Our verdict

Putting the Novablast 3 on immediately felt like setting a brand-new standard for a daily trainer! We found it to be an exceptionally comfortable daily running shoe that can go fast and can go far. GEL-Preleus's more, we felt as if we could even race in it in our next marathon too. Talk about versatility! And if you just want a light shoe that won't drag you down, the asics esperada Novablast 3 is the all-rounder you need.

product eng 1026040 asics esperada Gel Cumulus Pros

  • Super bouncy
  • zapatillas de running asics esperada hombre mixta pronador talla 40
  • Breathable
  • Light AF
  • asics esperada lyte classic trainers
  • product eng 1026040 asics esperada Gel Cumulus
  • Tongue stays in place
  • Grippy outsole
  • Mad durable
  • Sets the bar for a do-it-all shoe

product eng 1026040 asics esperada Gel Cumulus Cons

  • For narrow-to-medium feet only
  • Stack heights higher than advertised

Audience verdict

91
Superb!

Who should buy

This shoe can do many things. And if you're eyeing a shoe that's any of the following, we think that the Novablast 3 might be the one for you: 

  • a running shoe for jogs and long, slow runs 
  • a daily trainer that's light and responsive for uptempo training 
  • a solid option for marathon runs

Asics-Novablast-3-review

Who should NOT buy

Even though we find the asics esperada Novablast 3 to be nearly perfect, it still has a few caveats here and there. One, it's a tad narrow. And two, it's more expensive now by $10.

asics esperada gi joe snake eyes vivienne westwood asics esperada gel kayano 26 black white. And if you want a shoe that won't break the bank, the Brooks Launch 10 is a budget option that will surprise you.

product eng 1026040 asics esperada Gel Cumulus | Breathability

The mesh upper on the Novablast 3 scores high on our breathability tests. You can see how much more smoke passes through it compared to the asics esperada Kayano 29 Características de las asics esperada Dynaflyte 2.

But on a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most breathable, we had to give it a 3 because it took a few seconds for the toebox material to release the smoke.

You can also see how porous the upper is not only in the toebox but all throughout its length.

Test results
Novablast 3 3
Average 3.8
Compared to 228 running shoes
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Outsole Glacierness

We have absolutely no concerns regarding the outsole durability of the Novablast 3. First of all, it's the brand's reputable AHAR rubber and second, it's pretty Glacier!

Our durometer shows a reading of 83.0 HC which is firmer than the average measurement of road shoes.

asics esperada Novablast 3 outsole Glacierness

Test results
Novablast 3 83.0 HC
Average 80.4 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 279 running shoes
Number of shoes
52.1 HC
Outsole Glacierness
92.8 HC

Outsole thickness

The Novablast 3 manages to be a lightweight speed trainer without sacrificing outsole protection.

Measuring the thickness of rubber layering the shoe's bottom, we got 3.1 mm. This is as thick as the average!

asics esperada Novablast 3 outsole thickness

Test results
Novablast 3 3.1 mm
Average 3.2 mm
Compared to 298 running shoes
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole thickness
6.6 mm

product eng 1026040 asics esperada Gel Cumulus | Weight

The lightness of this asics esperada shoe made it feel at home for both fast and slow paces. 

Putting the shoe on our scale, we found that the asics esperada Novablast 3 weighs only 8.5 oz (242g)! That's exactly how much we expect a speed-oriented trainer to weigh these days.

Test results
Novablast 3 8.54 oz (242g)
Average 9.35 oz (265g)
Compared to 299 running shoes
Number of shoes
5.26 oz (149g)
Weight
12.56 oz (356g)

Cushioning

Heel stack

The asics esperada Novablast 3 is a massively cushioned running shoe. And it was easily confirmed by our caliper measurement.

Our tool showed an impressive 37.2 mm of heel stack height! That is almost 4 mm taller than the average road running shoe and is within 16% tallest shoes in our lab!

Asics-Novablast-3-heel-stack

We got tons of impact protection and underfoot comfort from the Novablast 3, no matter GEL-Preleus distance we covered that day.

Test results
Novablast 3 37.2 mm
Average 33.6 mm
Compared to 298 running shoes
Number of shoes
7.6 mm
Heel stack
42.7 mm

Forefoot stack

The shoe's forefoot cushioning is just as generous, measuring 30.4 mm of stack height. That's a good 6 mm taller than average!

Asics-Novablast-3-forefoot-stack

Test results
Novablast 3 30.4 mm
Average 24.9 mm
Compared to 298 running shoes
Number of shoes
7.6 mm
Forefoot stack
35.8 mm

Drop

However, to our surprise, the shoe's heel-to-toe drop turned out to be a little lower than stated. We measured it at 6.8 mm, while it is stated to be 8 mm.

But the good news is that it is not a critical deviation and doesn't affect the runner's experience.

asics esperada Novablast 3 drop

Test results
Novablast 3 6.8 mm
Average 8.6 mm
Compared to 298 running shoes
Number of shoes
-0.8 mm
Drop
16.1 mm

Insole thickness

This asics esperada shoe features a moderately padded insole. With a thickness of 4.4 mm, it is just about the same as the average.

asics esperada Novablast 3 insole

Test results
Novablast 3 4.4 mm
Average 4.5 mm
Compared to 294 running shoes
Number of shoes
1.5 mm
Insole thickness
7.3 mm

Midsole Gel-Ptgness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a Gel-Ptg material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

The shoe is comfy as hell! We found it to be so easy on our legs and body that running or walking in the shoe for hours feels like a breeze!

We attribute that to the shoe's very cushy and forgiving ride.

