I spent £1730 to review every asics running shoe - these are the best!

The current ASICS running shoe lineup is one of the very best out there right now. Out of all the shoe brands, they're probably up there as number one in my opinion. The quality of the shoes they're offering is really quite amazing, but with their prices definitely at the more expensive side of things, we need to make sure we're buying the right ones. So today we're going to go through the entire ASICS range, explaining what each shoe is for, my likes and my dislikes for each, so you can find the best ASICS shoes for you or build out a little shoe rotation. Every single shoe on the list, except for one of them, is really quite great. And of course I bought all of these shoes 100% with my own money, so we can give you that completely honest, unsponsored, ungifted and everything review. Thank you so much to everyone that subscribes to our channel, likes these videos and leaves a comment down below with what your favourite ASICS shoes are. It really helps so much and allows these videos to keep being made. Right, let's get stuck in with the first one on the list, the newest update to the range, the ASICS Neverblast version 6. The Neverblast 6 is your classic daily shoe, a shoe for doing all sorts of different runs fairly well. It set me back 140lbs, 41.5mm stack at the back of the shoe, 8mm drop over all, coming in for me at 298g, so not too bad there weight-wise for a solid daily shoe. The midsole with this one is mostly FF Blast Max, with a small pod at the front of the shoe of their FF Turbo Squared foam, which is their higher-end foam, giving a more poppy, responsive ride if you're landing nicely at the front of that shoe and there's no plate in this one. What I really like about the Neverblast version 6, it's really extremely versatile. They've added that FF Turbo Squared pod at the front. It's just a little bit more bouncy and a little bit more poppy than the previous model version 5. You can get all sorts of different types of runs done fairly well in this, from easy jogs up to getting your speed sessions in and maybe a little race here and there as well. It's also super comfortable, lots of padding around the heel, a really nice breathable upper as well. Then my final like, it's just a very smooth riding shoe, suitable for all sorts of different strike patterns at the front, at the middle or the back. Really to get the benefit of that pod though, you really do want to be a mid or forefoot striker. Right, let's move on to have a chat about those dislikes. Starting out with the laces are oddly quite short, but you'll get by, you'll be okay. The second dislike, I had a few quality control issues on my pair, just some glue marks, it just didn't feel quite as a premium product as ASIC shoes normally do. And then my third potential dislike here, the durability on previous models of the Nova Blast wasn't the best, but with the addition of the Turbo Squared pod at the front of the shoe, that should definitely help. We will have a 200 mile update on this shoe, so get subscribed, we'll bring that to you as soon as possible. But overall, a very safe bet for so many different types of runners, a really great do-it-all shoe for someone that just wants one shoe in their rotation or they want to have a good foundation to build out their shoe rotation. Next up is the ASIC Magic Speed version 5. This is your speed shoe, really good when you want to run a little bit faster, you've got some sessions to do, maybe a little race here and there, some tempos, some thresholds, those type of runs. This shoe sent me back 170lbs, 38mm stack at the back of the shoe, 7mm drop overall, coming in nice and lightweight here, 243g. Mid-size wise, ASIC have put in their FF Leap Foam, which is their high-end premium foam that you do find in their very high-end race shoes, combined with the FF Blast Plus, and they have also added a carbon plate through the shoe. What I really like about the ASIC Magic Speed version 5, a really great combination of speed and stability. That high-end FF Leap Foam is really fast and responsive with that layer of FF Blast Plus to keep it nice and stable in those tight corners, and also providing a bit of extra durability as well. Second like, very lightweight and nimble with really good grip. It's going to make a very good fast park run shoe. And then my third and final like with this one, the carbon plate is really quite flexible and forgiving, making it really suitable for any beginner runners or intermediate runners looking to get their first carbon plate shoe, without spending the big money of the high-end race day shoes. In terms of dislikes with this one, it's definitely on the firmer side of things, not suitable for someone who likes a softer, higher stack shoe. The Sonic Blast, which is coming up next, might be a better option if you're that type of runner. And my second dislike, it really is for faster running only, not the type of shoe for jogging around in. So you are going to want to pair this with