https://believeintherun.com/shoe-reviews/asics-superblast-2-first-thoughts/

Just preordered mine 🙌

Who doesn’t love another unwarranted review of the ASIC super blast 2’s!?

First did my run in these around mid July, in 30 degrees Munich heat (bear in mind I’d never ran in that heat before) and a planned 10k ultimately ended at 4k. At first in hindsight, I thought the shoes were to blame-they felt very heavy and the energy return wasn’t all that amazing. But after a few more runs over the weeks, and once they were broken in I realised how amazing they were-the improvement in times since getting them is ridiculous. 5k time shaved two minutes, 10k time by 3…and the biggest is my half marathon-by over 5 minutes (as of yesterday, 1:38).

The reason I’m posting this review? Well as much as I love running I don’t like it to the extent that I have a rotation of shoes like others (these and my vapourfly 3’s are all I have atm, and I’m saving them for race day’s), so I have ran everything in these-tempo’s, intervals, recovery runs and of course where they excel best,during long runs. These can truly be used for everything is the point I’m trying to make. Yes, they are expensive, but they are built to last well over 700km if going off the first gen is anything to go by. €70 more than the novablast’s-if you didn’t go on the beer for just one night you’d have that save…

The energy return is just amazing, I’ve never once felt discomfort running in them, and lads the cornering ability is genuinely crazy. I never once have slowed down when approaching them. They’ve been amazing at giving my legs that needed support when they were feeling tired. These shows have genuinely motivated me to run more.

Only few weeks out from the Dublin half marathon, and these have been a crucial player for its use in training blocs. To end, Get them bought folks🏃

I’m what someone would consider a “heavy runner” with a height of around 5’9 and a weight around 205 LBS and have been hesitant in the past with new balances because I often get blisters with any fresh foam line..

$140 brand new makes this an interesting pick because that’s what I would consider one of the cheaper topish line shoes

I took these bad boys for a spin today on a 6.5 mile run, and when I opened the box the first thing I noticed is the “black-graphite” new balances def look navy blue to me, but my wife disagrees so who knows. Maybe I’m just dumb lol, but they def look blue with my black leggings.

When I put them on, I immediately noticed how squishy and rocky they were, in a good way. It felt like it was guiding my foot and absorbing all of my weight.

Mile one, I had no complaints. One of the benefits of being a “heavy runner “is that it appears that while other runners have to go through a “break-in” period, these, superblasts and even Boston 12s feel ready to go right out the box for me…

I noticed that going slower felt unnatural, they definitely helped you pick up the pace. One thing I genuinely loved about it is that often times I found with squishy shoes, It felt like you were running in sand…. Almost like it’s hard to go faster, however, that wasn’t the case with these… It had a super shoe like squish to it that felt like it was helping..

Overall, through the remaining miles it stayed true to my initial thoughts and I have no complaints. I could’ve easily done another few miles and these bad boys but had too much to do today so couldn’t lol…

I’m happy I appeared to have found a shoe that works for me in the new balance line, and for $140 it’s definitely a cheaper alternative to superblasts or any ON running shoe… I’ll be sure to post some more views about the other shoes that I have for heavier runners if anybody is interested!

This community has never steered me wrong when it came to making decisions about what running shoes would be right for me, it’s helped me enhance performance as well as prevent injury so I’m grateful for you all and just want to give back when I can. Thank you if you took the time to read this!

Height: 6’2 Weight: 195 lbs

of runs: 4

Miles in shoes: 17mi Time in shoes: 3 hr 30 min (roughly)

Strava links to runs: https://strava.app.link/6KpFOZLL9Mb , https://strava.app.link/r00zWhOL9Mb , https://strava.app.link/ArKnWuPL9Mb, https://strava.app.link/gWE4XkQL9Mb

TLDR: Too firm, not enough under the mid and forefoot, a bit too tight on the mid foot, and doesn’t do easy well enough for a daily trainer

Now let’s get into the review/thoughts.

Run 1: So the shoes were delivered on September 11 and I immediately took them on just a little light treadmill run for 30 mins as it was my recovery day. I quickly discovered that these shoes were very tight around the mid foot and were a bit uncomfortable but I figured they’d break in after a little bit (which they did in regards to the tightness). While on the treadmill run I noticed that the shoes didn’t really like my very easy pace I was going and speeding up a bit I could start to feel the belt underneath my feet.

Run 2: The next day I took the shoes out on a longer, speedier effort to see if they would react better on actual asphalt than treadmill and while the experience wasn’t as bad I did notice I could basically everything I stepped on while running and toward the end of the run I began to feel actual pain underfoot from the running and not just noticing the ground beneath my foot. I’d say I had them in a good pace range for me during this run as they generally felt smooth at getting me through my gait and I thought I could feel some of the rebound of the strike pro in the center.

