The New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos and Asics Superblast 2 are two of our favourite new shoes of 2024, and there are similarities between the two on paper. They are both versatile super-trainers that don’t have a plate in them, and both have very high prices. Which should you go for? Tom and Nick discuss the pros and cons of each in this video.
Check out our full reviews of both shoes:
New Balance Balos Review:
Asics Superblast 2 Review:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
02:09 – How’s The Fit
03:45 – The Run Test
09:08 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to the Run testers my Name's Nick and in this video we're Going to be comparing the new balance Ballos and the aex super Blast [Music] 2 so the super blast and the ballos are Both big budget plateless Super Shoes That sit in their brands range alongside Plated options like the FC trainer V3 For the new balance and then the magic Speed 3 or four actually the magic speed Four for the atic super blast they both Cost £200 $200 so like I said they're Big budget shoes they're both pretty Lightweight though they're coming at Almost exactly the same weight in my UK Size 9 the ballos is 251 G or 8.8 o Super blast is 252 G or 8.9 Oz that's Despite the fact super blast has a much Bigger stack height it's 45 mm at the Heel and 37 at the 4ot for an 8 mm drop Whereas the ballos is 38.5 at the heel 32.5 at the 4ot for a 6 mm drop looking At the design of the shoes you've got a Fresh foam X midsole on the ballos which Is a pe/ Eva blend in this shoe New Balance uses the term Fresh Foam X for Lots of shoes and the foam changes from Shoe to shoe but you've got a bouncy Peber and Eva mix in this shoe also got A very big rocker on the shoe as you can See and a cre mesh upper pretty simple Affair with little bit of padding at the Back and an internal heel counter but
Not too much it's fairly lightweight Upper all round and you've also got a Quite a minimal outsole so you've got an Eva outsole and the bits in Black are More durable firmer areas at the key Points at the heel and toe off there but In general there's a bit of exposed foam And some slightly softer materials on The bottom of the shoe with the aex Super blast you've got a dual density Midsole the uh big top player the bulk Of the midsole is made from asx's FF Turbo plus foam which is the bouncy foam Used in shoes like the metas speed sky And Edge Paris Racing shoes then you've Got FF blast plus foam on the bottom of The shoe it's the Eco version of the FF Blast plus foam on here got a bit of a Rocker going on but it's not quite as Pronounced as the one on the balos then You've got an engineered mesh upper Again pretty simple Affair bit of Padding at the back fairly thin tongue But nothing too notable about the upper A little bit of an internal heel counter As well and side ORS of foam on the shoe To add some stability and then you have An ah plus rubber out soole as with the Ballos the coverage is quite sparing but You've got rubber sections throughout The shoe especially around the heel and [Music] Forfeit oky doie I'm joined here by Noted friend Tom um Tom what do you
Think of the fit of these two shoes uh Well I've only got one of them here Because Mike still got my super blast Shos Mike's got two pairs now I know Yeah he keeps saying he'll giveing me Back but I've not seen any evidence of This um really rare colorways he's Nicked off you as well yeah yeah yeah He's not giving that back no not a Chance uh okay so the BOS um I'm size Eight in the UK I found it to be fine What I would say is it's somewhat Shallow shoe in the forefoot um not Problem not a problem I've done some Quite long runs in this shoe and it's Been absolutely fine but I can see that Some people might notice that and maybe Want to size up half a size but I would I would probably say for most people Stick to your size in the ballos the Super Blast 2 absolutely fine for me Find it a very comfortable shoe no Issues I think it's quite relatively Roomy um and I didn't have any problems With it yeah so they are it's the one of These ones where slightly different Sizes with the different brands New Balance uh and uk9 I've got is a US 9.5 And as6 it's a US 10 but they both fit Me perfect well in that uk9 I definitely I would agree that it's it's a low Volume toe boox in the ballos but it's Not as cramped sometimes New Balance go A bit nuts and it's just really short
Their shoes that's not the case with the Batts I think the length is actually Right it's just the height necessarily Might feel a bit if you have big toes That said I have toes that kind of stack On each other a little bit and I had no Problems with it so yeah I was very Happy with the fit in my normal size With both shoes the size I have pretty Much across both of these Brands ranges No concerns with the heel or anything Like that so I would stick to normal [Music] Sizing onto the run test uh I was Talking recently about what a great year It's been for running shoes and these Are two of the shoes that are the reason It's been such a great year they're Fantastic shoes and I think I'll Probably say that now because we're Going to talk about differences and say Things are better at different things But both pretty great shoes all around Right Tom I these two shoes are we're Not even at verdict yet but these two Shoes are two shoes that I was so Excited about getting hold of I me you Know you know I was talking about the Ballos I would not stop talking about The ballos yeah since we got one since We got a picture of it uh years ago um Where did the pictures come out start of The year I don't know you were digging Them out you know from corners of the