a Nova Blast, a Super Blast, or a Gel Nimbus for the bulk of your miles. But overall, a really great option for anyone doing a lot of speed work in their training, a good training companion, if you don't want to put too many miles on your Metaspeed series. We'll talk about that slightly later on. Or just for someone that wants to try carbon plated shoe for the first time, without spending too much money. Next up is the ASICS Sonic Blast. This is a really good shoe for those tempo runs, those threshold runs, again, those slightly faster runs. So a very similar use case scenario to the Magic Speed 5. But the difference here, this is for people that like more of a higher volume shoe, more of a max stack shoe. There's going to be a lot more foam underneath you. Price wise, this shoe set me back £170. Stack height at the back, 46mm with an 8mm drop over all. Weight wise, coming in at 301g. So a little bit heavier than the Magic Speed 5 because of all that foam underneath you. Midsole wise, we've got a dual layer setup here. We've got FF Turbo Squared and FF Blast Max in there for the stability. With what ASICS are calling an Astro Plate in there, which is a Peebax plate, not a carbon plate. What I really like about the Sonic Blast, pretty comfortable shoe here. Good breathability and lockdown as well. Gave me absolutely no issues in all the testing we did in this shoe. Second like with this one, stability, especially when you're picking up the pace, running a little bit faster, you've got some sharp corners to get around. No fear of rolling an ankle in this one, which you definitely do get with a lot of max stack shoes out there. And this shoe definitely has a lot of stack in it. In terms of what's a max stack shoe, really anything over 40mm is max stack. And this is up at 46mm. My third like with this one, good option for any heavier runners out there because that high stack and the slightly firmer nature of the foam. In terms of dislikes and observations with the Sonic Blast, while the stability is really quite good, the shoe does also feel quite rigid and firm due to the plate and that FF Blast Max foam in there. Slower running, really does feel quite awkward and a little bit clunky in this one. So again, you're going to want to pair this shoe, ideally with a daily shoe to get the bulk of your miles in. But overall, a bit of a confusing offering. When ASICS launched this, they also launched the Mega Blast, which we'll come on to later on. One of the greatest running shoes of all time. And they just sort of snuck this one in and it just sort of went under the radar a little bit. It does sit between the Nova Blast and the Magic Speed. It's not as versatile as the Nova Blast, not as fast as the Magic Speed. Out of the entire ASICS range, it's probably the one I would skip. Certainly a bit of a Marmite shoe. Some people do love it, but I think a lot of people would give it a miss, myself included. Let me know if you've tried this one out and what you think of it. I'd love to catch up down in the comments. Next up is the ASICS Gel Kayano 33. This is your premium stability shoe. Price-wise, a little bit on the expensive side here, coming at 180 pounds. 39 mil stack at the back of the shoe, 8 mil drop overall. Midsole-wise, we've got ASICS' FF Blast Max and FF Blast Plus in here, with their fluid support tech for the stability and a pure gel insert under the heel, just to help with that extra cushioning for those heel strikers out there. Oh, excuse me. Oh, hello. Where did you get your running shorts from? My boyfriend would love a pair like that. Yes. Oh, I got these off benparks.com. He makes like YouTube videos and things. Super comfortable. Lots of space. What have you got in the pocket there? Oh, you can put all your gels in here. I've got these for my run today. And if you want to carry your phone, really safe in there. Look at that. And is there somewhere for your keys? Oh, definitely. You can put your keys in here. We've got a little key clip pocket. Cool. Keeps it nice and secure and tucked away. And where can I get them again? Oh, benparks.com. Check it out. And if any of your friends want to get a pair, code YouTube 10 for 10% off. Oh, great. Thank you so much. Lovely to meet you. Bye. What I really like about this shoe, it definitely feels a lot softer than previous versions. I think they've got the mix just right with this one. Previous versions were definitely a little bit on the firm side, but now it's just looking after the legs a little bit better for those longer runs. Second like with this one, premium soft comfort here. Very well built product as well. Durability is going to be fantastic with this shoe. You're going to get a lot of miles out of it. My third and final like with this one, obviously a very stable shoe, as you would hope with a stability shoe, but it really doesn't feel too intrusive, giving a very natural ride. In terms of dislikes and observations, not the best energy return out of the range. It's going to be better suited to some easy running only. Quite