. $155 is still a decent price for a shoe like this, but it loses a bit of the affordability of prior versions with the less smooth ride. The addition of FF Turbo Squared should increase the value, given the higher quality of foam, but I am still figuring out if that contrasting feeling between the forefoot and heel is really that great. The durability has been great so far, so I expect to get plenty of miles, but time will tell how the FF Blast Max holds up given the already lack of significant bounce. The Novablast 6 is another major change to a best-selling shoe in the ASICS lineup and only time will tell how consumers respond compared the success of version 5.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B+ (Highly padded heel creates a slightly short fit with a tapered toe box. Good upper security)
Performance: B (Clunky heel transition with a smooth bouncy forefoot. FF Blast Max feels kinda dead but the FF Turbo Squared bounces you forward)
Stability: B+ [Neutral] (Some lateral bias in the rearfoot and medial bias at the forefoot. Some mild guidance but overall neutral)
Value: B+ (More expensive than prior versions, moving this out of the affordable Superblast alternative category. Decent durability but will have to see how long the FF Blast Max holds up this time)
Personal: C+ (Clunky heel transition and short fit have been a bit uncomfortable for me during both walking and running. Will likely still be appealing to others but I am struggling a bit with this shoe)
Overall Design: B
SHOP | SUPPORT DORASICS Novablast 6Price: $154.95 at Running Warehouse
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