It’s super trainer head to head time. If you want to know how the new New Balance SC Trainer V3 compares to the very popular – but very hard to buy – ASICS Superblast 2, you’re in the right place. In this video we compare the design, size up the performance and generally pitch the two £200-plus super trainers against each other. We’ll help you choose which shoe suits you best and reveal which one is our favourite. Hi play on the ASICS Superblast 2 vs New Balance SC Trainer V3 review.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:27 – Details: Stack height, drop, weight & price
1:12 – Shoe Comparison: ASICS Superblast 2 vs SC Trainer V3
2:42 – Fit
5:03: – The Run Test
11:10 – Verdict
13:47 – Now watch this
Hi people welcome to the Run testers and It's super Trader head-to-head time if You want to know how the New Balance SC Trainer V3 compares to the very popular But hard to find ASX super Blast 2 You're in the right place in this video We're about to compare the design we'll Size up the performance and generally Pitch the two 20000 plus super trainers Against each other we're going to help You choose which one suits your running Best and your running needs most and Reveal which one is our favorite so Let's get into it Start with those all important details First then starting with stack kite and The ax super Blast 2 packs 45 m in the Hill 37 Ms in the 4ot for an 8 mil drop The New Balance SC Trainer V3 has a Bigger wedge with 40 mil in the hill and 34 Ms in the 4 foot for a lower 6 mil Drop in a US men's 9 and a half that's a UK 8 and a half in the aex and a UK 9 in The New Balance the super Blast 2 tips To scales at 254 G or 8.9 o the trainer V3 comes at 9.9 o or 282 G on price the Super Blast 2 is £200 in the UK or $200 In the US the SC Trainer V3 lands at £230 it's a whopping chunk price here in The UK but just 10 bucks more expensive In the US at $180 so let's give you a quick shoe Comparison then starting with the Midsoles which take two different
Approaches here the ax super blast tw's Dual foone midsole uses a combination of The Eva based flight foam blast plus Eco Which you will find in no blast 4 There's pea based flight foam turbo Plus In here too from The Meta speed sky but There's no carbon plate the SC Trainer V3 has a fuel cell midso a reformulated Eva peber blend that now carries 20% Peber it's the same foam that you'll Find in the new balanc Rebel V4 there is A carbon plate here which is now forked To reduce weight and increase the Flexibility for a for a more natural Feel on the foot there's also a new Balanc energy AR trench down the middle Of the Mido which is designed to allow That carbon plate to flatten on The Landings and then give more spring back On to off now up top both shoes have Engineered mesh uppers with good Structure you get generously padded heel Collars this is one area they don't aim To save weight the new balanc heel Collar have a more pronounced roll top The internal heel counters offer about The same Flex in the shoes both tongues Are gusseted and medium padded the aex Tongue wraps a bit better off across the Top of the foot if you flip them over And the New Balance has more out soole Rubber coverage the suas 2 is more Strategic and has upgraded from the ahar Plus to ax scrip rubber the stuff that
You'll find on ASX trail shoes but the Grip on both is good for the needs of Faster daily shoes the other big Difference here is that energy art Groove down the middle of the new Balance that is a stone catcher asx's Got rid of its version of That so comes the fit of these two shoes I've got my normal size which is a uk9 In both shoes but that's a different US Size of these Brands when you balance It's a 9.5 and it's a 10 with the ax so Say that both shoes fit me well the ax Is a little roomier as you might expect From that us sizing but but the same Size I have across these Brands ranges And it fits me well so I would stick to Your normal size in general your balance Can be a bit fiddly on sizes sometimes They just make a shoe that's way too Small for some reason and their heel Designs have been a bit lacking on some Shoes this year but I had no problems at All with the SC Trainer V3 found it Really comfortable all around a good Amount of room yeah perfect fit and the Super Blast 2 the same yeah really good Fit in my normal size so I would stick To that with both shoes so quick word on Fit then and I ran half a size up in the New Balance SC Trainer V3 that was based On the recommendation from New Balance Themselves some people have found that This shoe can come up a bit short and so
You might get a bit of bashing in the Toe box if you go true to size so I went Half a size up and what that's given me As you can see is the thumbs width which Is plenty of room there it does create a Kind of roomy Airy fit generally around The rest of the shoe which I quite like There's lot of wiggle room in the toe Box it doesn't feel too snug across the Toe knuckles I did have to kind of pay Attention to getting the lace locked Down just to ensure that I didn't get Heel slipping I had a bit of that Initially and then once I tweaked them That was fine In if I'm being honest I would really Like kind of to go maybe kind of quarter Of a size up rather than half a size up To have a little bit more of a snug feel Particularly for those faster Paces a Bit more of a hugging fit but overall I Found it kind of comfortable so I think If you want a room area fit go half a Size up for the super Blast 2 I went True to sizing the uk8 and a half again I think you've got nice amount of room Towards the end of the toe box these Hold without feeling tight I really like This kind of fit where you've got plenty Of wiggle room there's hold on the toen Knuckles but it doesn't feel too tight And too cramped bit like the hak X2 Could be too cramped for me this has a Nice fit I think the laces here do
