Asics Superblast 2 Review: Pack Up, Go Home, This One Wins

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Asics Superblast 2

ROBBE: There’s a strong case to be made that the Asics Superblast 2 is the most anticipated shoe release of 2024. At the very least, it’s a shoe that’s in the crosshairs of any serious running shoe nerd’s radar.

It’s been two years since the original Superblast came out of nowhere and quickly reached beloved status as one of the first true super trainers, those shoes that seem to do it all and are often equipped with the same foam and/or plate technology that’s typically found in race day shoes. While the Superblast is not plated, it did offer a big slab of Flytefoam Turbo underfoot, which made it a shoe that could do everything well, from daily training to long runs to tempo work and even race day.

What began as a slow trickle of interest in the shoe quickly gained steam and became a word-of-mouth tsunami, catapulting the shoe to the top of many runners’ lists as the best overall running shoe. The stoke was so high that Asics had trouble keeping up with demand and eventually 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 let the world know we back up. The Asics Superblast 2 is here, and it will be widely available on July 5 (though the pre-order sales have been hotter than a bottle rocket’s backside on Independence Day).

The changes are minimal but significant — a reformulated upper and a midsole with a Flytefoam Turbo Plus top layer and Flytefoam Blast Plus Eco bottom layer. Also, AsicsGrip rubber on the outsole, the same tacky substance used in the trail line. It picked up a tiny bit of weight, but not enough to really make a difference on the run.

At this point, you probably just want us to tell you if Asics f*cked it up or not. Let’s find out.

MEAGHAN: As Robbe noted, the Asics Superblast 2 is likely one of the most anticipated shoes of 2024. The original Superblast became one of my favorite shoes ever (albeit after a decent break-in period.) I loved that shoe so much that I wore it for the Tokyo Marathon last year and probably have more miles on it than any other shoe I own. I was eager and nervous to lace up version two, and now that I’ve logged plenty of miles on it, let’s dive in.

THOMAS: I’ll keep it straight to the point. I used the Superblast for everything last year. Easy runs, tempos, and, yes– the Tokyo Marathon. Sometimes, a shoe feels like a compromise when it isn’t built for a specific task. However, that’s not the case with the Superblast. It is one of the most versatile running shoes ever made. If the Superblast has one knock, it would be that when you first start running in it, you don’t notice anything exceptional about it.

When I first tried the original Superblast, I was like… meh. It was like a song that you’re ambivalent towards on first listen, but over time, it sets its hooks into your head and eventually becomes an all-time favorite. For me, that was The Smiths’ “The Queen is Dead.” When I first heard it, I was disappointed. I thought I wasted my cash on a mediocre collection of songs. Eventually, the album became a persistent soundtrack for my life spanning the past four decades. If you give the Superblast some solid miles, you’ll find the running shoe relationship you never knew you were missing. It’s like a light that never goes out.

So, like a lot of Superblast fans, I hoped that Asics didn’t do anything to mess up the popular trainer. Let’s see if the queen survives.

What we like about the Asics Superblast 2

ROBBE: I’m gonna let Meg and Thomas handle the bulk of this review. I got around 25 miles in, but Meg’s probably closer to 100 at this point and Thomas is somewhere in between. I’ll let them confirm that below.

The first two runs in this shoe were not good, through no fault of the shoe. My legs were still cooked from a hard effort at the Broken Arrow 11K, proof that I’m not built for mountains or just generally out of shape. Maybe I’m just not built for running. I took a few days off, got some good sleep, came back with fresh legs, and my third run in the shoe felt good and great, thanks to the ride of the Superblast 2 and a rare July break from mid-Atlantic humidity.

I’ll get straight to the point: If you loved the Superblast, you’re still going to love the Superblast. Aside from the upper, I think you’d have a hard time telling the two apart. The weights are similar, the midsole design is nearly identical, the dual-layer midsole features variations of Flytefoam Turbo and Flytefoam Blast Plus. What I’m trying to say is Asics did a good job of not messing up the best shoe they’ve ever made (in recent years, at least).

The ride is smooth and bouncy and feels good at everything from easy pace to faster speeds. It seems a touch softer, especially when trying to pick up the pace, but it’s not super squishy like the Asics Gel-Nimbus 26 or Mizuno Neo Vista. I had a workout last night and took this one out for reps of 1200 meters at marathon pace followed by 200 meters at half marathon pace. It’s not a snappy feeling shoe at all, but because it’s relatively lightweight and has the squish and release of FlyteFoam Turbo Plus, it’s easy to get it up to pace and hold it there.

While the midsole sculpting is a bit different, mirroring that of the Asics Novablast 4, the underfoot platform shape is identical to the first version, save for some minimal rubber placement changes for the outsole.

It hasn’t rained here since we got the shoe, so I haven’t been able to test it in wet conditions, but the AsicsGrip rubber should be an upgrade over the much-maligned AHAR compound. AsicsGrip is the same tacky rubber used on trail shoes like the Trabuco Max and Fuji Lyte, and I had no issues at all while out on the run.

No issues with upper fit or lockdown fit, either. I’m on the lower end of the spectrum of sizing, so for whatever reason I never really had the sizing issue that other people had. For me, it fits the exact same as the first version, but does have just enough room in the toe box to keep things comfortable (but not sloppy).

