ASICS Sonicblast & Megablast Review: Fresh Faces in the BLAST Family

All shoes are reviewed by the Fleet Feet tester team, which represents a wide variety of goals, foot shapes, running locations and terrains. Reviewers pound the pavement, climb the hills, tackle the trails, then come together to compare notes. Debates ensue over the feel of the cushioning, the purpose of the shoe, and how it compares to last year’s model. While each reviewer has their own individual preferences, we hope that capturing our debates will help you make an informed decision.

The running shoe industry is a lot like a race — you’re either innovating forward or falling behind. When ASICS first released the Novablast five years ago, it signaled a seismic shift in the way their lineup would evolve.

The Novablast introduced a fresh, bouncy sensation that was unlike anything ASICS had offered before. According to ASICS’ Global Footwear Senior Product Manager Paul Lang, the Superblast was the natural progression, taking bounce to a whole new level.

Fast forward to today, and ASICS has introduced two new members of the BLAST family — the Sonicblast and the Megablast. So how exactly do these two new models fit into the lineup? Is this a case of “two’s company, four’s a crowd?” Read on to find out.

Both the Sonicblast and Megablast use ASICS’ brand-new midsole foam, FF Turbo Squared, but in different ways. ASICS claims that FF Turbo Squared is their most resilient and energetic midsole material, based on research from the ASICS Institute of Sports Science in Kobe, Japan.

Lang told us that the concept of the Sonicblast came from consumer insight research showing runners wanted a plated Novablast. But ASICS didn’t want to just shove a plate in the Novablast and call it a day; they wanted to build a completely new shoe that served a distinct purpose. Once shoe designers developed FF Turbo Squared, they felt they were ready to deliver that.

The Sonicblast uses a dual-layer midsole, with FF BLAST MAX on the bottom. It’s the same midsole foam used in the Novablast 5, so it delivers a comfortable and familiar experience for Novablast fans. It also works to stabilize the top layer of foam, the ultra-bouncy FF Turbo Squared foam. In between sits a teardrop shaped Pebax® plate, which ASICS calls their Astroplate. Lang notes that Pebax® was chosen over carbon fiber because it flexes more easily.

I tested the Sonicblast on two 18-mile runs with some goal-marathon-pace miles. They feel firm underfoot, but not in a bad way. I usually express my dislike for firm shoes in my reviews, but the Sonicblast feels engaging. I wouldn’t say it’s the most propulsive shoe I’ve worn (you’d probably want to check out the ASICS METASPEED Series for that), but it’s snappy enough to feel good during fast paces. I did notice that, after a while running at my easy pace, my forefeet started to hurt. This isn’t unique to the Sonicblast, it’s happened to me before when cooling down in plated shoes that are designed for fast running. It’s like the shoes are accusing me of running too slow. Once I got into my goal pace miles, the sensation disappeared.

Wear-tester Heather brought both shoes with her on her family’s vacation to Disney World. “The Sonicblast has a springy step-in feel that got me excited to go get my workout in — even on tired Disney legs,” she says. “The FF Turbo Squared foam felt light and responsive, and it’s just an exciting shoe to run in. It will definitely give me something to look forward to on speed workout days.”

The Megablast also uses FF Turbo Squared foam, this time making up the entirety of the midsole with one single layer. The Megablast was actually born while testing new foam for the Superblast, but shoe designers loved it so much they decided it needed its own model.

“Unlike the Sonicblast, we didn’t use a dual-layer midsole in the Megablast because we wanted to unleash the most bounce possible,” Lang says. “It doesn’t feel quite as stable, but the energy is wild.”

The single layer of FF Turbo Squared foam also keeps the Megablast light and nimble — it’s the lightest shoe in the BLAST family.

I’ve worn the Megablast on two easy runs so far, and I didn’t notice anything unstable about them. I have a wonky left ankle that’s prone to tendinitis, so typically when a shoe is too unstable I’ll start to get ankle pain the next day — not so with the Megablast. It delivers just what I’m looking for during my mid-week long runs: maximum cushioning for my weary feet and legs, with enough bounce to keep me moving at a decent clip while I recover from my hard workouts.

Heather and I both agreed that the Megablast feels softer, while the Sonicblast offers more pep.