Really well I get really good lock down Across the midfoot um the padded tongue Which is just padded in the right places But wraps across the foot adds to the Fit and the no lace pinch there I just Think it holds everything really nicely Back into the heel colar I had s of kind Of plenty of security back there no Problems at all and in the super L 2 I Recommend going sh Size now this was my first outing in Both of these shoes the first gen of the Super blast passed me by and I didn't Get to sample either of the V1 or the V2 In the New Balance trainer in testing I've put in lots of miles in both at my Usual mix of Paces distances and time on Feet I've done slower 10ks longer Cruising runs with faster interval Segments and I've done steady tempo runs I've run further in the superl 2 I Actually Marathon tested this what would Be an easy marathon pace to me I tend to Run somewhere around the 3-hour mark But For that test I rocked it back to a Cruising 4-Hour Marathon there is a Video up on the channel if you want to See how I got on with that go check it Out now I really like both of these Shoes and that has surprised me a little As someone who tends to Veer towards Smaller more agile shoes generally but For bigger shoes I think there's a Really nice balance to both them
Softness but not too much bounce but Control good reliable platforms to run Off and generally kind of smooth Easy Flow particularly when you hit those Kind of faster than easy long run Cruising paces I find they really excel In that middle band of my Pace range the Kind of pace that I can hold for days And slightly faster they can do speed as Well but generally speaking I'd still Choose a more agile shoe for the very Fastest sessions if I had to sum up each I'd say the new balanced SE trainer V3 Is an accomplished daily training with a Decent level of cushioning it's not too Soft there's plenty of controlled energy For eating up miles on longer runs There's lots of Versatility here too and It'd be a good weapon in anyone's Marathon training lineup the ax super Blast 2 also offers excellent all round Versatility and the main word I keep Using to sum up this shoe is consistency During the marathon test I moved at a Cruising pace for 4 hours and the ride Was consistent throughout of that great Cushioning a reliable platform smooth Transitions energy if you want it and Get up on the mid to 4 foot Road eating Comfort if you drop back a bit heavier On your heels it is the bigger shoe on The foot and the New Balance has a Little more agility despite the New Balance being slightly heavier that some
May prefer the new balance for faster Runs as result but what I really love About both these shoes is their range They're really close to being shoes that Can do everything you need in a marathon Training Block in fact for some Runners I think they probably could I can run Slow and all out in both and get a ride That for the most part feels good the Super plus 2 is probably a little Smoother at the slower end of things but There's excellent versatility in this Shoe these two shoes that I like a lot And I've used them for a fair bit of Running this year I've done about 80 or 90k in the ax and about 110k in the New Balance superl 2 I think is a Continuation of what made the one so Great just a really good versatile shoe And then the SC Trainer V3 I think is a Big upgrade and what we've seen from This line in the past I didn't really Like the one or the two but I have Really liked running in the SC Trainer V3 I think both shoes actually do a Similar job in terms of the runs they Really excel at which is those kind of Longer runs progression runs marathon Training when you're stepping at the Door for Fairly long runs with usually Some speed work thrown in here and there That kind of thing I think they both do A really good job of that but they take Different approaches they have different
Styles and ride Fields you got the plate Free super blast and then the plated SC Trainer but yeah I do think they excel In a similar role super last we had in First a test and like I said it's got a Really nice ride to it definitely Reminiscent of the first one you've got This really big shoe like very long shoe Quite a boatlike feeling to it but just Creates a little bit of a rocker that Foam is quite bouncy and quite Responsive but not overly so it's quite A stiff ride but still comfortable as Well on easy runs it already comes Together in a very versatile shoe that You can really use for a bit of Everything like it's also a really Lightweight for such a big shoe it's a Fair bit lighter than the SD trainer V3 Even though this is a bigger US size and It just creates you know a very good Versatile shoe you can go hard in this You can do short reps you can go very Easy in it as well I think where it Excels is in between that when you're Looking at those longer runs with some Fast sections thrown in progression runs Just feels like the perfect shoe for That and that's all true of the SC Trainer V3 it's a shoe that really Arrived at the perfect time for me at The start of marathon training just Doing a lot of miles doing a lot of Longer workouts like four times 4K lots
Of easy to steady runs that kind of Thing and it just does All Those runs Really well like it's got similar Feeling actually for me to the ax super Blast when it comes to those kind of Runs where it's it's not outlandishly Soft or squishy or bouncy or P pulsive Just the right amount of everything to Just help you tick over protect the legs Well and just feel really good it is a Smaller shoe than a super plus it is a Heavier shoe but it's a smaller shoe and As a result I think it has a slightly Nimbler Feel On The Run for me like just Feel like a shoe you can go a little bit Harder at if you're going to go and do Like really F sessions you know down the Track at faster race Paces like I said I Think it excels more at that kind of Marathon pace and slightly slower you Might be in for a lot of runs and Workouts during marathon training but You know I think it has maybe a little Bit more pop to it than the superlast When it comes to fast runs even though It is the heavier shoe just because Superlast while very light is just a Really big shoe and sometimes I do feel That takes away from the ride field a Little bit for me when it comes to going All out just because you know it's a big Shoe to keep turning over no matter how Light it is so yeah I do notice that Sometimes with the super blast actually
