Asics Superblast 3 Review: The Blast Samurai

Introduction to the Asics Superblast 3

MEG: The Asics Superblast might be the ultimate slow-burn success story. It wasn’t love at first run, but over time it won over our entire team– and plenty of runners beyond it. Both the original and second versions shared a similar formula: high stack height, race-day foam, and an upper that struck a careful balance between performance and daily training comfort.

Naturally, expectations were high for the third iteration of this versatile trainer. Thankfully, the updates feel purposeful. Asics added a subtle bump in midsole stack– moving from 45 mm to 46.5 mm in the heel– while maintaining the 8 mm drop. The engineered woven upper returns with slight refinements, and a redesigned lacing system improves lockdown for a more secure fit.

The headline-grabbing update, though, is the introduction of FF Leap foam—the exact same race-day compound found in the ultra-premium Asics Metaspeed Ray (a personal favorite). Compared to the FF Turbo foam used in earlier Superblast models, the ATPU of FF Leap is noticeably softer and more responsive, a change that should resonate with a wide range of runners. Even more impressive, Asics managed to shave 10 grams off the shoe despite the added stack height.

So, does the new foam elevate the Superblast to an even higher level? Let’s dive in.

THOMAS: Meg is right, the first Asics Superblast left a lot of us scratching our heads. It was a high-stack trainer that didn’t feel especially soft. In fact, compared to other non-plated shoes at or above 40 mm (like the Hoka Bondi and the New Balance Fresh Foam More), it felt downright firm. While those models leaned heavily into plush, recovery-focused cushioning, the Superblast took a different approach.

Once we understood what it was built for, it quickly became a go-to for uptempo long runs. I even wore a pair at the Tokyo Marathon. It struck a rare balance– lightweight, responsive, high-stack protection, without relying on a plate. That versatility is what made the Superblast such a standout.

This latest version marks the first true overhaul of the line. The Superblast 2 was more of a refinement than a redesign. This time, though, the updates go deeper. Meg pointed out the improved upper, revamped lacing system, and the addition of FF Leap foam, but there’s also a subtle piece of engineering under the forefoot worth noting.

Rather than adding a small foam insert under the metatarsals, Asics channeled out a diamond-shaped design on top of the FF Leap layer that mirrors the outsole indentation directly underneath. Positioned just behind the toes, this incision allows the foam to compress more independently in that zone, creating a more dynamic and responsive toe-off. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference in ride feel.

So where does the Superblast now fit in the Asics lineup?

At the top end sits the Asics Megablast, the brand’s closest option to a non-plated race-day shoe. With its race-ready upper and highest energy-return foam, it’s best suited for racing and faster workouts. Right behind it is the Asics Superblast 3, which blends long-run comfort with a lively, responsive feel underfoot. It’s the ultimate “one-shoe rotation” option, capable of handling daily miles, long runs, and even uptempo efforts without feeling out of place.

The more affordable Asics Novablast 5 is no slouch either and remains a strong daily trainer. Still, for higher mileage and a more complete performance package, the Superblast 3 would be my pick.

ROBBE: Well, Thomas and Meg covered just about everything about the shoe. I’ll just tell you that the Superblast has been my favorite shoe in the Asics family for the past few years. It’s a shoe that feels good for everything. I remember doing a half marathon-distance workout in v1 at half-marathon pace, and I also remember 20-mile long runs at a minute slower than marathon pace. The good news is that this version is the best yet, so let me tell you why.

What we like about the Asics Superblast 3

MEG: The step-in feel of the Asics Superblast 3 is noticeably more welcoming than its predecessors. It still has that unmistakable Superblast personality– but this time it’s kinder right from the start. Previous versions demanded commitment. Somewhere between 25–50 miles, the magic would click and suddenly you’d understand the hype. With version three, that long “getting to know you” phase is mostly gone. It’s more enjoyable from day one– though true to form, it continues to get better the more miles you log. Some things never change.

The upper fits true to size with a generously roomy toe box in both width and volume—exactly how I prefer my shoes. The updated lacing system offers a slightly more secure lockdown, but the overall fit remains very similar to the previous version. I stuck with my usual size (women’s 7.5), though I’ve heard of some runners opting to go down a half size depending on preference.

Out on the roads, the shoe really shines. It’s comfortable, surprisingly lightweight for its stack height (my W7.5 came in at 7 oz or 199 g), and versatile across a wide range of paces. This is one of those rare models that feels just as smooth cruising through recovery miles as it does picking things up for uptempo efforts. I wouldn’t reach for it for true speed sessions (e.g. 800-meter repeats), but for long runs with marathon-pace segments? Absolutely. 

The Superblast 3 really carves out its own lane, but if I were to draw comparisons, it feels most in line with the Nike Vomero Plus, the Saucony Azura, and maybe even the Puma MagMax. That said, it’s still very much its own creature.

