Hey people welcome to The Run Testers and in this video we’ve got our full multi-tester review of the ASICS Novablast 4. If you’re looking for a daily trainer that screams big-cushioned comfort, the ASICS Novablast 4 might be the shoe for you. This max-cushioned mile eater goes all in on big stack plushness. ASICS says the latest generation is still built to cope with everything from easy recovery miles to uptempo efforts but there are some significant updates to the midsole, uppers and the ride. So is the new Novablast an improvement? Hit play on our ASICS Novablast 4 review to find out.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:32 – Design details
1:09 – Shoe Whip Round
2:51 – Fit
4:32 – The Run Test
13″:03 – Verdict
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Hey people welcome to the Run testers And in this video we've got our full Multi- tester review of the aex Nova Blast 4 now if you're looking for a Daily trainer that screams big cushion Comfort then the aex Nova blast 4 might Well be the shoe for you this maxed Cushion marle goes all in on big stat Plushness ASX says the latest generation Is still built to cope with everything From Easy recovery miles up to uptempo Efforts but there are some significant Updates to the mids soole the uppers and The ride here so is the new Nova blast An improvement on the old watch on to Find Out quick details then with the over Blast 4 puts a sizable wedge of mids Salt underfoot with 41 1/2 m in the hill And 33 1/2 Ms in the 4 foot for an 8 mil Drop overall it tips the scales at 9.4 o Or 267 G in my UK test size 8 and a half That's marginally heavier than its Predecessor but still quite light when You consider just how much midsole there Is on this shoe at launch the ax number Blast 4 was £1 135 or $140 that's the Same as the novablast 3 so no cheeky Price hikes here and that's a fairly Middling price in the daily trainer Bracket to give you a quick shoe wh Brown well initially it doesn't seem Like that much has changed here on the No blast 4 but there are some really
Important tweaks the four remains a Giant shoe with quite a unique geometric Midsole and a jutting heel here but it Now uses a new flight foam blast plus Eco midsole foam that features a small Percentage of recycled materials in There the midsole geometry has changed Too there's a much more pronounced Midsole rocker in a bid to create Smoother and snappier heel totoe Transitions the forfoot and heel now Flare out wider creating a more reliable And stable platform to run off there's New engineered woven uppers that ISX Says will offer more stretch and Ventilation and durability they are Softer and smoother than the uppers on The Nova Blast 3 but there's not that Much more stretch I don't think when I Put them side to side another Interesting tweak here the no blast four Side walls rise up higher on the foot For more security the toe box also Sweeps up following the kind of rocker Shape and that creates noticeably more Room between the uppers and the top of Your toes which is a positive change for Anyone looking to run long miles in These shoes the tongue now has a thin Neoprene like wings that wrap the foot Nicely takes the edge off any potential Lace pinch flip the no Blast for over And there is a big General covering of Ahar rubber to provide the grip and
Durability the no Bloss 4 also now Carries a CO2 label on the inside which Puts the CO2 cost of the shoe at 11.2 kg That's quite significantly higher than The or Birds tree fly which comes in at 7.21 kg Though fit for me in the Nova blast 4 I Would say stick to your size in this Shoe I'm a size eight this is size eight It is probably a little bit longer than Your average running shoe uh but I did Find that the space in the foref foot Between my big toe and the front of the Shoe was okay it wasn't way too far I Found it very comfortable the upper is Quite plush um but you can get a really Nice lock down fit in it with it as well Uh so I would definitely stick to my Sizing this year found it very Comfortable so for the Nova Blast for in Testing I ran in my regular running Shoes which is a UK size 8 and a half And I found the fit secure but roomy With decent wiggle them in the toe box There's good hold across the midfoot a Largely secure heel and unless you like Your shoes very snug and think about Going half a size down I'd recommend Going true to size in these shoes I Found with the aex J ners 25 it came up A little bit short in the foot and I Wish I'd sized up a little bit I'm Normally a uk5 in pretty much all Running shoe brands apart from New