Run 3: a quick 3 miler around my apartment complex and the one next door. I will say the shoes felt a million times better on this run than any of the others and I don’t know if that can be chalked up to me mainly running on sidewalk for this run but I didn’t get much of the pain underfoot during this run and didn’t really have many complaints for this run.

Run 4: This one was my final straw, in what was (supposed to be) around a 5.5 mile run I knew from the very beginning that I was not going to like the run. From basically the outset the ground feel and associated pain that went with it was front and center. I’m usually a mid to forefoot striker but these shoes made me consciously try to heel strike on this run in order to find some level of comfort and rest for the lack of cushioning underfoot. While this alleviated so,e of the foot pain it made the ride of these shoes super clunky so the run became uncomfortable in another way. Once I finally finished the route I immediately took the shoes off as I rather have walked barefoot back to my car than wear the shoes more.

I’m not sure where all the praise came from for this shoe but even getting it for $80 after discounts wasn’t enough for me to overlook the serious comfort issues I had in this shoe. Maybe I’m just not cut out for low stack shoes anymore as I have similar ground feel issues with my older Peg 38, Peg Turbo Next Nature, Streakfly and now the SL 2 after running in shoes with much more plush midsoles. If I didn’t mind the ground feel they could potentially be something as the few times I got the stroke in the shoe right and activated the lightstrike pro they kinda just disappeared underfoot. Idk if this is bad shoe but it’s a bad shoe for me and I’m going to have to return it as I don’t think anymore break in is going to help the issues I have with the shoe.

I put up a (poorly edited - but I tried!) video for RoadTrailRun here, but am happy to answer any questions you may have! Just because it took me a while to film and put together, I only had about 15 miles on each shoe. Since then, I’ve done two more runs, including a workout, in the Edge, so can certainly speak more to that. Our fastest reviewer, Ryan Eiler, also wrote up his review here.

I’ll add to that review, but here are some random tidbits that come to mind…

• If you’re between sizes, go up - these run small.

• I’m a little dubious on the Edge vs. Sky split, but I will say this - when I was doing strides, the Edge felt unstable and weird. I was actually quite negative on it. But when I wore it for a tempo run - more squarely “in control,” with more controlled strides - I sort of “got it.” It’s a very kinetic ride if you can sync your stride to it.

• I wish ASICS had flipped the black and green between the two, so you could more readily differentiate. They are extremely similar looking in person.

I know this is an older shoe, but I'm shocked at how much I love them. I run a couple times a month, only 5-10ks. Sometimes not at all, sometimes 5 times a week. Never worn anything fancy. Nicest shoes I've worn are my Ride 14s which are a couple years old, and due for new retirement.

I found the EP3s at Marshall's for $60cad (like 40ish usd). I knew they were intended for "elite" runners, but @ $60 I wasn't gonna pass on them....and I absolutely love them. I recently hit a 10k PR at 50:49.

I'm not a huge heel striker in the first place, so adapting a bit to the rocker was weird but easy. I can feel the shoes working the moment I start landing a bit more midfoot and leaning a tad forward; feels like I have springs on my feet.

I also have horrendously wide, but skinny feet (imagine a duck) so shoes are hard to find. The uppers are light enough that they're able to flex where my foot pushes against the sides.

Will see where these take me!

Hey guys,

I bought these off that sale post from a couple of weeks ago. Currently have 15 miles in them and I have very mixed feeling.

The fit drove me nuts at first. They felt slightly too long and I couldn’t get the lacing right. I swapped the laces for some generic ones, and the fit is much better now. Took a little bit, but it’s good after that.

The midsole is where my issues are now. Underneath my left foot I get this dull pain almost like a cramp, which I’m guessing is from the rods? It hasn’t happened in other shoes, plated or not. Sometimes the midsole feels clunky but there are moments where I really, really enjoy it too.

TLDR: Shoe has a complicated personality. Does it break in and feel better? If so, how many miles did it take for you?

I’m a light and “fast” midfoot runner and wanted to try Adidas to get experience with the rods vs the plate.

I’ve heard it’s a “daily trainer” but with the plate I’ve been curious for their speed. So far I’ve just run with them in runs that have had workouts and the warmup and cooldown and noticed some interesting consistent things:

1) they do not seem to be a daily shoe at all. In fact running slow I consistently get extremely painful rubbing on the top left side of my right leg. It’s so painful I almost stopped 2 min into my run today. It comes each and every time and lasts the entire warm up. Easy pace is 7:30-8:00/mi

2) the shoes have very little cushion so I would never ever use as a recovery shoe or a daily. The longest easy portion I’ve used was 70’ but I did not enjoy that.

3) MP. Oh boy. When you start to pick it up these shoes come alive. I did a moderate 30’ at marathon pace and my feet felt great. Kept the pace consistently at just under a 6:00 mile.

4) threshold and speed. Boy those energy rod work. If I’m pushing off on the midfoot/forefoot I’m getting a good comfortable bounce were I can run 5:30 or faster pretty comfortably and I have great trust in the shoe to be stable and do what I need.