THOMAS: I love this shoe. No suspense here, the Asics Superblast 3 absolutely delivers. It checks every box.

Let’s start with the upper. It’s breathable, comfortable, and incredibly easy to dial in. Honestly, it’s one of the simplest fits I’ve locked down in all the years and hundreds of shoes that we’ve tested. That’s saying something. While uppers don’t carry the shoe, they matter, and this one quietly does its job at a very high level.

But midsoles? That’s where the magic happens, and the Superblast is a wizard.

The FF Leap foam creates a lively, dynamic ride. It’s lightweight and bouncy, giving the Superblast 3 a softer underfoot feel than the Superblast 2 without drifting into mushy territory. Asics smartly kept a thin layer of FF Blast+ closer to the road for a bit of structure and response. To stabilize the energetic FF Leap, they extended the FF Blast+ up under the medial arch and widened the base slightly.

Let me be clear: this is not a stability shoe. Those tweaks are there to harness and steady the FF Leap, not to correct your stride. And together, the two foams are a classic combo. Peanut butter and jelly. Each is good on its own, but together? Perfect.

I logged a little over 60 miles in my review pair, and mile 60 felt just as good as mile one. The foam performs, and it holds up. If I had to choose just one shoe to do it all, this would be it. Daily miles, long runs, race pace efforts the Superblast 3 handles everything without hesitation.

ROBBE: When we reviewed the all-new Asics Megablast last summer, I told everyone that it felt like the evolution of the Superblast. At the time, that was true. But if two roads diverged in a wood and the Megablast took the one that was faster, then the Superblast 3 took the one that was more fun and smooth and scenic. 

Asics really nailed the midsole here. The addition of FF Leap is exactly what this shoe needed to give it that extra special something. The ATPU foam is extra bouncy, but because of its chemical composition, it doesn’t lose that bounce after 100 miles. The resiliency in ATPU means it’ll hold up far longer than PEBA or SCEVA blends. The addition of that Leap layer, and the way it was implemented, makes this a far more dynamic midsole than, the Superblast 2 (a shoe that was pretty phenomenal in its own right).

The most noticeable change comes from the forefoot improvements. I ran in this shoe without looking at specs or weights or changes so I wouldn’t be influenced by what the brand wants us to think. Immediately, I noticed a bouncy, almost independent suspension-type sensation coming from the toe-off. It was starkly different from past versions of the shoe– fun and surprising and not something I felt in either the Superblast or the Megablast. It was just a really fun feeling, which isn’t something you often get from a high-stack shoe like this one. Cushion– yes. Fun and responsive– rarely. But the Superblast 3 delivers. It wasn’t until I read Thomas’s portion of this review that I realized Asics had tried to create that sensation through the intentional forefoot design. Usually I think that stuff is pretty gimmicky, but it turns out that it works. 

The way the midsole is sculpted means you get a slightly higher stack of FF Blast Plus in the medial part of the midfoot. It doesn’t affect performance or feel like an obvious stability piece, but it balances out the shoe and corrals the FF Leap before it can get away from you. I have to say that these updates are incredibly thoughtful. Instead of just slapping foams together and calling it a day, Asics has fine tuned the midsole from front to back and side to side, ensuring a dialed-in ride from landing to takeoff.

Asics has always kept this shoe incredibly light for what you’re getting underfoot. That tradition continues and truly, the shoe disappears. For the most part, anyway. It can still be a little blocky, but the Asicsgrip outsole seems to even things out, especially when taking corners. The extra toe adaptability circles back around to give you a little more in that department as well.

As far as comfort, it’s there just the same as in the last version, but maybe even more so. Extra stack height and a softer feel with the FF Leap combine to make this a shoe that can be worn over any distance. Just as Meg noted, it can be used for pretty much anything. 

The materials used in the upper give this a better fit than the past two versions (which felt a little stiff). Much more pliable this go around, and the perforated tongue is soft and breathable.

What we don’t like about the Asics Superblast 3

MEG: I know some people roll their eyes when we talk about aesthetics– but if we’re being honest, the blue launch colorway is… a choice. It’s a very loud, very committed royal blue. Thankfully, I received the white colorway, which made it much easier to focus on performance instead of feeling like my feet were wrapped in the world’s loudest windbreaker circa 1988.

That said, I do wish Asics had pushed the upper a bit further. It works, and it fits well– but this felt like an opportunity to get a little bold. I’d love to see the knit tongue from the Asics Gel-Nimbus make an appearance here, or even a lighter, more race-oriented mesh to shave off a few more grams and lean further into the Superblast’s performance identity.

And yes, we have to talk about the price. At $210, it’s not exactly an impulse buy. That said, you’ll likely get a lot of mileage out of it, which helps justify the investment– but it’s still an investment.