MEAGHAN: It was love at first step-in with the Superblast 2. That’s important because, as I noted in the introduction, the original needed some break-in time before it really won me over. This version, however, with the Flytefoam Turbo+ top layer and Flytefoam Blast+ Eco bottom layer, feels great out of the box. It’s just a little bit softer and bouncier than the original, which is exactly what I wanted. Don’t get me wrong, it still feels like a Superblast, but just a better, more responsive version.

There’s a new engineered woven mesh upper that feels more structured, more like a daily trainer. The fit is very similar to the original, true to size, and the toe box comes with ample room, both in width and depth. But what I really love about this shoe is its versatility. You can lace this up for easy miles, long runs, workouts, race day… literally anything and everything.

We talk about do-it-all shoes, but I think this one tops the charts on that list. Two features that make this shoe a favorite are the high stack (45 mm in the heel) and the lightweight design (7.7 oz for a US W7.5). With a lot of max cushioned shoes coming in over 9 oz, this one is refreshing, to say the least.

THOMAS: What’s not to like if you liked the first version? If Asics blindfolded me and had me run in the Superblast 2, I would be confident I was in the original. However, when reviewing shoes, we look for the slightest nuances. In this case, the FlyteFoam Turbo Plus is slightly softer out of the box. It feels like the original felt when broken in after 20 miles.

The new upper improves the fit, with less bagginess and a more structured form. Where I sized down in the OG, the Superblast 2 fits true to size in my regular US M10.5.

With the FlyteFoam Blast Plus Eco and the FlyteFoam Turbo Plus in the midsole, the Superblast 2 retains a well-cushioned ride that lasts for hundreds of miles. The addition of AsicsGrip on the outsole gives the Superblast 2 a little more bite.

One last thing– the first version of the shoe had cutouts in the midsole underneath the shoe that worked overtime as your own personal rock collector. So many small pebbles would get wedged in those gaps. Those are gone, and that’s kind of a big deal. Long-time wearers of the first Superblast know what I’m talking about.

What we don’t like about the Asics Superblast 2

ROBBE: I gotta say, I think I actually like the upper on the first version more. I know this one looks better and has a zonal knit in the toe box, but I just felt like it was a little bit stiff. After running in it a handful of times, it has broken in, so that’s more of an initial first thought, but I still think I prefer the original Superblast upper. The tongues are pretty much carbon copies of each other, so there were no issues there.

I kind of felt this way about the original Superblast, which I had also taken out for a hard half-marathon training run at the time, but I think it’s just a little too soft at faster speeds. And maybe even softer than the first version. Like, it’ll hold whatever pace you give to it, but it seems like you have to put a little extra work in to get there. I know that’s not really the intended purpose of the shoe — it is a daily trainer, after all — but if you’re relying on this as a true do-it-all shoe, just know that it’s not the best tempo or race-day option out there. That said, it will work if you absolutely need it to, and it won’t be the worst experience. It’ll also save your legs, so that’s an added bonus.

Other than that, the shoe seems remarkably similar to the first version, and we all know how much we loved that shoe. Point being: the negatives are minimal.

MEAGHAN: While I don’t agree with Robbe on the upper (this update feels much better to me), I do believe it’s responsible for the weight gain. And while it’s not much (0.4 oz), we always like to see a shoe get lighter instead of heavier.

THOMAS: We never like to see shoes get heavier, but the weight gain is minimal on this one. I was wearing a US M10 (8.8 oz./251 g) before and now have the US M10.5 (9.55 oz./270 g), so in the same size, we’re looking at about a half-ounce weight gain. I would be hard-pressed to feel the difference. The better upper and outsole rubber are worth the trade-off.

Final thoughts on the Asics Superblast 2

ROBBE: If you’re a Superblast fan, you’re going to love this version just as much. Maybe more, depending on your preference. Any negatives compare to the overall utility of the shoe and its ability to transition through any pace you throw at it. I know people racked up hundreds of miles on the first version, and we’re going to see the same thing with this one. The Asics Superblast 2 is the gold standard for a great running shoe, giving runners a versatile choice for all their training sessions, from daily training to race day.

MEAGHAN: I think the Asics Superblast 2 is good news for everyone. The updates are minimal yet substantial. Version two looks and feels like a Superblast, but a little better. A little softer, a little more bouncy, and a little more structured in the upper. Sure, the shoe falls on the expensive end ($200), but as I noted earlier, you can use it for all of your runs. I would easily argue it’s worth it.

THOMAS: Asics did a great job of not messing up a shoe people love. It sounds easy, but somehow Nike finds a way to do it with almost every model it has. So thank you to Asics for keeping the Superblast 2 similar while adding some positive improvements. It doesn’t make it the most exciting shoe to review, but sometimes that’s a good thing.

I can’t think of another non-plated trainer I like running in as much as the Superblast 2, but at $200, I would compare the Superblast 2 to other super trainers, most of which have plates or other stiffening agents in the midsole. If you decide to try the Superblast 2 and you haven’t worn the first model, give the shoes a few runs before you decide how you feel about it. Maybe it will be your Smiths, and you, as natural as rain, will feel like sliding down a banister in a tutu again and again.

You can pick up the Asics Superblast 2 for $200 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.