Comparing the ASICS Megablast and Superblast 2 After 100 Miles

The ASICS Megablast and Superblast 2 are at the top of the ASICS training lineup. Priced at $225, the Megablast is the new kid on the block, designed to be a do-it-all daily shoe and speed trainer. The Superblast 2 is the polarizing but legendary long run training shoe. Below we will compare the two shoes and let you know how they compare after 100 miles.

Introduction

If you’ve been a loyal follower of the channel, you know that we haven’t loved the Superblast 2. Despite putting almost 200 miles in our pair, testing it at different paces and on different types of runs, we just couldn’t get along with it. The forefoot and heel feel disconnected and clunky and the foam feels too firm. However, it is a very popular show amongst hobby joggers and the shoe sicko community, especially for bigger runners and those who enjoy some stability elements in a shoe. For people who are putting more force down into the shoe, they report it feeling bouncy, responsive, and protective. Many people enjoy it for long runs, tempo runs, and even for recovery runs. We have to give it to ASICS for being the first running shoe brand to create a lightweight daily trainer with 45+mm of foam. It was definitely the first of its kind. The Superblast v1 was probably less polarizing than v2, but we didn’t really get along with either one. When we heard about the Megablast, we were hopeful that it would fix the two main issues we have with the Superblast: the clunky geometry and the overly firm foam. See below to hear our thoughts on how they compare after getting 100+ miles in each shoe.

Daily Trainer

Asics Superblast 2

Super max stack shoe designed for long runs

Price

$200

Plated?

No

Foam

Not disclosed

Weight (oz)

8.8

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

Durability & Traction

Both shoes deliver excellent grip thanks to the ASICSGRIP rubber outsole—ASICS’ premium rubber compound—which is a noticeable upgrade over the rubber used on the Novablast. We now have 100 miles on the Megablast, and it’s holding up impressively well to high-mileage training, something that also applies to the Superblast, which is known for its durability. We tested the Megablast on a lightly graveled trail and it performed very well. While neither the Megablast nor the Superblast is suited for technical trails, both handle light trails and wet pavement confidently. They also stand up to high mileage training without bottoming out, maintaining cushioning and responsiveness even after extended time on feet.

Speed Capability

While some people use the Superblast 2 for runs where they will be picking up the pace, we have never found it to be very fast or to encourage us to pick up the pace. The rocker is not smooth and it doesn’t put you up onto your forefoot. On the contrary, we have found the Megablast to have very similar speed capabilities to many of the carbon-fiber race shoes on the market. While we don’t plan on using the Megablast for a marathon PR attempt with all of the other highly capable, lightweight, racers on the market, we have used it for 400 meter repeats at 5k pace and for marathon-paced miles during a 25 mile long run, and it performed beautifully. 

Daily Trainer

ASICS Megablast

Daily trainer designed for speed and versatility

Price

$225

Plated?

No

Foam

ATPU

Weight (oz)

8.1

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

The Ride

For us there has always been a very disjointed feeling between the heel and forefoot of the Superblast that makes the ride feel choppy, especially at more recovery paces or when running more relaxed. The beauty of the Megablast is that while it is extremely capable of picking up the pace, it also feels very smooth and comfortable at our slower, more relaxed paces. The foam is bouncy, fun, and responsive. While we do consider it to be on the firmer side of the goldilocks zone, the new ATPU foam used in the Megablast is much less firm than the foam in the Superblast.

The Fit

Our main critique of the Megablast is the fit of the upper. While the length feels fine, the toebox is low-volume, and without a secure lockdown, we’ve noticed some rubbing on the toes. Wearing lighter socks helps, and if possible, we’d recommend trying the shoe on before buying to make sure you get the right fit. The Superblast, by contrast, has a much more forgiving upper that seems to accommodate a wide range of foot shapes and sizes. The Megablast’s upper is more minimal and race-like, which we don’t necessarily mind. It’s not particularly soft or plush like the Gel-Nimbus 27, but paired with the protective, bouncy foam, it does provide some leg-saving benefits.

To see Yowana's video comparison of the Megablast and Superblast 2, check out this video on the YouTube channel:

Stability

The Superblast is known for being very stable and for being a favorite among bigger or more powerful runners who enjoy a shoe with some more stability elements built in. We have also known a lot of people to take it for the full marathon distance due to the comfort and wider platform that feels reliable over such a long distance. We expected the Megablast to be less stable due to the softer foam, less chunky heel, and lack of a firm layer of training foam on the bottom, but it has felt very stable without the overly-prescriptive stability elements found in the Superblast 2.

Versatility & Value

There has been a lot of talk about the $225 list price of the Megablast and whether it is overpriced. For us, the versatility of the Megablast makes it well worth the slightly higher price tag. The Megablast is what we call a rotation killer—it works really well as a daily trainer, for both recovery and aerobic miles, as a workout or speed session shoe, for long runs, for tempo runs, and could easily be used as a race day shoe. The Superblast 2 has an MSRP of $200, which for us is not as good of a value due to the fact that we were never able to successfully use it for recovery runs or faster miles.

Summary

The ASICS Megablast is a Supwell-certified banger! It definitely is our favorite daily trainer of the year, and it might turn out to be the best daily trainer of all time.

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