Did a very similar run in Bow shoes During my testing of them where I was Doing an easy to steady 15 miles did a Similar route did very similar Paces Throughout I think I worked down from I Don't know I started at a nice relaxed Pace probably did the middle 8K of that At around 4 minutes of K Pace just under And then did the last 8K a bit quicker Kind of 4K around 345 350 then just Under 340 pet pace and yeah both of them Felt amazing for I finished both runs Just really liking both shoes and I Think that's exactly the kind of run I Really like doing in both of those shoes Like I had to go now and do that run Again and had to pick between them to do It I think the superlast is the one in My mind I'd want to do it again in more With a lot of that being down to the Fact that it hasn't got a plate which I Do think is a benefit cuz I'd rather not Train in the plated shoe if I'm going to Achieve the same kind of performance in A shoe that doesn't have a plate just Because it's in my mind that we Shouldn't use PL it shoes that much and I just rather not use them so with the Two being so similar on that kind of Performance on those runs like the super L is the one I lean to a bit more but I Do think that you get a little bit more Pop for faster stuff from the New Balance even though it's a heavier shoe
Because it's a nimbler one you have got The plate in there and I do think that Does help and when I was running in Bow Shoes at the same time it does feel Smaller noticeably smaller than the Super blast and that size of it is Something that sometimes takes away a Little bit of the ride for me and it is Something I noticed on the run and Actually when I run in it it kind of Goes away and I get over it but yeah Just thinking about what Sho I'd rather Be in for a really far session I Probably would lean towards New Balance Just because of that but if I think About those long runs progression runs You know that kind of thing I lean Towards the super blast because hasn't Got a plate and it just delivers such a Really nice Ride For Those Runs verdict I think this is a really Tough one because these are two shoes That really Excel when it comes to Performance but I'd say for the kind of Runs that I would do in these shoes Which is yeah long runs progression runs Longer sessions I'd probably slightly Prefer them to do than the super blast And that's the shoe I'd probably pick Out of them as a result because if I was Looking at one of these for my rotation Like I said those are the runs I think I'd want to use it for most and Superlast is slightly better at them and
I do like fact it hasn't got a plate Because yeah I'd rather not train the Plated shoe if I can that said I think If you are looking for one versatile Fast super trainer style shoe to have in Your rotation I think New Balance Probably has a little bit more Versatility to it I would say probably Be the one I would go for for really Fast runs in the track and it actually Does feel really nice on easy runs as Well if you don't mind using a plated Shoe for those again I'd rather be in The super blast for those as well so Yeah it's a really tough decision this It's made easier in the UK by the Ridiculously high price of the SC Trainer V3 because in that case just go For the super blast because you know It's cheaper and like I said I think I Slightly prefer it for the the runs that I do most in these shoes but then in the US new balance is the cheaper shoe so You know maybe has a little bit of an Edge there Al say you can't really go Too wrong with either shoe though I do Think they are fantastic shoes really Like running in both of them just great Cruisy marathon training shoes that can Do a lot of your training really really Well but overall I probably just get the Super blast myself verdict then and These are both excellent allr rounders Good cruisers for Tempo runs and longer
Faster efforts where you're mixing up The paces or just for cruising slightly Slower than marathon pace I like them Both if you told me I could only run in The SC Trainer V3 I'd be happy if you Told me I could only run in the super Blast 2 I'd be equally as happy but I Said this in our head-to-head between The Endorphin speed 4 and the SC Trainer V3 and I'm going to repeat it here if You live in the UK it's hard to shake The fact that the SC Trainer is so damn Pricey no matter what tech is on board £230 is a lot of money for a training Shoe even a super trainer now I get that There's premium foam carbon plate Tech In this shoe but unless you're a runner Who can train and race in the new Balanced SC Trainer V3 canceling out the Need for a pricey carbon shoe I don't Think you're getting more run potential For your money than you do from some Cheaper alternatives and the super Blast 2 is definitely one of those the Endorphin speed 4 is another even the Hok Mac X2 arguably might fit that bill As well now if I'm going to break down The merits of these two the SC Trainer V3 is marginally better at the faster Paces the superlast 2 is a bit more Fluid at the slower places both are Really good in the middle but if I had To choose one shoe based on the UK price I'd go for the super Blast 2 based on
The US us price though where the SC Trainer V3 is cheaper I would go for the SC Trainer V3 so there you have it That's our head-to-head between the New Balance SC Trainer V3 and the ax super Blast 2 hope you found it useful drop us A like if you did if you're not Subscribed to the channel we'd love it If you do us the honor of hitting that Button if you want deeper dives into These two shoes I'm going to put the Reviews of them up on the channel now go And get stuck into those otherwise thank You very much for stopping by and until Next time happy running people