The Sonicblast uses a jacquard (a woven fabric) upper with a pretty traditional fit and feel, with a thin, stretchy tongue and a slightly padded heel collar. Heather and I both thought it felt true-to-size, despite us having different foot shapes.

“The Sonicblast gave me Goldilocks vibes — it’s not too loose, nor too tight, it’s just right,” she says. “Once I walked out the door, the shoe kind of ‘disappeared’ on my foot and I never really thought about the fit for the duration of my run.”

The Megablast upper is made of engineered mesh and feels much thinner and lighter, more akin to a racing shoe upper. Thoughtful details give it a premium feel, like extra padding in the heel and a handy pull tab.

“The Megablast upper is inspired by some of our racing shoes, but with enough padding in the heel and tongue for a locked-down, everyday fit,” says Lang.

The Megablast is made in unisex sizing, just like the Superblast 2 and many other race-day supershoes. Lang said ASICS has had great reception from both men and women across their unisex builds, but Heather and I found the Megablast to feel a bit roomier than we would have liked.

It didn’t cause any issues on the run, because the extra padding in the heel held my feet securely in place. I would have preferred a smidge less room in the toe box, but it doesn’t bother me enough to keep me from adding these to my weekly rotation. However, what did interfere with my first test run was the length of the laces. They just felt so long! They were flapping around down there and I was worried I was going to trip. For my second run, I used the extra lacing eyelets to tie the marathon loop, which resolved the issue while further dialing in the fit.

“I didn’t mind the extra space in the toe box as I was running, but it was noticeably more roomy overall than what I am used to,” says Heather. “The Megablast can definitely accommodate a wide or high-volume foot, which has me wondering how someone with a narrow or low-volume foot would feel in the shoe.”

Heather has high-volume feet, which means that her feet take up a lot of space within the shoe. I have low–volume feet, which means that my feet don’t take up much space within the shoe — however, my left foot is ever-so-slightly wide.

If you’re not sure about the width or volume of your feet, your best bet will be to head into your local Fleet Feet. Fleet Feet outfitters use 3D fit id® foot scanning technology to gather information about your feet and the support they need by taking precise measurements of your foot length, width and arch height, so you can learn a lot about your feet while you’re there.

I had a lot of questions about the newest additions to the BLAST family, and what it means for the Novablast and Superblast. With so many options to choose from, which shoe is best for which occasion? Lang broke it down for me:

• The Novablast is categorized as “everyday bounce.” It’s become the starting point for a lot of runners, even though when ASICS first introduced it, it was a wild card. This is a shoe Lang recommend to a lot of beginner runners. I like to wear the Novablast for my easy recovery runs, when I’m typically running about two minutes slower per mile than my goal marathon pace.

• As runners start to speed up, the Sonicblast is the “uptempo bounce” shoe. It’s for runners who want to graduate to something faster, or a runner who just enjoys a snappier feel. It’s also great for that runner who wants to navigate to the carbon plated world but isn’t ready to spend over $200. I’ve done my last two long run workouts in the Sonicblast, but because of how firm they are I’d probably rather wear them for my Tuesday threshold workouts, when I’m running faster but not as long.

• The Superblast is ASICS’ “long run bounce” shoe. They claim it can do a bit of everything, which is probably where its name comes from. Lang also points out that it’s very stable for how energetic it is, due to the shoe's dual-layer midsole. The FF BLAST PLUS ECO foam adds a bit of stability to the uber-responsive FF TURBO PLUS foam that delivers the bounce this shoe is known for. I haven’t had the pleasure of wearing the Superblast 2, but several of my running friends can attest to its “do-it-all” label. I’ve seen one running buddy wear them for easy runs, long runs and even track workouts.

• The Megablast is what ASICS calls the “ultimate bounce.” Lang says it’s designed for the runner looking for a completely unique experience. “Today’s runners are continuing to look for what’s next, what’s new and what’s different, what has energy, and that’s how we position Megablast,” he says. I really enjoyed this shoe for my mid-week long runs. I’m typically really tired before these and, even though I’m running at an easy pace, they sometimes feel like a slog. The Megablast puts some pep in my step to keep me cruising through to the finish.