This is the best volume shoe of the year. Period!
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Now you don´t really need to read the rest of the review in principle. Because its going to circle around the fact that Asics Novablast 3 is the best volume shoe ever made. But you should know that the review is done by me, Emil - a man smitten with Asics Novablast 2 to a degree that I bought two pairs and wore them to bits which is very rare when a great deal of my working responsibilities is to test a variety of running shoes.
So, what makes Asics Novablast 3 so good? Well, it combines a lot of those things that are vital for a volume shoe in a really cool way. It has a minimal weight of 244 g in my US9 (42,5 EU) and 210 in women´s US 7,5 (39 EU). It has an airy and breathable upper which still wraps itself comfortably and safely around my foot. And last but not at all least, it has been designed with FF Blast+ foam in the midsole which makes it reach a perfect balance of being very soft and cushioning and still very responsive.
To sum up, I would say that its light, comfortable, soft and bouncy.
Asics Novablast 3 - Effortless, balanced and less extreme
What I value most in a running shoe is when it can provide me with a feeling of effortlessness. I would like to feel that I am just floating along without my shoes feeling heavy or landing heavily. And that is essentially the reason why I am crazy about Asics Novablast 3 as it makes my workouts feel effortless!
Kasper Tillgaard
Compared to the previous version, Asics Novablast 3 does not feel as extreme. Its more balanced. You don´t get the ”wow-blast” experience but instead you just get a sense that everything works. Deeper cushioning in a lighter package. And actually its somewhat strange that the shoe has improved but has lost its "wow-factor". Now, its just nice, light and balanced.
There are two reasons why Asics have been able to make Novablast 3 lighter than the predecessor. One is that FF Blast+ is lighter than the foam in the previous version. This has enabled Asics to add even more foam to the shoe and FF Blast+ is even more bouncy than the previous FF Blast-foam. The other reason for the shoe being lighter is the fact that Novablast 3 has been designed with a thinner layer of rubber on the outsole in the regular version.
Kasper Tillgaard
Asics Novablast 3 – Modern and new
Another new thing is that Asics Novablast 3 is now released in two versions. A normal version and a TR-version. The normal version is designed for pavement and asphalt while the TR-version is intended for forest trail - not strictly trail like the completely narrow and technical version but more regular forest-/dirt trail. Therefore you should consider where you plan to use the shoes. I have tried both models and both of them can be used in each others territories but TR no doubt works better in the forest while the regular one works better on asphalt.
Asics Novablast 3 is the frontrunner among Asics´more modern running shoes. I think its by far the best volume shoe in the current market. Its a running shoe that every person could potentially benefit from. It has become even more stable, so if you previously have felt that Novablast was slightly unstable, Asics have fixed that problem. If you are used to running in a classic volume shoe like Asics Nimbus or Asics Cumulus, I would really recommend that you try out the Asics Novablast 3. I am certainly completely blown away.
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