heavy and a bit of a bulky option here as well. And unfortunately, the price is definitely on the premium side for those looking for a slightly cheaper stability shoe, then have a look at the GT 2000 for more of a traditional ride. But that shoe is definitely on the firmer side of things. But overall, still one of the best stability shoes out on the market. Again, a very popular shoe. It's going to be really good for any overpronators out there. People getting into the sport just want a little bit more support and guidance in their running in those early days. Next up, we've got Asics' Gel Nimbus version 28 we're up to now. Purpose of this one, this is those easy miles, those jogging miles in maximum comfort. This shoe is all about comfort and running at a nice, relaxed pace. Price wise, this shoe set me back £180. 43.5 mil stack at the back of the shoe. 8 mil drop over all. Little bit on the heavy side here, 335 grams for me and my size. Midsole wise, we've just got a big, big chunk here of Asics' FF Blast Plus and there's no plate in the shoe. What I really like about this one, it's definitely one of the most comfortable shoes out there on the market at the moment. Amazingly stretchy knit tongue, lots of padding around the heel, max comfort for a long amount of time. You can really run a long way in this shoe. If you simply want to prioritize comfort out of your running and you don't care too much about high-tech foams or running really fast, this is going to be a good one to go for. Second like with this one, really great shoe for walking and casual as well as running. Anyone that wants a really comfortable pair of shoes to wear all day long, this is going to be a good option to go for. Really great build quality and durability with this one. Good option for heavier runners, given the support, the stability and the firmness on offer here as well. In terms of dislikes and observations with this one, pretty expensive for what it is and what is now fairly outdated foam. It really is made for easy running only. Not the best option for anything fast due to the foam and the extra weight you get with this one as well. It's just a little bit on the heavier side. But overall with the Gel Nimbus 28, an ultra comfortable shoe that can be used for your daily easy miles and doubled up as a nice casual walking shoe as well. Definitely one of the most comfortable shoes in the Asics range, but also in running as a whole. We're now on to the Asics Super Blast version 3. Version 1 and version 2, universally massively loved shoes. Now 3's here, a little bit controversial, so let's go through it. This is your max stack shoe, perfect for those daily runs, but also really with a Super Blast, those long runs as well. It's a shoe that's really going to look after those legs when you're out there for 90 minutes, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours for that type of running. Price-wise, this shoe set me back £200. Stack height of the back of the shoe, 46 and a half mil. There's a lot of foam underneath you in this shoe. 8mm drop over all, but really quite nice and lightweight, 276 grams in my size. Midsole-wise, we've got Asics' FF Leap Foam, very soft and responsive racing foam here, combined with a thin layer of their FF Blast Plus, and there's no plate in the shoe. What I really like about the Super Blast version 3, that super soft upper material, it's really comfortable as well. You get a fantastic lockdown with this shoe. Good space in the toe box, width and height, so it's going to accommodate lots of different types of runners. My second like with this one, very lightweight for a shoe of this size. Much lighter than any of its competitors out there, especially in this long run sector. My third like with this one, amazing for those long runs. Soft foam really does help look after your legs on those 20k and those 30k runs. Yeah, I just find when I've gone to Super Blast version 3, my legs just feel a lot better at the end of the run than I would have expected them to do in some other shoes. But in terms of dislikes with this one, the durability does suffer a little bit. The foam stays poppy for a good amount of time, but the outsole has been wearing down very quickly. I'm on to my third pair of Super Blast 3s now. My first two pairs lasted about 400 miles each, so not great. I'd always get about 600 miles when I was using some Super Blast 2s. With that very soft foam, there's definitely a little bit of instability as well. It doesn't love going around corners too fast, and also at 200 pounds, it really is quite expensive. But overall, still one of the best shoes out there for long runs at the moment. It's a real shame about the durability. It isn't quite there versus the previous versions. But if you just want a nice comfortable shoe to look after your legs on those big marathon training long runs, then this one really is hard to beat. Moving on to the Asics Mega Blast, maybe one of the best running shoes of all time. This is your long run shoe, but it's also a very good race