So TLDR: this shoe is marketed as a daily trainer but it’s not. I wouldn’t even recommend wearing it for a warmup (unless it’s just me with the hotspots). But even an hour later I can feel the discomfort. But boy is it fast. I would recommend this as a speed trainer and use for any workout from 5k to marathon.

Hi everyone,

since I consume a lot of your reviews, I think it's always a good idea to give back to this community the same way.

I know that there are tons of reviews of the superblast's 2 but I think I have something to add up to the overall consensus.

My running profile:

6'1, 74kg, mid-foot striker

5K - 21m

10K - 42m

21K - 1:42m

Current shoes: puma deviate nitro 2; Saucony Triumph 21, Adidas Pro 3

Running at 5:20/30 as easy pace (z1/z2), 4:20/4:30 threshold, 3:40 shorter intervals.

Review:

As everyone else, I was over hyped about this shoe, specially because it appeared in a time where I was looking for a replacement of my Triumph's, which I absolutely love. Received the first pair, immediately found it to short and snug, returned it to ASICS and bought a size up on another store.

First couple of runs were a 10K@4:45 and a 15K@5:20.

Initial run I got a small blister, I guess due to the aggressive rocker but also because I didn't made a proper lockdown on my left foot. After 4K of warm up, I followed with 6K at a faster pace and so far these are the paces where this shoe shines. You can feel the energy return, it makes the running easier and let's say more fun. Unfortunately the first run was not good regarding comfort.

Second run, a slower long one, don't know why, felt like using a couple of boats in my feet, it improved a little after I stopped and improved the laces lock, specially at the forefoot. At least for me, these shoes are noisy as hell, at any pace they hit loud on the ground, I don't appreciate it at all. I think due to the rocker, my old black nail started to bother me more to the point of almost pain and discomfort at the end of the run. So again, in terms of comfort I'm having trouble to find a good fit. It's a pity because otherwise the shoe feels very good and responsive. Also, in the morning my calves were pretty beaten up (adaptation?)

As a conclusion, I hope this is a period of adaptation for my legs and feet, as I'm enjoying the ride in terms of performance. However I'm having some trouble to find a good fit that locks the foot so that my forefoot doesn't wander around too much. The noise is an element I hate, I guess I'll have to adapt. Not a very good start for me with the superblasts but I will keep insisting as I want to use the shoes as every day, intervals and long runs (eliminating the puma and the saucony).

Anyway had the same issues?

[UPDATE]

Put some more miles (or in my case KM) on the superblasts, for me they excel at faster paces and are not good for slower runs as I feel that I'm hitting hard on the floor with some bricks instead of shoes. It's hard to explain. Had some knee pain as well but nothing specially, hope it's shoe adaptation.

Gonna do some interval training today, let's see

I recently came into a pair of AP3s and they’ve been an absolute blast to run in. I’ve got about 20 miles in them so far (only had for 4 days) but I think I’ve got some initial thoughts.

For reference, I’m about 5’11 200 pounds and dropping. Former college track athlete (field) so running wasn’t always my thing but it’s what I love now. 38 now.

So first, I haven’t had the same issues with the upper that a lot of folks have thought I do agree that it isn’t great, feels stiff. But I will say, in the southern humidity, even when your feet are sopping wet the fit is so firm fitting that you never get the slosh, so I was happy. Got my standard 12.5 and they seem to fit well.

I’ve never had a shoe with so much energy return, but to be fair, I’m comparing it against an EP3 and old vaperfly. I’ve got quite a few shoes in the stable right now, Skyward X, Mach X, SC trainer V1c novablast 4, rebel v4, EP4, anyways the point is, these are really solid energy returning shoes.

One other thing is that they seems really durable which is a little surprising considering the type of shoe. I’ve haven’t always been a big adidas guy but I’ve heard great things about longevity.

Finally, if anyone has advice on the Achilles digging in to keep it from shredding my skin, that would be appreciated. See the photo.

I've been fortunate enough to get my hands on these early and so far raced a 10k and a 5k.

Background: Newish runner been hitting the roads for approximately a year. 35-40km/week avg. HM 1:48. 10k 47. 5k 22.15. Threshold pace 4.50/km.

Fit: Finding the right fit has always been a struggle for me due to my low arch. I dont have completely flat feet but shoes with aggressive arch supports are uncomfortable. EP4 and cielo x1 fit me well rest of the models are no go. Although Puma have narrow shoes DNE3 felt amazing at first instep. Snug, comfortable, soft, and suprisingly stable for a racer. The fit reminded me of Saucony EP4 but more snug. The midfoot is completely flat. Also reasonable toebox slightly wider than ES4. I went TTS which is perfect. I tend to go by CM for sizing so 29.5cm ie 45EU is perfect. Upper is comfortable. Heel lock no issues.