Internet I just saw a picture of it and I read a little bit about it having uh Basically being like uh you know like a A new balance um 1080 v13 but with a Really bouncy foam in it and that that Excited me that that got me going um so Yeah both of these shoes are shoes that Uh I was very excited about because I Like soft cushion shoes even for faster Sessions um I like shoes that have a Nice bit of Bounce in them uh the the Super blast one is was one of my Favorite shoes of all time superlast 2 Did not disappoint for me it's a shoe That delivers on what the super plus one Did and slightly improves on it for me With the new tweak midsole foam um the BOS I love the BOS it's like my perfect Shoe basically it's it's soft but it's Bouncy it's comfortable you can take it Out for an easy run and it's absolutely Fantastic I I've even done track Sessions in this shoe and I I found it To be fine I think we spoke about this And for you it's just a little bit too Soft or there's not not enough in it for Your track sessions but for me at the Pace that I run my track sessions which Floats around 3 minute 50 km loved it Thought it was very comfortable just B Bouncing around the track enjoying Myself smile on my face um so yeah both Both I like both of these shoes I do Think they're slightly different though
In what they deliver I think super blast Is a much better shoe for um I'd say if I was marathon training and I wanted a Shoe to really hit those Tempo Paces to Do my Marathon Paces at uh I would go For the super Blast 2 over the balos Balos probably more for A comfortable Pace but just a fun Enjoyable comfortable Pace but um I I Really enjoy both of these shoes very Fun shoes H you're not wrong about that Tom I've also gone down yeah say down The track in the BOS any balance I do Think they are both very good generalist Shoes different feel the ballos is a lot Softer to me for sure and but it's not a Softness that just gives way underneath You it does bounce back it's got a load Of Bounce and I thought when I pulled it On I went for run it this is amazing but I just don't think this feeling is going To last but I've done long runs in the Shoe and it does feel bouncy throughout Them pulled it on really really early One morning for a 10 mile out to get Done and it was wet cold outside I need To get the Run done and it was the shoe That actually cheered me up and got me Out there to do a hilly 10 miles and Yeah I really do like it all around I Think it has a few limitations for me Compared to the super blast but I do Think it's more comfortable and more fun At easy Paces than the super blast which
Is quite a stiff shoe and it's good for Easy Paces but I think some people won't Like the stiffness you have in it it Feels a bit firmer it's bouncy but not In the way you sink in and bounce with The ballos it's more just responsive and It's got a little bit of sinking but It's got that yeah that stiffer bouncy Feeling but it's a bit more to it for Fast stuff I think and more like Sustained fast stuff so with the bast on The track like I was doing 1K reps I was Doing about 33 pce I think and it was Good I could run the Reps in them but I Felt basically at the end of doing two Or three reps in a row in the shoe it Just felt like had got a little bit soft Under the foot and it wasn't bouncing Back in the same way it had and I just Feel I was looking at sustained speed Efforts in the shoe it wouldn't be Something I'd enjoy so much in the Ballos because I prefer a more resilient Firmer feeling under foot and that's What the super blast gives you like it's Going to feel the same at the end of a Long run run running really hard as it Does at the startop because it's a big Wedge of foam it doesn't compress that Much it's fair bit higher the stack than The ballos and I think you'd feel that At the end of that run but if you are Sticking to easy Paces I think the ball Is more fun to run around than the super
Blast it's nimbler it's bouncier it's Softer The Rocker is really pronounced But I don't I didn't feel like it was Exaggerated on the run it looks like It's going to feel really weird but it Doesn't it just feels quite smooth to me And I think you at the same time we land In different places and have different Styles but it doesn't feel weird Under Foot Right um yeah I mean the the rocker I yeah I I didn't really notice it Massively I don't think it had a massive Impact on it for for me the we're Talking about ballos here aren't we yeah So the ballos I I what I noticed most About the balos is the bounds I don't Notice the rocker that much the super Blast doesn't have as pronounced a Rocker but I do feel it more of a smooth Transition um from that rocker as Opposed to a bounce from the foam so I Think that's a that's a good distinction Between the two yeah and I think they do Operate in slight different areas as Right like both are really verstile for Sure you can do I've done bit of Everything in both of these shoes but if I was going to go and do 15 mies pure Easy or just pretty relaxed I do it Prefer to do it in the ballos but at the Weekend I went and did I think I did Like 19 miles easy to steady and I was Doing that in the Brooks Glycerin and by The end I was thinking this is the run I