THOMAS: I typically bounce between a 10 and a 10.5. In this case, the 10.5 felt huge. I was swimming in it. I swapped it out for a 10, and that fit perfectly. I’m not sure if that’s an Asics sizing quirk or just a me problem, but if you’re between sizes, you might consider leaning down.

Now for the picky stuff. My first pair of the Asics Superblast 3 came in cobalt blue, and I absolutely hated it. It looked like Predator vision or a Doppler radar graphic exploded across the upper. Not my thing. The white pair I ended up testing, though, looks clean and sharp. Yes, it sounds nitpicky, but this is the “what we don’t like” section.

As for price, Meg called it out and she’s not wrong. It’s expensive. But in my opinion, the ride and overall experience justify the cost. That said, if you’re working with a tighter budget, grabbing the Asics Superblast 2 on sale is still a fantastic option. It remains a seriously good shoe.

ROBBE: I’m going to disagree with Meg and Thomas and say I’m here for the crazy heat mapping colorways. Outside of the Fruity Pebble puke palettes of the now-defunct Noosa Tri, they haven’t really dabbled in experimental colorways. Here, they did, and I love it. Whether that’s the ink blot black and white version or the weather map storm runner, or the best one of all in the tropical Bahama Mama colorway that I received, I think they’re all something to celebrate. That whole paragraph should’ve gone in the good section, so let’s get on to the bad. 

The lockdown on the upper is okay, but it’s not perfect. Granted, I have a narrow foot, so the Puma-like fits are right in my wheelhouse, while for other runners they feel like a chokepoint. The Superblast remains a shoe that’s ideal for runners with slightly more volume. I don’t think this makes or breaks the shoe, it’s just a touch roomy for people like myself. I didn’t get any blisters, I just had to really cinch down the laces.

Speaking of laces, Asics did that corded, stitched-in thing for the bottom half of the lace system. I abhor this design, as I’ve seen it break in the Nike Vomero Plus and in the New Balance SC Elite v3 (as I was walking to the start of the New York City Marathon). The problem is that foot tension and dynamic pulling has the tendency to snap these types of eyelets. In the Superblast 3, Asics employs this design for the bottom half, but provides traditional eyelets for the upper half. They swear that over thousands of miles during a full year of testing that those eyelets never broken, not once. Since they are on the lower half, they don’t seem to be susceptible to the type of pulling/stretching you’ll find closer to the knot. I’ll believe them, but either way, I don’t love the design and think it’s just unnecessary at best. 

Part of that is likely thanks to the wider last of the shoe, which gives the entire thing a bit more stability for such a stack height. In that way, the more open fit is probably just a byproduct of a necessary evil that comes from the wider platform. That’s just the way it is.

I know that prices keep going up, but the increase to $210 is still a lot of money, even for a shoe as good as this.

Final thoughts on the Asics Superblast 3

MEG: The Asics Superblast 3 is an impressively versatile, comfortable, and surprisingly lightweight option that I’d confidently recommend to a wide range of runners. If you’re looking for one shoe that can handle almost everything—long runs, recovery days, and uptempo efforts—it delivers.

Yes, the price tag sits on the higher end, but there’s a strong argument to be made that this shoe can replace two spots in your rotation. And even after this review, I’ll be keeping it in mine. 

THOMAS: This is going to be a tough shoe to beat. At $210, the price might raise eyebrows, but when you step back and look at what the Asics Superblast 3 can do, it starts to make a lot more sense. This shoe handles just about everything short of trail running.

If you compare buying a dedicated daily trainer, a recovery shoe, and a race-day option versus investing in one pair of the Superblast 3, the math shifts. You’re essentially getting a full rotation in a single shoe.

Asics absolutely knocked this one out of the park. It’s S-tier in my book– light, lively, forgiving on tired legs, yet ready to pick up the pace the moment you ask it to. Easy miles feel smooth, and when it’s time to move, it responds without hesitation.

ROBBE: Man, this shoe is so good. That forefoot feel is everything and it’s enough to make me keep coming back for more. If I had one shoe to rule them all (and the money to spend on it), then this may be the one. If you didn’t like past versions of the Superblast, then I’m not sure there’s enough changes here to convert you over. But if you enjoyed either version of the Superblast before this one, then I can confidently say that you’ll love this one. It’s a perfect example of fine-tuning a product without overhauling it. Would I like to see some improvements on the upper fit in the next version? Yes, but it’s not going to change my mind on the shoe. 

The Superblast 3 remains one of the best running shoes that money can buy, so buy it while you can. And if you waited til the end of this review for me to answer this specific question, I’ll do it now: Should you buy the Superblast 3 or the Megablast? I’m picking the Superblast 3, and I feel like 80% of runners would feel the same. For the other 20%, go with the Megablast if you want something faster. Otherwise, I think this one is a touch better in almost every way.

You can pick up the Asics Superblast 3 for $210 on March 1 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.