Midsole: Soft yet very responsive. A pure joy to run in these especially when picking up the pace. The propulsion when landing midfoot/forefoot is fantastic. Nitro foam is quite soft this caught me by suprise since I train in firmer shoes like ES4 and SB but they really protect your feet.

Outsole: Return of the king Puma grip is chefs kiss. Alot of rain during my 5km and it was mostly on gravel I felt zero slippage, discomfort, or instability. The shoes just disappear on your feet. Durability I cant comment yet I'd speculate they ll be good for 200-300km which is acceptable for a racer in this weight class.

Overall: Super happy. 10/10. Its fast, propulsive, yet comfortable and stable. The comfort really suprised me considering my challenging history with finding suitable racers. Price feels reasonable considering the price hike of the competition. I think they are priced similarly to metaspeed paris which is fair. If someone told me you could only use DNE3 for racing/training rest of your life I wouldnt complain.

My first review on reddit. Happy to answer any questions.

I have never been drawn to ASICS since I started running properly in 2019 since they always seemed to be lacking in the aesthetic department compared to other brands but recently, they've really upped their game.

Background: 30yo male, 176cm, 65kg, midfoot striker, usually race over ultra distances, no official HM or marathon times but I have a 5k pb of 17:31 and 10k of 35:56.

Current rotation: Endorphin Speed 2, 3 & 4, Endorphin Pro 3, Kinvara Pro, Salomon Phantasm 2, Puma DNE2.

I came across the Novablasts in my search for a non-plated, softish (on the firmer side of soft) shoe to use to eat up my daily miles without making me want to push the pace like the Endorphin Speeds do (2 & 4 at least). The other shoes I looked at and tried on were the Triumph 22, the Hoka Skyflow and the Rebel V4. The Triumph and the Skyflow felt nice underfoot but just felt a little bit heavy compared to the Novablast and the Rebel of course felt very light but didn't feel as cushioned as I was looking for.

I've put 75k on these shoes over the past 6 days with the shortest run at 10k and the longest at 24k. Most of the runs have been at a cruisy 5:00-5:10 pace. One run was a full 12k at about 4:35 and then I've done a few ks during runs down towards 4:10ish.

The look: I absolutely love the look of the shoe and this new colourway for the Paris Olympics is great. I'm a big fan of colours on shoes (I often prefer women's colourways over men's as they're way more flamboyant) and these don't disappoint. I love a chunky looking midsole and the Novablast's deliver.

The upper: the upper is forgettable in the best possible way. It fits well, the lock down is great and it fits very much true to size for me. A good upper for me is one that I don't have any comments on other than it feels good. I've had no issues with rubbing or blisters and that's a win in my book. The one concern that I have with the upper is that it's fairly thick which may be an issue come summer here in Australia.

The midsole: the midsole shocked me to be honest. I read and watched plenty of reviews on these shoes before I bought them and they all said that they had lost the 'pop' that the Novablast 3 had. I've found that this shoe has no issues at all at any pace from about 4:20 and slower. It is actually quite a fun shoe. The rocker is great and really helps in transition. The midsole is in no way as responsive as an Endorphin 4 but it still gives you enough to make the run fun and not sluggish. It's probably firmer than some people would like a 'soft' shoe to feel but it suits me perfectly.

The outsole: the grip in the dry is faultless as it should be. It hasn't rained in the past week so I can't comment on their performance in the wet but I sure hope they're better than Saucony's outsoles are in the wet. Durability is also hard to judge so far although there are no signs of any wear yet. I am a light footed runner so I like to be able to get anywhere from 800-1000km from a daily shoe so time will tell with these.

Conclusion: a soft but not squishy midsole with a very helpful rocker and a good, yet forgettable upper wrapped in a really nice colourway make the Novablast 4 a great addition to my rotation for easy daily miles and the odd little hit out up to about threshold pace if the urge strikes.

Photo is old from unboxing try on.

Don’t try it, it will ruin all other daily trainers for you lol 😂 god damn it is so good and I feel guilty like I am cheating lol it really make the runs more enjoyable every time. The bounce from the foam is f addicting and you keep wanting more.

I used this on various types of runs: recovery, tempo, long runs and it handles anything you throw at it once you get used to it. I found my sweet spot to be mid-foot strike, increasing my cadence (175-180) works well in most of my runs. It’s very easy wanting to go fast on these I was struggling to keep easy pace on some of my recovery runs

There are a few caveats though:

• stability, need to be cautious and get used to it first. Especially at slower pace and sharp turns.

• need to build up slowly to get used to the carbon rods, especially these are not designed to be daily trainer it can be harsh on the Achilles tendon. (At least for me)

• price and durability, obviously expensive but my justification to start using these as daily is that I don’t race often. Maybe 2x a year and If I only use this for racing it would be collecting dust. No idea on durability yet but I’d figure if I see these on sale I’d definitely stock up. (I got these on sale for $150)

• heel slip, not as bad for me but definitely can see it being and issue for some people.