Definitely want the super blast for Because as you move through to slightly Faster speeds at the end it's retained All of its balance it's respons the Whole run and it would feel really good At those or I worri that ballos might Not feel quite as fun at the end of a Run and you got a bit more foam and a Bit more of responsive foam in the super Blast for those faster efforts but just Yeah really then if I'm going to go out And do five miles easy BOS if I'm going To go running the track super blast yeah I think they actually do slight Different things whil it's also doing All of the same [Music] Things onto the verdict then Tom I mean A lot of people's verdict would be I'm Not buying either of these shoes they're 200 but they're both really good shoes Which would you buy God this is really Really difficult if I had to choose Between these two shoes because that It's not like I I don't necessarily Wouldn't buy them for the exactly the Same reasons so I want both of them Basically I don't I don't want to give Either of them up uh I think if came to It based on my style of running the Majority of runs that I I I do within a Marathon block which is generally easier Sessions I think I'm going to go for the Ballos just because I think I'd use it a
Lot more and I think I'd get a lot more Benefit out of it I love the super blast Um superl 2 but I think that for me the Ballos Just Hits my style of running More and I I just I want to pick it up More than superlast 2 based on the type Of runs that I do yeah it's interesting So I think I think the super Blaster is The all around like better shoe more Effective shoe the shoe that you know Will serve lots of people well if you're Looking for one shoot to do it all I'd Get the super blast I think you're Looking for long runs and hard long runs Stuff like that super blast a bit better I just think for the kind of runs where The superlast is a lot is better than The BOS I think is you know improve Performs better it's probably the kind Of runs I would use a play to train Myself so I wouldn't necessarily pick The super L on my own rotation because Yeah when it comes to those harder long Runs you long Tempo efforts long reps on The track I'd probably use something Like the hok X2 sck the Endor from speed 4 I like a plate shoe for that I like a Slightly smaller shoe than the super Blast the runs it really excels at those Long demanding runs it's one of the best Shoes on the market for but I don't if I Do enough of them that I'd pick this up In addition to a plate shoe so the Ballos might be the one I'd probably end
Up having in my rotation itself because It is such a great easy day shoe long Run shoe but yeah to that point it's Like do I want to pay that much money Just for that kind of relaxed run shoe So I probably give the overall verdict To the superos other thing I think it Has as a benefit I think it's going to Hold up a bit better than the BOS Because it's got a really soft midsole It's got quite a lot of exposed foam or Softer outsole foam on it compared to The super blast so I think if you are Looking at 200 lound shoe you obviously Are thinking about durability a little Bit I think the super lar will probably Do a little bit better on that and I Think it's the one I'd recommend to more People I think it's a slightly better Shoe but yeah my own rotation I don't Know I don't know which way I'd go I'd Love to have both but it really is a Luxury at that point yeah we we had a Lot of comments on um uh can't I think It was the BOS where the video where we People were talking about they couldn't Get hold of the super Blast 2 so they Were buying the BOS because it was Available but when I saw that I was Thinking it's not you're not quite Getting the same SHO there it's not it's Not like for like um I it's great shoe But if you really want the super Blast 2 And you want what it does yeah you
You're probably going to be a bit Disappointed in the B there's not really Anything I think that does quite what The super blast do does unless you're Looking at play to choose only thing to Say is Tom and I probably quite similar In white I think I would wonder what the Ball is like if you're a heavier Runner Because it is very soft and it's not the Biggest stack and I think the super L is Going to have that more resilient Feeling under foot so it might give you An edge there so yeah I think there's Lots of reasons to look at the super Blast but the ballos is an experience For sure but I probably lean toward Su Blast overall