Balance when I size up to 5 and a half But I found with aex I'm normally a five But with the gel numbers 25 I wish I I Didn't really I just want wanted like a Tiny bit more room in the toe box Especially because I was using that shoe For a lot of my long runs when I was Marathon training didn't feel the same With the Nova blast felt like it was Really true to size this is a uk5 and it Fit really well again like I didn't feel Like I needed more room in the toe box Didn't feel like my toenails were kind Of touching the end and yeah super Comfortable really really really like The new upper and the tongue found it Really easy to get like a good locked in Feel when wearing this shoe Now before we get into the run test Fully I need to come clean I've never Really enjoyed the Nova blast and while Some Runners have reported a cushion but Energetic ride I've always found them a Little bit bulky and burdensome and the Soft midsole has always been a bit sinky And sapping for me so I wasn't really That hopeful that I'd like this latest Generation either because they look Quite similar overall now maybe my Tastes have changed with age and some Slowing down perhaps or maybe aex has Tweaked the ride here to make this Fourth generation of the Nova blast a Bit more responsive but overall I think
That's something that's improved on this Shoe based against past Generations in Testing I've run close to 40 test miles At mixed Paces from slow pods to Marathon pace I've also done a mile with One NOA Blast 3 and one NOA blast 4 on Each foot to see how those two shoes Compare now fans of the pillowy cushion Will still get what they need here the Soft sink hasn't gone completely but I Find the midso is now tuned to be Slightly firmer and more responsive the More aggressive rocker creates a better Rolling efficiency I think there's much Less SN now and more of a rocket Responsive immediate ride it's still Obviously a very very cushion shoe and It's still very much an overlast in its DNA that easy day comfort and security Is still there by the bucket load but if You want to crank up the pace I find That these Nova blast 4 Now respond a Shade faster than previous Nova blasts And that boosts their overall Versatility as a daily trainer on some Test run I still found them a bit soggy And sluggish particularly on tired legs I occasionally felt like I was working Against that midsole still and even Though they're relatively light by Comparison to other some other sort of Max cushion running shoes I'm still not In love with how kind of Broad and bulky They feel overall on the foot like
Previous Nova blast models there's a lot Going on here they're quite big and wide And long and they can still feel like You're strapping on a couple of canoes There is a benefit to that wider base of Midsole foam though it cradles the foot And creates a more stable ride overall But if you don't like maximalist shoes That feel big on the foot you'll Probably want to give these a Miss I've Never really been a fan of the Nova Blast I've always loved them for the First kind of Mile two miles but then I Found them really unstable underfoot They they've always been kind of wildly Bouncy but with that came a little bit Of un instability and I think because I'm the kind of Runner that tends to Over prenate when I get tired my ankles Definitely roll in a bit I found that it Was just wasn't enough stability Underfoot for me to wear the Nova blast That's said I know that it's a super Super popular kind of everyday running Shoe that you can wear for faster faster Miles so I was excited to hear about the Nova blast 4 it definitely changed the Mid cell foam and I was excited to see What that felt like under fur obviously I'm not running very fast at the moment Cuz I'm pregnant but I have used this Shoe for easy runs and fast a little bit Of faster stuff but you know that's all Relative not as fast anyone near as fast
As any of the other run testers in this Review I found that there was for me a Good level of Bounce in this shoe it was Definitely comfortable enough to wear on Long runs but it I found it had enough Bounce underfoot for faster sessions and I really really really enjoyed running In this shoe that said I do think it Feels a lot firmer and a lot more stable Than previous versions and I wonder if You're a big fan of the shoe whether It's lost some of its excitement and Some of its bounce if you didn't find The old versions unstable will this now Kind of fall into that slightly bouncy But a little bit boring category I don't Know but personally I loved it Midol Foam is FF blast plus Eco doesn't really Roll off the tongue does it and I'd say It's not as squishy and you don't get That same sinking comfort that you get With something like the aex gel numbers 25 it's definitely firmer than the gel Numbers 25 so if you've tried the gel Nus and you you want something a little Bit faster this definitely feels firmer Under Foot but I I think it gives the Shoes some more kind of Versatility with The GEL Nimbus it's so comfy it's so Plush and it's exactly what you want for Long runs Long training miles marathons But this with the firmer mids cell I Think gives you a little bit more Versatility a little bit more bounce
