ASICS SONICBLAST Review

The ASICS SONICBLAST is for you if...

You’re looking for a fast, bouncy, and versatile performance trainer 

You want a performance trainer that emphasizes fast turnovers to match your quick stride

You love the Novablast and want a plated, uptempo option 

What is the ASICS SONICBLAST made for?

With the release of the full BLAST collection in 2025, ASICS gathered some buzz in the running community. Each training shoe from the BLAST series emphasizes energy return for bouncy and energetic rides, with individually tailored design specialties that allow runners to find the perfect shoe for their preferences. This includes the versatile Novablast, the long-hauling SUPERBLAST, the do-it-all MEGABLAST, and today’s star of the show, the speed-oriented SONICBLAST. 

The ASICS SONICBLAST is a nylon-plated super trainer that takes inspiration from preceding fan favorites like the SUPERBLAST, but with a unique feel that is snappier, faster, and more propulsive. This shoe has a dual foam midsole and ¾ length ASTROPOLATE™ that's not quite as aggressive or stiff as a carbon-plated shoe, which makes it perfect for fast training efforts. Plus, the stiffness of the nylon plate combined with a wider net base gives the SONICBLAST an relatively stable ride for a performance trainer. 

With a superfoam blend of FF Turbo 2 and FF Blast Max in the midsole, the SONICBLAST combines a light and propulsive ride with a bouncy feel. A thin, airy mesh upper lets you go fast in comfort, with enough support for going longer distances. Midfoot cutouts and strategically placed rubber save additional weight while maintaining structural integrity. This shoe promises speed, resilience, and versatility for training runs and fast workouts, all in a max-cushion package. Will it rise to meet the occasion?

Comfort

As a faster, speed-oriented training shoe, the SONICBLAST delivers a good amount of comfort for a variety of distances. The superfoam blend felt very protective and cushioned without feeling too bulky. Because it has such a high stack, it’s not the most stable shoe we’ve ever run in, but it offers sufficient stability for our training runs. The mesh upper is thin and breathable as advertised, while still providing strategic padding in key areas. The material is very soft and offers a really nice feel on the foot. 

There are a few discrepancies in how our testers experienced the stiffness of this shoe. One tester felt that the nylon plate did a great job of adding some stiffness and propulsion without feeling too aggressive. However, the other tester found this particular plate and foam combination to have an unexciting effect—he found that the foam compound was a joy to run on, but that the nylon plate almost held him back from appreciating those foams fully. With the heel fit, the former tester found it to be structured well enough to negate slippage, while the latter tester felt like it skewed a little more towards dense and unyielding, with a heel collar that rode a bit too high against his ankle bones. 

Overall, the SONICBLAST is a comfortable shoe for a speed-oriented performance trainer, but the balance of speed and comfort will depend on personal preference, and the plate technology has room to continue growing. Its design shares some elements of both the Novablast and the Magic Speed while also delivering its own unique feel that makes for a fun ride.

Performance

The brand new FF Turbo 2 foam in the SONICBLAST midsole compound offers a bouncy underfoot feel that is a joy to run in. Compared to other cousins in the ASICS lineup, it’s not quite as squishy-soft as the Novablast, and not quite as race-oriented as the Magic Speed, but rather strikes a nice balance between the two. It is slightly more aggressive than the Novablast, with a bouncier foam and a higher-stack design. 

That said, our testers had distinct experiences with some performance aspects of the SONICBLAST. One tester found that the midsole was lightweight and offered an efficient ride that made it hard not to run fast. The faster he pushed the pace, the more the shoe came alive. For him, the ATPU foam with the nylon plate created enough inherent stability for his longer miles. He even found the shoe fairly comfortable even at slower paces, which made it great for a mix of speed workouts and daily training. 

For our other tester, the SONICBLAST felt like a shoe at odds with itself. He felt there was a duality between the speed-oriented midsole composition and the high-volume base geometries in the heel and midfoot which felt more akin to an easy-mileage shoe than a performance trainer. The FF Turbo 2, FF Blast Max foam combination seemed like it wanted to be responsive and bouncy, while the plate remained inflexible and stable. A steep toe rocker encouraged him to slip forward into his stride, but then the large heel geometries encouraged him to heel-strike and slow back down. It became a bit frustrating for him and he felt like he couldn’t find the “right” pace for the shoe and his long, rolling stride to work together. 

Make no mistake, the SONICBLAST is a great option for a totally unique and fast performance trainer. But in today's running world where every detail matters, and where every conceivable niche has a specialized shoe thriving in it, the SONICBLAST will not be everyone’s perfect match. The fast and bouncy ride may be harmonious for some, but others may be looking elsewhere in the ASICS lineup for their glass slipper.

Fit

Fit-wise, the SONICBLAST feels like it draws a lot of inspiration from the Novablast. The upper gave a good wrap-around that held our feet in place, and the well-structured heel cup felt secure. The SONICBLAST did a good job of finding its unique groove, with a lighter upper than most ASICS daily trainers, but a more durable upper than the paper-thin mesh that is found in race-day shoes. 

The shoe runs true to size and leans slightly on the snug and secure side, though not quite as narrow as a true race-day fit. We felt confident when hitting faster efforts or hitting hard turns, but also felt it offered enough volume to let our toes spread over longer efforts. 

One tester did note a few small drawbacks. The heel collar was a bit too high for his foot and tended to rub the bottom of his lateral ankle bone and Achilles. Also, he found the laces to be short and slippery, which made it difficult to effectively tie down his knots. The laces aren’t the same racing laces that are found in the MEGABLAST or SUPERBLAST, and we missed this scalloped texture that would have reduced slippage.