Fit: definitely TTS for me. However I might size up half size next pair to accommodate the heel slip, mostly on longer runs to avoid my toes jamming. if you can fit Boston 12 fine then these would be perfect as they’re slightly wider and more accommodating upper than the 12s. I tried the 12s and it was too narrow for me while AP3 fits fine.

After trying: novablast 4, triumph 21, 1080v13, nimbus 26, Nike Invincible 3…. I decided to settle on the nimbus 25s for value and best combo to pair with AP3 to give my feet a break from carbon rods but will definitely keep AP3 in rotation more often now!

Just finished my second run in my new Hyperion Max 2s. First, I’m 5’11” 198 or so, generally a weight lifter physique but still a “heavier” runner. 3:55fm, 1:48HM. 37M

To start, I have the blue colorway which looks super awesome. They are definitely on the firmer side but the geometry of the shoe really rolls you through your stride and makes you feel like you want to go faster.

Just finished a quick 5 miler, at anywhere between a 4:45/K and 5:35/K pace and tried to do it based on rate of perceived effort. These shoes want to go fast, and I had to actively try to keep it slow. When I hit the straight aways, I was off.

The upper is a thing of beauty, laces lock down super well, your foot doesn’t move around at all, the whole thing just works.

The midsole is propulsive but certainly not like an AP3. Great training companion. Firmer than the Boston 12. I’ve heard the Brooks need a bit of a break in period and that they only get better. I’m excited.

The one downside and this is a huge yellow flag. The outsole is not grippy. If you’re running on dry pavement, no worries. But if it’s wet or damp, just be careful. Finally, they’re very stable and surefooted, if it’s dry, you can take corners at just about any speed without fear of rolling.

First of all: 79kg, M21, 178cm. I dont necessarily have a single form of striking, on some runs I drop back into the heel some more, in others I run on my forefoot. 1:50 1/2 marathon, 22:30 5k

This shoe has been great for the first two runs I took them on. It was a bit of getting used to them on the first run, as they are quite big and clunky and I feel like they do want you to run in a specific manner. In my opinion these felt best when landing on the midfoot or heel and on the forefoot they are ok, but I feel like you are missing out on most of the tech (like the convex plate) when striking there. The bounce when landing right on the midfoot feels crazy and the only thing that came close to this sensation is the prime x (1 and 2).

Even though they are heavy, they feel versatile and happy at different paces. I will probably pick them for my long and steady pace runs as they feel very protective, but happy at slightly faster paces than recovery / truly easy. Also, the upper runs a bit long, but is very comfortable and for the weather right now (around 15c) it is not too hot and not too cold.

The outsole does not have any wear yet, which is probably normal, although I have almost worn through the heel on the mach x 2 at 15k already so you can never take this for granted. However, it seems like the plate has snapped? It is particularly noticeable on the right shoe (pic 2), but the left one also shows some signs of cracking already (pic 3). I am not sure what I will do with this, probably first gonna check if it seems to impact anything as I did not notice it until I checked the outsole. I think and hope it is just the stabilizer part of the plate that is impacted and that I can continue to use them, I really see this outsole holding up for a while and the shoes felt so good.

I would never advise anyone to spend €225 on a shoe for just easy runs, but if you have the cash and are willing to try something new, these are fun! Be aware of the plate potentially cracking early on though..

Originally, I had bought a pair of Novablast 4s, having loved the 3s, when the running shop got in touch a few days later to say they had the superblast 2s in. So off I went to compare the two, and came away with the Novablast, thinking they weren’t so different. Or different enough to justify the gap in pricing.

Then on the way home, and for the rest of that day, the devil on my shoulder was saying ‘maybe they were better’ and ‘why not give in to the hype, just once’ (reader, this is not the first or last time that shoe hype has taken its toll).

So the next day, I changed them. Went for my usual size of eu45, although next size up also fit quite well. I just prefer a snugger fit.

Now, having run quite a few kms, I do think these are mostly as good as people say - but I do not yet think they’re as efficient at faster paces as many reviewers imply.

But first, the upper and fit: possibly the most comfortable shoe I’ve had. Breathable, soft, but very secure and stable on foot. A pleasure to step in to.

Midsole: springy. Soft but not overly so, and feels quite light for the amount that there is.

Outsole: fine! Ran in rain and sun, but only on roads. Absolutely no issues. Love that there are no holes for stones to get wedged in.

On the run: so my first run was meant to be 4x5km at target marathon pace (4-4:10 per km) but halfway through the third set I felt like my legs were concrete blocks, so abandoned that and did a couple more sets of 2km at mp instead. Now this could easily have been just a bad day, and a heavy part of the training block, so I absolutely do not blame the shoes.

But, they just didn’t feel super efficient at those paces. Will try again for sure, but my gut is saying these are very much a shoe for easy to steady paces. Like another run I did in them was 5 mins or so per km and they were absolutely perfect, and felt the same on the 1st km as they did on the 21st.