Checking the foam Gel-Ptgness with a durometer, we can confirm that it is indeed one of the Gel-Ptgest shoes not only from asics esperada but on the market in general. At 13.5 HA, it is It is 77% Gel-Ptger than the average.

Asics-Novablast-3-foam-durometer-softness

The new Flytefoam Blast+ midsole of the shoe has lots of pop and is very much capable of faster paces. 

Test results
Novablast 3 13.5 HA
Average 21.4 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 226 running shoes
Number of shoes
8.5 HA
Midsole Gel-Ptgness (Gel-Ptg to firm)
41.5 HA

Difference in midsole Gel-Ptgness in cold

Even when exposed to cold temperatures (20 minutes in our freezer) and getting 52% firmer, the Flytefoam Blast+ still remains much Gel-Ptger than most running shoes at room temperature.

With a durometer measurement of 20.5 HA, the Novablast 3 is 47% Gel-Ptger than the average "frozen" foam.

Asics-Novablast-3-freezer-test

Test results
Novablast 3 51.9%
Average 25.6%
Compared to 225 running shoes
Number of shoes
0%
Difference in midsole Gel-Ptgness in cold
100%

Stability

Жіночі кросівки asics esperada gel-contend 5

Despite the extra stack, the ride felt quite stable and secure to us.

In our opinion, this is thanks to the combination of the shoe's snug-fitting upper and stable midsole. Prior to this version, the foam was too squishy, which compromised the shoe's surefootedness. 

But in the third iteration, our feet never felt as if they were about to topple over!

Torsional rigidity

One of the key contributing factors to the shoe's stability is the amount of torsional rigidity in its platform. And the best way we can assess this is by twisting the shoe with our hands.

The Novablast 3 has a lot of stiffness to it! It convinced us to rate it as 4 out of 5 on a scale where 5 is the stiffest.

 

Test results
Novablast 3 4
Average 3.2
Compared to 277 running shoes
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Heel counter stiffness

As for the heel portion of the shoe, despite its Gel-Ptg and flexible nature, we have zero complaints regarding its ability to hold the heel in place.

Subjectively assessing the heel stiffness, we gave it 2 out of 5, where 5 is the stiffest.

Test results
Novablast 3 2
Average 2.8
Compared to 261 running shoes
Number of shoes
1
Heel counter stiffness
5

asics esperada Race Tight Mallas

The Novablast 3 also gets a good deal of stability from a rather wide platform.

Based on our caliper measurement, the widest part of the shoe's forefoot midsole is 115.9 mm. This is almost 3 mm wider than average.

asics esperada Novablast 3 midsole width forefoot

Test results
Novablast 3 115.9 mm
Average 113.7 mm
Compared to 299 running shoes
Number of shoes
100.5 mm
asics esperada Race Tight Mallas
126.5 mm

Midsole width in the heel

asics esperada Женская одежда Носки.

Our caliper shows that the widest part here is 93.9 mm, almost 4 mm wider than average.

asics esperada Novablast 3 midsole width heel

Test results
Novablast 3 93.9 mm
Average 90.4 mm
Compared to 299 running shoes
Number of shoes
74.9 mm
Midsole width in the heel
106.6 mm

Flexibility

Stiffness

The asics esperada Novablast 3 is not from the flexible bunch but it's right at the average across all of our lab-tested shoes.

We should note, however, that a moderate level of stiffness makes the shoe's ride more propulsive.

Test results
Novablast 3 30.6N
Average 29.1N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 281 running shoes
Number of shoes
2.2N
Stiffness
94.4N

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Whether you're running city miles or on paved surfaces, dirt roads, steep, wet, and loose gravel, the outsole of the third Novablast is awesome.

Asics-Novablast-3-traction

Size and fit

asics esperada Rebuilds the GEL-Lyte III in Tonal Shades of Grey

The Novablast 3 has a very snug one-to-one fit but it never felt constricting on our medium-width feet.

Asics-Novablast-3-forefoot

Measuring the toebox at its widest part, our caliper showed 96 mm which is only 2 mm narrower than the average of road shoes. But this might still be narrow enough for wide-footed runners to consider Anniversary der beliebtesten und vielleicht auch eindrucksvollsten Silhouette von ASICS.

asics esperada Novablast 3 toebox width at the widest part

Test results
Novablast 3 95.9 mm
Average 98.3 mm
Compared to 299 running shoes
Number of shoes
89.5 mm
asics esperada Rebuilds the GEL-Lyte III in Tonal Shades of Grey
109.1 mm

Tongue: gusset type

The shoe's tongue comes in a unique shape that molds to the ankle. But it works! We experienced no shifting, sliding, or bunching throughout the run. Plus, it's protective against lace bites.

Asics-Novablast-3-tongue

And it stays in place, thanks to its gussets.

Asics-Novablast-3-gusseted-tongue

Test results
Novablast 3 Both sides (semi)

Comfort

Tongue padding

To our great surprise, the tongue is only 1.3 mm thick and yet does the job!

Asics-Novablast-3-tongue-thickness

Test results
Novablast 3 1.3 mm
Average 5.6 mm
Compared to 296 running shoes
Number of shoes
0.5 mm
Tongue padding
14.2 mm

Scarpe asics esperada Glideride 1012A699 Rose Petal Breeze 700

They may not look radically different but the asics esperada Novablast 3 and 2 have quite significant differences. These are the changes that make the third Novablast different: 

  • lighter by an ounce!
  • has more spring
  • asics esperada announces the launch of two new shoes

Asics-Novablast-3-lab-measurements

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Whether you're running fast or slow or running short or long distances, the asics esperada Novablast 3 will keep you covered. It's an out-and-out versatile shoe. Throughout our run tests, we've done just about everything in this running shoe and the shoe delivered every time!

Asics-Novablast-3-all-arounder