When you try and run a bit faster in the Shoe so I've done about 50k in the shoe So far and it's an exciting one uh the Nova Blast has had an interesting History the first version of the Nova Blast I absolutely loved it came out of Nowhere I like the softness of it I liked that It had a nice bit of Bounce in it just Did so much training in that shoe and And really really enjoyed it it was just A fantastic really well priced shoe that Did did a lot the Nova Blast 2 and three Didn't like so much they lost some of The um the fun of the original Nova Blast they had lost some of the bounce They were not soft they were more stable But by doing so they'd sort of lost any Enjoyment from that shoe um and because Of that I ended up using other shoes for The sorts of runs that I would use the Original Nova Blast for because I tended To use the no blast one for shoes where I wanted to go out and just have fun and Um tick off some miles it was great for Doing Tempo efforts nice versatile shoe But you could also use it for easy runs As well because it's really soft and Comfortable and bouny uh the no blast 4 Thankfully has developed to become a bit More like the Nova blast one but in a Different way so the mid cell flam is FF Blast plus but it does feel very Different than what I've experienced
From the previous versions it's a Slightly different design in this um uh Midol phone because it has this new Eco Uh material in it um so what I found About this shoe now is that mids soft Foam is a bit more responsive feels a Little bit bouncier uh just feels a Little bit faster as well when you're Running a nice consistent race the Turnover just feels great in this shoe It's a little bit more like the super Blast which is a fantastic shoe for long Runs for consistent pays for Tempo Efforts that sort of thing this is very Similar to that now no Blast 3 was not Like that no Blast 3 was bit dull bit of A Workhorse bit of a Pegasus uh whereas This is just feels like it's a bit Livelier um just you can pick up a nice Pace in this and it just feels like the Geometry of the shoe is really helping You um run consistently uh I've done Tracking the shoe as well and I found it To be pretty good um it's not a speedy By any stretched in imagination but it Was fine I could pick up the pace nicely In the shoe I would never have even Tried to use the Nova Blast 3 for um Faster efforts just cuz it was very very Um dull and didn't really do a lot Whereas this on on track it just felt Pretty good I would it's definitely not As fast as some of my race shoes or my My my my faster carbon um plate shoes
But it does feel like a versatile shoe Now and if you're the sort of run that Wants one pair of shoes this is a great Option now because you could probably Use this for anything from your easy Runs all the way up to race day probably Be a nice shoe if you wanted to cross The finish line of a marathon Comfortably but have a little bit of Speed in it as well not in compar Comparison with um carbon plate shoes I Definitely still use those instead of This but it is a contender now for more General Runners that are looking for a Solid all rounder shoe um that can pick Up the pace or do the those easier runs Um any other things I'd say about the Shoe is the outsole is really good uh Not any major differences in the outsole From previous versions um I don't know If there's going to be a TR version of This which is the trail version that Came out for the Nova bass 3 um that was Basically created to add a little bit More traction in the midsole I haven't Really used this in very slippy Conditions yet and I know the Nova Blast 3 did have some problems with slippy Conditions which is why uh a lot of People went for the the the TR version Uh but I've not had any issues with with This at all I think the outso is fine it Feels quite durable um and uh didn't Have any slippage when I was in it other