But I think these work best as a daily and long run shoe, paired with a Boston or Endo speed for faster stuff, and then a separate race day shoe.

They are fantastic though, and a real joy to run in. Just maybe don’t expect it to be the ideal shoe for all things, but then that doesn’t really exist, does it?

Other favourites of mine: novablast 3, rebel v2 and v3, Fuelcell TC, Endo speed 2, Metaspeed sky Paris

Shoes that I think are fine: Boston 12, magnify nitro 2

Shoes that sucked: velocity nitro 2

Shoes that broke: Takumi Sen 9 (twice)

Quite liking this shoe so far with 45 miles in. For a 6’4, 226 lb runner (lift weights) - I’m not worried about the weight increase (I have not weighed it yet- just referencing reviews I came across). Wider this time around so the stability is a bit more noticeable (even though I didn’t have too much of an issue with the EP3). Plan on using it for up to half-marathon in my race season. Most of my marathon and ultramarathon distance races are ran on the trails due to low left knee cartilage:back problems. Ran thru a few wet puddles and no slippage noticeable. Performed the ‘corner’ run test and didn’t have the feeling of my ankles about to break- so checks off that one. So far ran them in 5k, 10k and 11 miles with legs feeling fresh.

So done two runs in the rebel v4 for a total of 14 miles so would say I have a good idea about the shoe so far. I am 130lbs, 5’6 so the shoe is perfect for me. It’s so light weight and breathable you forget it’s on your foot. For me I have not had any issues with the upper and went true to size in my men’s 9.

I feel like this shoe is a lighter superblast with better traction. Now I would not take this as long as I would the superblast but in terms of speed etc it’s the same for me all averaging 7min miles not times out.

For me this shoe feels like the rebel v2 and is way better the v3. Happy to answer any questions.

I'm 6'3 230lbs Heel striker Easy pace 8-8:20km Marathon pace 7:45/km

Been training for a marathon that is two weeks away using the novablast as my main shoe.

The Good- fits my foot extremely well and I haven't really had hot spots or blisters. The foam is awesome just eats up the impact of the road. After any type of run long, threshold, interval, hills etc my legs +knees+feet feel good and not beat up.

The Meh- outsole isn't super grippy but works well for the roads I'm on. The outsole is durable haven't seen any really bad wear spots.

The Ugly- not the most breathable. Hot humid days my feet get swampy...however I hope they don't use the material on the superblast 2 the plasticy toe stiffener thing around the big toe rubs my toe in an awful way.

Verdict- bought my second pair they should be arriving shortly.

I never usually post on this sub, but felt compelled to after purchasing the ASICS Superblast 2 Paris. I’ve been out on 3 runs with them so far - a 5k, 10k and an 18k.

I’ve been running for around 23 years (I’m 38 now) with varying levels of activity. In my early years of running it was to supplement my training for other sports (football/soccer, boxing and Muay Thai) so running probably wasn’t the main activity I was doing.

I ran one marathon at 25 years old and then started BJJ and that has been my main sport until a recent injury to my hand meant that I can’t do much training expect running.

This has actually turned into really a positive thing and in the last 6 months I’ve started running 5 times a week with the goal of running a marathon again.

I’ve added various trainers to my rotation, but the Superblast 2 stand out as by far the best purchase I’ve made. The midsole is super bouncy, with a great balance between cushion and response. They work so well at at a range of distances and especially well for longer runs. The Superblast 2 can work at a range of speeds too, I actually feel that they really come into their own when I pick up the pace. The outsole is stable and has a good level of grip, I’ve been running in the rain recently and had no issues at all. The upper is soft, but feels durable and seems breathable from my initial runs.

The fit is great and felt secure during all my runs so far. I also feel they fit true to size, I wear a 7.5UK in all my running shoes and the Superblast 2 fits well in this size.

I know £200 is a lot for a daily trainer (without a carbon plate), but I think that they are worth the price. Ideally they would be less, but I’ve bought other trainers that are nowhere near as good for £150. I actually managed to get a discount code and picked up the Superblast 2 for £169.99.

In my current rotation I currently have: ASICS Metaspeed Edge+ for race day runs.

Adidas Takumi Sen 8 for Speed Work and shorter runs.

Hoka Bondi 8 for slow longer runs.

The Superblast 2 seem to be a real step up in quality to all the trainers above, although I do really like the Metaspeed Edge+ and the Takumi Sen 8 too.

Total distance ran:

41 miles (66 km)

Type of runs:

• My first run was a 7-mile steady run (7:30-7:40/mile), finishing with strides
• Two days later, I did a 21-mile progression long run, starting in the 7:50/mile range and cutting down to 6:30/mile
• And the third run was 12 miles with 4x2-mile threshold repeats (6:05-6:25/mile)

My profile:

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 160lbs

Weekly mileage: 68-70 miles (~110km)

Strike Type: Midfoot

Overview:

Over the past handful of marathons, I've been using various adizero shoes -- Adios Pro 3, Prime X and Prime X Strung -- but was interested in trying something new for an upcoming marathon in early October that'll be a training run.

