Asics Superblast 2: First Thoughts

What You Need To Know

Intro to the Asics Superblast 2

Is the Asics Superblast 2 the most anticipated shoe release of 2024? Judging from the amount of DMs after posting a photo of the shoe in my Instagram stories, I’m gonna say yes. Those are verifiable metrics, even if I get the same amount of responses from finding a $5 bill on the ground. 

In all seriousness, this really is the shoe that people have been waiting for. It’s been two years since the original Superblast came out of nowhere and quickly reached beloved status with runners everywhere. It was really one of the first super trainers, those shoes that come equipped with the same foam found in race day shoes. While most of them also come with a carbon fiber plate, this one did not. It didn’t matter, because it was still a shoe that could do everything well, from daily training to long runs to tempo work and even race day.

A slow trickle of interest in the shoe became a word-of-mouth tsunami, quickly catapulting the shoe to the top of runners’ lists for best overall running shoe. Asics straight up ran out of stock, something you probably noticed if you tried to track down a pair within the last six months.

Like Stringer Bell on the streets of Baltimore, Asics wants to put that word out that we back up. The Asics Superblast 2 is here and it is on sale next week (July 5, to be exact).

Our full review is coming soon, but for now, here are our first thoughts on the shoe.

What’s New for the Asics Superblast 2

For the most part, the design and construction of the shoe is the same, with some slight tweaks and material improvements throughout. 

The biggest change is in the upper, which is now made of a one-piece woven engineered mesh. It’s stretchy and comfortable and fits better than the first version. The midsole design is mostly the same, save for the actual geometry which mimics the shape of the Gel-Nimbus 26. Materially, the midsole now uses a full top layer of Flytefoam Turbo Plus, the same midsole found in the Metaspeed Sky/Edge Paris, the top-tier race day shoes from Asics. The thin bottom layer is composed of Flytefoam Blast Plus Eco and the outsole now uses ASICSGRIP instead of AHAR PLUS.

The shoe comes with a slight weight gain (~.4 ounces), now 8.8 ounces/249 grams for a US M9.

The price point stays the same at $200.

Our First Thoughts on the Asics Superblast 2

Currently, Meaghan has over 40 miles in the shoe, which is enough to merit a full review, but the rest of the team is getting their mileage, so we’ll give our first thoughts for now.

First, let us allay any fears– this is every bit as good as the first version of the shoe. 

The upper is improved, with a better fit and more comfort all around. The midsole needs no break-in period, which is probably the most marked difference over the first version. It feels like love at first ride from the get-go. If anything, it’s a touch softer but still provides an equal amount of versatility between any type of training. It may be an even better long run shoe, but still manages to pick up the pace seamlessly.

Point being– if you loved the first version, you’ll still love this one. Personally, I felt like there’s very little change in the ride (and that’s a good thing). Thomas felt the same way. Meg feels that it’s a touch more responsive. In her words: “If I could pick one shoe for everything, this would be it.” Asics didn’t f*ck it up, which– for whatever reason– is a hard thing for brands to do.

The weight gain is slight and really not noticeable on the run. It’s worth it just to not have to pick out rocks from the midsole cutouts. 

The ASICSGRIP rubber compound is an upgrade from the AHARPLUS, which was already solid.* It’s the same rubber used in the Asics trail line, including the surprisingly capable Fuji Lyte series. The grip seems fine in dry conditions, no issues at all, but once we get a rainfall around here, we’ll let you know how it performs on wet roads.

To answer the question everyone is asking: Yes, this is the Superblast as it should be. And you can pick it up for $200 on July 5. If you love it, you should probably snag another pair while you can, because it’s never going to get discounted and it may be hard to acquire further down the road.

You can pick up the Asics Superblast 2 at Running Warehouse for $200 by using the shop link below.

*EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this article stated that ASICSGRIP was the low-level rubber compound from Asics, which was incorrect (that’s AHAR). ASICSGRIP is the tackier and stickier rubber used in the Asics trail line.