TEST: ASICS Blazeblast - running shoes for gravel and trails

In the fall, my choice in front of the shoe rack can become a bit harder. Some running shoes feel slippery when the pavement gets wet or when my route takes me through gravel paths and country roads after a rain shower. For such runs, most trail shoes can feel a bit like overkill. So what do you do then?

In the cycling world, gravel is a known concept. A gravel bike is not a mountain bike, nor is it the fastest choice for a road ride. However, it is really good for something in between. Gravel roads combined with road, country roads, forest trails, and all the rides where the surface changes several times along the way.

With Blazeblast ASICS has tried to do the same with a running shoe: to create a gravel shoe that is not the fastest on the pavement, nor does it handle the most technical terrain. But instead excels on gravel, trails, and all the runs with changing surfaces. And spoiler: I actually think they've done well.

Blazeblast: A Blast shoe with new possibilities

Having a running shoe that can handle both pavement and forest trails is not new. Trabuco has in previous generations been described as a door-to-trail shoe, and we also know several ATR models (all terrain). But there is still something that feels different about Blazeblast. It doesn't feel like a trail shoe that can handle pavement, but more like a road shoe that can handle gravel and trails.

Blazeblast is part of ASICS' Blast family and thus a kind of cousin to Novablast and Superblast. In the Blast series, foam and cushioning are in focus. Blazeblast is the first in the Blast family to leave the pavement and venture onto the trails.

This is actually good news if you know the others in the family. If you run in Novablast and like it, there's a good chance you'll also like Blazeblast. It's the same foam, and the feel underfoot is related. You just get an outsole that doesn't give up when the pavement ends.

Soft heel mixed with FF BLAST MAX

When I run in Blazeblast, there's one thing I notice a lot. How soft and comfortable it feels. Especially in the heel. It's most noticeable in the first kilometers on the road before I even hit gravel. It just feels like a regular training shoe, and I don't think about the lugs underneath. This is not a given in a shoe with grip, and it's a bigger part of why I like them than I expected.

The midsole is FF BLAST MAX, and there's plenty of it. On top sits a trampoline pod in the forefoot, which is supposed to give a little extra energy in the take-off. However, I don't feel the pod as much as I do in Novablast; it seems more subdued here. I can sense the idea behind the soft heel and more responsive forefoot, but the pod doesn't steal the show.

ASICS Blazeblast: Upper and fit

The first time I put my foot in, I didn't think "trail shoe". There's plenty of padding in the heel, and none of the stiff reinforcements you usually feel in trail shoes. The upper is engineered woven mesh, and it's comfortable and nice on the foot.

The shoe is slightly narrower than ASICS Novablast , which I also tested recently. It's not the forefoot in general, but more at the toes that it's a bit narrower. However, it hasn't caused me any issues. If you're a bit wide at the toes and run long distances, it's worth considering.

I usually wear US 7.5, and I've once again gone with the same size here with Blazeblast. So I'd call it true to size.

ASICS Blazeblast

Grip on wet gravel

There's a country road on one of my regular routes where the gravel lies loose on the hard surface. I've skated around on it in my regular running shoes after rain. I didn't do that in the same way with ASICS Blazeblast. It's hard to put precise numbers on such things, but it just feels more secure, as if the shoe grips the surface a bit instead of sliding over it. 

And just as importantly: the lugs don't feel noticeable when running on pavement. There's no sense of standing "on top of something". The lugs are 2.5 millimeters, where a trail shoe typically has four to five. The rubber is a hybrid version of ASICSGRIP, and the outsole doesn't cover the entire surface but has a cut through the middle to save weight.

Who is ASICS Blazeblast for?

After more than a month in them, I think Blazeblast lives up to what it should.

First and foremost, it's a shoe for mixed surfaces. If you run like me on routes with both pavement, country roads, and some forest trails, it can be used all year round. Additionally, it also provides something extra in the fall and winter when even the pavement can get slippery.

However, if you're going to run dedicated trails, it's not the shoe. Soft ground, mud, and technical terrain are beyond what the 2.5 millimeters can handle, and the soft and relatively high build makes it less stable as soon as the surface becomes really uneven. And if you only run on dry pavement, you won't benefit from the grip. So you're carrying around an outsole you'll never use, and there are faster and more direct shoes for that kind of run.

But if you hit somewhere in between, it's a shoe worth looking at. I can easily imagine it being one I reach for now that fall has started. I run a lot between fields and roads, and there I can miss a bit of extra grip.

Need more for autumn?

If it gets dark and wet on your runs, shoes are only half the story. We have a wide selection of running jackets and reflectors , so you can keep going when the weather turns.

Curious about the rest of ASICS' range? Check out our full selection of shoes and clothing from the brand. You can also read my review of ASICS Novablast 6 .