shoe as well for people that don't want a plate in their shoe. Price-wise, set me back 210 pounds, 45 mil stack at the back of the shoe, eight millimeter drop over or 275 grams. So again, really quite nice and lightweight here. Midsole-wise, we've got the FF Turbo Squared Foam, and there's no plate in this shoe. A fantastic foam. What I really like about the Mega Blast, just excellent durability on offer. Complete reversal of the Super Blast Version 3, which we've just chatted about. The FF Turbo Squared Foam just goes and goes and goes. Many runners will manage to get around about 1,000 Ks in their Mega Blast before it's time to retire the shoe. It's a very lightweight shoe. Despite the bulk of the shoe, it's really quite big, but it's also extremely lightweight. Very thin, race-like upper, but plenty of padding around the heel. I definitely would say it's the fastest non-plated shoe that you can get out there at the moment. The geometry of the shoe really promotes a very fast ride. Super snappy feel with this one. Your feet just disappear underneath you as you're running along. It's going to make a very good marathon racer shoe for a three to five-hour marathon runner that doesn't want a super aggressive carbon racing shoe. In terms of dislikes with this one, the height of the toe box is a little bit on at the shallow side. More of a racing fit with this one, so the upper can cause a little bit of irritation on the top of the toes, which did happen to me in my first pair, but then not on the second pair. So I'm not really sure what that was all about. Second observation here, very expensive, but the durability kind of makes up for it. I really think that ASIC surprised this shoe quite fairly for just how good it is. But overall, one of the standout shoes of the range, one of the greatest of all time, super fast, but durable as well. A great shoe for those longer runs where you want to put some race-paced blocks in in your training sessions or on race day itself if you aren't worried about the legal stack height because this is an illegal racing shoe. So maybe that's a big factor for you. Next up, we've got full race shoe action with the ASIC's Metaspeed Edge and the Sky as well. The Tokyo edition is the current racing shoe at the moment. Really good for 5Ks all the way up to the marathon distance. There are two versions here, the Sky and the Edge. It can be a little bit confusing which to choose. We've got a whole video on that, which we'll link up here and down below as well. Price-wise, both these shoes set me back £240 each. Stack height at the back of the shoe, 39mm, 5mm drop over all. Weight-wise, 191 grams. Incredibly light as race shoes go these days. We've got ASIC's FF Leap and their FF Turbo Squared Foams with that carbon plate. It's the positioning of these three different components that differentiate between the Sky and the Edge. But go and watch that full comparison video for the in-depth look at that. Now, what I really like about these racing shoes, they are extremely fast and very lightweight as well. One of the lightest race shoes out there at the moment. Currently, my marathon race shoe of choice is the Edge version of this. Good traction as well. Handy when you're going through any water stations or tight turns. Really good grip you're getting on the bottom of the shoe. And finally, suitable for all different types of race distances. The Sky is definitely better for me at those 5Ks and 10Ks. Edge is going to be better for me at the half marathon and marathon distance. In terms of dislikes, not much versatility on offer here. Race day only or for those real key sessions just as you're getting close to your race. Having the two different versions does create a lot of confusion between runners. When you're spending this amount of money, you need to know you're getting the right pair of shoes, which is why we created that dedicated video. But if you just want to know what's best, I think Edge does seem to be the better shoe out of these two. A lot more people choosing the Edge versus the Sky. But overall, an amazingly fast and lightweight race day shoe. It really is on the front of many start lines all around the world at the marathon distance. And then finally, let's touch on the ASICS Metaspeed Ray. A shoe that's so expensive and pretty niche, I haven't really deemed it necessary to go and buy this shoe just yet. Really, it's an elite level racing day shoe making it really quite fast and responsive and incredibly bouncy, but also very unstable as well. So for the vast majority of runners, the Metaspeed Edge and the Sky is going to be the better option. So there we have it. That's the ASICS 2026 range. The next video coming up is our full Metaspeed comparison. If you want a bit more of a deep dive on the Nova Blast, which is going to be one of the best selling shoes this year, then check out that video as well. Let me know your thoughts on the ASICS 2026 range. That's it, guys. Keep on working hard. Keep on getting done. I'll see you very soon in the next one.