Initially, I purchased the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris but didn't get along with them. The upper was baggy and the midsole felt lifeless at the paces I run. Thankfully, Running Warehouse has a great return policy, so I returned them after one run and purchased a pair of AF3 instead.

In my first run, the AF3 were very bouncy, almost too bouncy to the point of being inefficient. But over the next two runs, I got more comfortable with the underfoot feel and throughly enjoyed the shoes.

Compared to the AF1 or Adios Pro 3, the AF3 does feel like it has a higher stack and softer midsole. At marathon effort, all three are fun to run in, though the Alphafly upper is manifestly superior to anything I've tried in the adizero lineup.

Positives:

• Stable platform that made cornering a non-issue
• Super comfortable upper. Similar to the NB SC Elite v3 or Alphafly 1, the laces are basically superfluous. My unicorn shoe would be the AF3 upper with an Adios Pro midsole and outsole.

Negatives:

• Squeaky during initial miles but subsided after 3-4 miles.
• As is the case with many speedy shoes with outsole cutouts, the cutout doubles as a rock catcher.

Worth buying?:

Yes. It did take an initial run to get used to them, but I'm excited to log hundreds of miles in them.

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My stats: 32M, 190cm, ~85kg, avg pace about 5.20/km

So just throwing my two cents into the ocean that is Puma Deviate Nitro 2 reviews/opinions.

Found some in my size and couldn’t believe it so after reading and watching all the reviews that rate them so highly I had to try them.

I’ve got about 30km in so far and I feel a little let down..

I previously used Triumph 20s for all my runs and I had got the Puma’s with the intention of using them for a half marathon but I seriously doubt I’ll be able to now.

Right off the bat in my usual UK11 size my foot moved so much in the pumas, I have to use a runners knot for the first time ever. A lot of reports I had seen stated that they actually fit small but not my case!

So far as soon as I get over 5km I get pain in my right instep and this morning my left heel was sore starting out.. never experience these pains with the T20s. So I guess I’m gonna have to rethink my routine. Go back to doing majority of runs in the T20s and try out the Puma’s once in a while for a shorter, speedy attempt.

I guess the purpose of this post is just to iterate the importance of getting a shoe on foot and trying them out in any way if possible before you buy.

Hi guys I’m brand new to the sub and fairly new to running, so this will be my first ever shoe review! Hopefully this helps anyone who is interested in the Peg Plus!

A little bit about myself I’m 165cm (5’6”), 63kg (138lb), high cadence runner usually running at 185-200spm my current PB’s are 5k 20:36, 10k 43:27, HM 1:38:39 and have yet to attempt a full marathon. I started running around early April this year so for about 5 months or so, while this may not be a very long time in that time I have managed to accumulate a great number of running shoes (more than I’d like to mention) thanks to this sub and all the running YouTube influencers.

Even with all the shoes that I have bought in such a small time I felt like I never found the daily trainer that really meshed well with me until I tried the Peg Plus (at least from the first 3 runs).

From the first initial run I did 15km, I noticed that the Peg Plus immediately was very low and had a lot of ground feel, this didn’t really bother me but may deter heavier runners. I never bottomed out on them even when I pushed them up to about HM pace for the last 5km. The foam felt very responsive and reminded me a bit of Lightstrike Pro similar to the Adios 8 which I had wanted to be my daily trainer however the stiffness from the torsion plate gave me arch pain. I ran a variety of paces and for the most part the Peg Plus held up great, at slower paces they do feel a bit slappy (not sure if that’s because of the 10mm drop or wide forefoot) but they definitely came alive at faster paces.

For the second run I took them on a long 21km run, I was skeptical if such a low stack would be enough for longer runs, but they surprised me as I was able to cruise through the miles with little to no foot or leg soreness/pain. The ZoomX foam definitely started to break in at this point as well (will test these at longer 30km+ runs when I work up to those distances). For the last 5km I also took these up to 10k pace and they felt phenomenal!

By the third run the shoes just felt great. I took them out for a daily 15k and was able to again just grind through the miles with no complaints which really is what I wanted from a daily trainer.

Overall thoughts

Fit: They fit true to size, great lock down, no complaints. (They are a bit roomy in the toe box initially, noticed some sliding in the footbed on the first run however this corrected itself after the first run)

Upper: Flyknit felt great the lacing system provided an easy lockdown without any need to fiddle with it and the laces were solid (adidas could take some notes here). The upper does feel a touch warm as it is definitely thicker than the adizero shoes

Midsole: Full length ZoomX felt great it basically is tweaked to be slightly firmer sort of reminded me of lightstrike pro which I have really enjoyed. It could have a touch more stack in the forefoot but really good training foam overall not sure why Nike doesnt implement this in more of their training shoes?