Than that solid round of testing and It's the Nova blast 4 has now become a Shoe that I would quite happily put into My rotation and use for all of my daily Runs um it's definitely a shoe that I'll Be using more uh I didn't want to use The Nova Blast 2 or three more I found That they fell to the bottom of my pile Whereas this is a shoe that uh now feels Like it's worth Contemplating as part of a Rotation it's my verdict I really love This shoe I I worry that if you're a Huge fan of the gel of the Nova Blast 3 Or the Nova Blast 2 you'll think it's Almost been a bit a bit too tamed with The NOA blast 4 it's definitely not as Bouncy as exciting but for me it works a Lot better it's a lot more stable and It's what I would want Under Foot that said I think it's still a Great if you've never tried the no blast Line before this is still a great Everyday training shoe that you can do It has a lot of more versatility you can Do faster sessions in it would you wear It on race day I'm not sure but it's a Good versatile shoe that you can do a Lot of miles in a really really soft Daily trainer go for the Nimbus 25 over This cuz it does feel a little bit Firmer Under Foot and I think it's the The Nimbus is still a bit more stable a Bit more plush and the kind of shoe you
Want on your foot for long runs if you Want something that's a little bit more Exciting and that will give you the give You the bounce Under Foot to do faster Sessions this is a good pick now verdict Then if like me you're a fan of firmer Ride more responsive running shoes then The Nova blast 4 is a clear Improvement On the past gen shoes the midsole tweaks I think are a net positive bringing some Additional immediacy in response to each Step in the shoe as a result I feel like This shoe now has much more vers ility Without sacrificing too much of that Soft cushion protection that loads of Runners enjoyed from the old Nova blast You're still going to get that here but You will have to get on with oversized Maximal shoes that offer a softer Edge If you want to run in this shoe if you Do you'll probably enjoy these I still Find them a little bit clumping and I Generally like shoes that more Compact And precise so while I enjoyed these More than any previous NOA blasts I Still prefer things a bit more strip Back for me the new sakon ride 17 are a Much better balanced shoe that would be One that I pick over here and they're For the same price as well if you've got A bit more money to spend I think you Can get the same cushion benefits from Alternatives like the Brooks ghost Max Or the oncloud Eclipse which I think
Also has a bit more top Pace in it and The new balance 1080 v13 offers that Cushioning but without having to lace up Such a big beast of a shoe so my verdict On the as6 Nova blast 4 is that it's a Good Improvement on the previous ones Finally Nova blasters come back for me I Didn't like the two three I like the Four I think it's versatile I think it's Comfortable I think it's bouncy I think It's responsive I think it's a great Versatile daily shoe now um and I think It can take a lot of boxes for a lot of Runners which is always what the Nova Blast has been designed to do it's a Meant To Be A versatile daily shoe that People can pick up as their one trainer And I think it is that now I think it's A I think it's a really nice uh solid All round training shoe that a lot of People will get on with whether that's In a rotation or whether that's as your Only shoe um I think the other thing to Say about the Nova Blast for as well is That it's essentially a Max cushion shoe But it's a Max cushion shoe that has a Lot more to it so uh where some shoes Like the as6 GEL Nimbus 25 is really Just sits there on those comfortable Easy runs those longer runs this now can Pick up the pace a bit more it's a bit More versatile despite the fact that is Essentially a Max cushion shoe so um Yeah really pleased with it I think it's
A good option now uh and in comparison To some of the costs of other shoes out There I think it's pretty well priced as Well so well worth of look if you're Looking for a nice daily shoe so there You have it that has been our review of The aex Nova blast 4 we hope you found It useful if you've run in the shoe we'd Love to hear how you found it what were Your thoughts did you like it like it Better than the old one think they've Changed it and made it worse if you Enjoyed the video and want more don't Forget to hit subscribe and ring the Bell that's the best way to hear about New videos and it's the best way to Support us if if you're interested in How the nol 4 compares to other new Daily trainers there's a few videos Popping up on the screen about Now otherwise thanks for taking the time To come watch the channel and we hope to See you again soon on the Run testers Happy running everyone
