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This speedy Asics Sonicblast could be an everyday trainer, a fast workout shoe, or even a race-day model.
If you’re chasing a time goal—no matter the distance and no matter how modest or ambitious the goal might be—the biggest addition to your shoe quiver needs to be a shoe for your faster workout days. You can call it a performance trainer or a tempo shoe or even a speed-day shoe, but it’s the tool that will help make you faster, improve your speed endurance, and fine-tune your fitness on your journey to race day.
It’s one of the fastest-growing and most innovative categories of shoes right now, in part because shoe brands have tried to include some of their best midsole foams and race-day features into training models. They sit in between daily trainers and high-end racing shoes and are designed for faster paces, interval work, tempo runs, and even as a lighter option for long runs, but usually not as stripped-down or as sharp feeling as carbon-plated racing shoes. Most of these speedy trainers don’t have carbon-fiber plates, but they have other midsole technologies that serve up an energy-returning ride.
One of the latest, greatest performance trainers to hit stores is ASICS Sonicblast, an energetic shoe that’s made for all sorts of up-tempo running. To me, it feels like this shoe has an imaginary turbo button that you can push for a jolt of energy. I like it best as a speed-day workout shoe that’s ideal for intervals on the track, fartlek-style workouts, mile repeats, and tempo runs. But given its well-cushioned midsole and light weight, other runners could view it as a speedy everyday trainer or even a race-day shoe.
Here’s my breakdown of the Sonicblast after running about 75 miles in it since late July.
What’s New: As a partner to the recently launched ASICS Megablast everyday training shoe, the ASICS Sonicblast shares the brand’s new aliphatic TPU (ATPU) midsole foam called Flytefoam Turbo Squared. It’s a highly energetic foam that ASICS says is 33 percent bouncier and 10 percent softer than its standard FF Turbo foam. The layer of Flytefoam Turbo Squared sits above a layer of FF Blast Max, which is the same lightweight, responsive foam found in the Novablast 5. Embedded in between is ASICS’ new Pebax Astroplate for a bit of added snappy responsiveness. A light and breathable engineered jacquard mesh upper, flat laces, and an AsicsGrip outsole round out this shoe and help keep it lighter than most daily trainers.
Fit/Feel/Ride: The ASICS Sonicblast fits true to size with a narrow interior volume and only a little bit of wiggle room in the toe box. It feels a tad short length-wise, but not enough to warrant going up a half size. With those sizing specs and the lighter-than-average makeup, the step-in experience feels minimalist, snug, streamlined and fast. Once laced up, the gusseted, thin tongue creates a comfortable, race-day fit that really hugs the foot. The thin sockliner and heel collar add just a hint of padding, helping create overall a sparse but sufficiently cushioned interior.
The ride varies depending on the pace, but generally it produces a vibe that’s soft and responsive at the heel and semi-firm and snappy in the forefoot. It’s a neutral-oriented shoe that feels inherently stable, and it could work even for runners who typically need more support in their speedier trainers. While it’s capable of running a full range of paces, it feels best at faster paces and somewhat awkward at slower ones. To me, that’s what limits it as a true everyday trainer. It would be like using a turbo-charged sports car to do errands around town.
Price: $180
Approximate Weights: 7.8 oz. (women’s size 8); 8.9 oz. (men’s size 9),
Heel-Toe Offset: women: 8mm; 45mm (heel); 37mm (forefoot)
men: 8mm; 46mm (heel); 38mm (forefoot)
Why It’s Great: The Pebax plate embedded in the midsole gives this shoe a lot of pep. It isn’t quite as sharp and snappy as a carbon-fiber plate, but it’s pretty close. The good news is that it flexes just enough to be a bit more accommodating to match your gait pattern instead of forcing you into a particular stride pattern based on the rocker shape of the shoe.
On my first day in the shoe, I ran a fartlek-style run with faster pickups that ranged from 30 seconds to 3 minutes in length. The faster I ran during those speedy intervals, the more of an energetic pop I got from the plate. I’ve since found it to be ideal for a 6×400 workout on the track and a 20-minute tempo run at 10K race pace. My longest runs so far have been 11 and 14 miles, and while those weren’t my favorite experiences in this shoe, I did both much faster than I expected.
Why You’ll Love It: This is a fast shoe, no doubt. In every workout I did wearing the Sonicblast, I felt like I was able to outrun my fitness. What does that mean? It means that my efforts and splits came easier than I would have expected, almost like the shoe was giving me a speedy assist. Don’t get me wrong, I was still putting in the effort, but I felt like there was an enormous amount of energy return in every stride.
Why You Might Not Like It: If you’re used to your performance training shoes with a bit of softness or bounciness in every stride, the ASICS Sonicblast might not be the shoe for you. It can feel pretty firm and slightly sharp compared to other shoes like the Adidas Adizero Evo SL or Saucony Endorphin Speed 5. To be, it doesn’t feel as soft or bouncy as most other speed trainers or some carbon-plated racing super shoes.
Pro: The ASICS Sonicblast is just fun to run in. Because it’s a model that puts a considerable spring in your step and feels like you’re pushing the turbo button of a video game, it’s hard not to love it.
Con: With such small segments of outsole rubber under the rear of the foot, the exposed FF Blast Max foam on the bottom of the shoe will get some abuse. After about a dozen runs in this shoe, it’s showing some wear and tear and I’m not sure what it will look like after my next dozen runs.
For more details and another point of view, here’s what the crew at Believe in the Run think about the ASICS Sonicblast.
Senior editor Brian Metzler has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado.
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