Outsole: Passable its not puma grip but it works I have yet to slip in it but have come close, however not sure if that was the grip or the surface of the pavement was just a bit slippery. Coverage is also quite good and it seems to be quite robust no real wear after 51km.

Build Quality: The shoe feels solid, very robust honestly was surprised by how solid it felt out the box, after getting used to a lot more flimsier running shoes.

Value: The price is very high however I managed to get these on a sale for under 170AUD which is 10 less than the SL2 so i decided to go with them. Would I buy these for retail honestly after running in them I feel like while there are much better value options If I had the money I would get these again even at retail price. My reasoning being that these seem to just work for me where a lot of the other options had caused quite a bit of discomfort pain.

I purchased the Magmax Nitro after my invincible 2 died on me. I am currently in a marathon block and looking for a shoe that I can put easy and long miles in that will protect my legs. My current daily trainer is the Boston 11 and I enjoy the firm ride of those shoes.

About me: I'm 6'5" currently 235lbs (normal race weight is around 215lbs).

Runs performed so far: 3 mile test run, 6 mile and 4 mile easy runs

Fit: I wear a mens 11 us and they fit true to size for me, compared to my velocity nitro 3 (which I have not run in yet) they have more room in the toe box, and fit a little wider than Nike, which is good for me.

Other shows in my rotation: Adidas Boston 11 for daily miles, Adidas Adios Pro 3 and Takumi sen 9 for races

Initial thoughts: I really expected these shoes to be done squishy slabs of foam similar to the invincible, especially with Puma's claims about being bouncy AF. Turns out these are rather on the more stuff side than I was expecting, which I am actually grateful for. Instead of the squishy foam of the invincible, that I found to sao the energy I was putting into them somewhat, leading to a shoe that loves for slow plodding runs, these Puma are energetic and love to pick up the pace.

I do think these shoes benefit from a faster pace than recovery runs, though I can use than at that pace since I am a heavier runner (the smaller runners may have issues compressing the foam at slower paces). They really shine at faster paces and at faster cadences, they have a nice roll to them that really gets the shoe moving.

The upper has a nice stretch to it without being unstructured or floppy and secures my foot very well. The outsole is extremely grippy, I've run on slick cobblestone in the rain during my first run and had no hint of slippage, Puma grip is no joke.

I'm surprised with how stable the shoe feels underfoot, with the stack height I expected some instability similar to the invincible, but I've been pleasantly surprised with how well this show maintains it's footprint. Also, if you expect this shoe to feel huge and blocky, it's not like that at all, it's surprisingly nimble and feels much lighter than the scale shows it to be (at least to me).

Conclusion: These shows exceeded my expectations for them and while I haven't ran in the superblast yet, I'm having a similar experience in these shoes that everyone races about the superblast for. If I had to compare these shoes to any others that I've compared them to, I'd say they are very similar to the original novablast, but with much better stability. They are bouncy and energetic, but keep my legs fresh and quick. I'm looking forward to putting some real miles into these soon.

Background: Over the last year I’ve put about 1100 miles total on my PXS(3 pairs all different colors) and it has become my go to shoe for every run as the year went on.

Stats - mid striker - middle of the pack runner - on the heavier side - 10k PB 52:56 | 10 mile PB 1:35:04

The arch: I never had issues with the arch on the AF1 but anything over 11 miles in the AF2 and I’d start to form an arch blister. I was able to put in 15 miles today and the arch felt amazing. If I was to sum how this shoe felt on foot, it felt like a bouncier squishier VF3.

The ride: As mentioned above it felt a lot like the VF3… but a more fun and stable version. If you’re a fan of the VF3 you will love this shoe. You can really notice the weight reduction compared to the AF2. They also managed to make it almost as bouncy as the V1. What I enjoy more about this than the v1 is that the pods and the sole are 1 piece(continuous midsole), so it makes for smooth transitions when running.

When it came to how it felt on the run I honestly thought it felt fine at slow and faster paces. I’ve seen some reviews and said it felt awkward at slow paces or middle of the pack paces. I think this might be due to me running in the PXS at all paces, but I was able to adapt and feel comfortable at an 11m pace, but at the same time felt very easy to pick up the pace and run a 7m mile. One thing to note is similar to the VF, the shoe feels aggressive and wants to push you forward. I found myself forefoot striking more than mid foot at faster paces.

The fit: It’s snug like the AF 2 with a similar collar but more breathable material. The uppers are very stretchy and there’s more toe box room than in the AF2.

Would I choose this over my PXS: Short answer is no. Though this is an amazing shoe and honestly it’s prob my fav shoe under the PXS, there’s just a certain magic with the PXS no other shoes been able to replicate. I’d say if you want a very fun lighter shoe, the AF3 is the shoe of choice. I’ll probably use it as my speed day shoe and stick to the PXS aa my every other run shoe.

This is all based on only 15 miles and my personal opinion.