Asics Expands Blast Running Shoes With New Foam And Two New Styles
'We've got these great, legendary shoes Asics has been making for 20 to 30 years, and in 2020 we brought NovaBlast to market for the first time as an answer to a new experience,' Paul Lang, Asics senior global product line manager of performance running, tells me. 'As we look to evolve this whole bounce category, we will start to see the FF Turbo Squared.'
The stories of the new SonicBlast and MegaBlast start with the success of the NovaBlast, which launched in 2020 to create a new running experience for the Japanese brand, allowing it to try fresh technologies and designs focused on a bouncy experience. The silhouette has taken off to the point Lang expects it to be one of the top shoes globally in 2026.
Along the way, Asics added the long-distance-ready SuperBlast to the lineup. As the idea of an energized running experience grows in running clubs and greater running population, 'now it is more about going in and saying I want something that feels like this and makes me excited to get out and run.' To double the offerings in the Blast lineup, Asics is introducing its new ATPU light and bouncy foam the FF Turbo Squared, adding it to the two new models.
'As we look to unlock a new chapter of energy, ATPU is a material we are starting to see used,' Lang says, noting that the brand's Metaspeed race shoe uses another type of ATPU foam since the material is known for lightweight and bouncy resiliency.
The SonicBlast features a bottom layer of the FF Blast Max foam currently on the NovaBlast, but with a top layer of the new FF Turbo Squared ATPU, all with a 3/4-length PBAX plate sandwiched between the two. Lang says using PBAX instead of carbon fiber allows the shoe to remain flexible for everyday use for a wider range of runners, all with the same propulsive benefits.
The MegaBlast focuses on the new foam, using a full 46mm stack in the rear—down to a 38mm stack in the forefoot—for the most 'energy returning' of any of the shoes in the lineup. A single piece of the foam allows the shoe to weigh in at 230 grams, significantly lighter weight than others in the lineup and near where many performance race shoes have fallen in recent years.
MORE: The Asics North American Growth Strategy Features Tennis
'This is the ultimate expression of bounce for us,' Lang says about the MegaBlast. During testing of the foam, Lang says the team realized they had an opportunity to create a unique experience by featuring just the FF Turbo Squared.
'We are seeing more runners call for a greater experience through shoes,' Lang says. 'We know [the MegaBlast] isn't going to be the highest volume [seller], but this will bring a lot of people to the brand. The weight to stack ratio, the bounce, we are really excited about what's in front of us here.'
On the outsole, both models feature the tackiest rubber the brand has, something Asics uses on trail models, giving the Blast series enhanced grip.
For the uppers, SonicBlast features a simplistic and breathable jacquard upper with a soft collar lining and padded tongue for comfort. This up-tempo bounce everyday trainer is priced at $180. The upper on the MegaBlast, a $225 shoe, is inspired by racing uppers but structured for everyday training with breathable lock down. It also features training shoe benefits, such as a pull tab and collar to increase comfort.
The new Blast lineup has a hierarchy with NovaBlast as the entry, SonicBlast the next step up, followed by the SuperBlast and then MegaBlast. As the energy-focused runners started to bring a new consumer to running, the NovaBlast normalized that material for Asics and helped bridge the gap between new and old technologies. The 'energized type of runner' now has new options in the Asics lineup with a full line of bounce-focused silhouettes.
'I think we can take the family picture now,' Lang says about the lineup. 'Everybody showed up. These four shoes, if someone had a bag with these four shoes, they are ready to go. I am pleased with where we stand.'
MORE: Asics Launching Performance Nimbus Running Shoe Ready For Recycling
MORE: Asics Creates Performance-Driven Shoe For Singing Star Taka
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Runner, 97, set to break European Parkrun record with 250th event
Meet the 97-year-old woman who is set to break a Parkrun record, when she becomes the oldest person in Europe to complete 250 Parkruns. Grace Chambers will be cheered along the 5k route at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on her way to the remarkable record-breaking feat. Not that just completing the race is all Grace is aiming for - she's hoping for a good race time too. She only took up running at the age of 88 after having open heart surgery, but said she has no plans to stop after reaching the big 250. For many people, never mind an 88-year-old recovering from serious, invasive surgery, running is not top of the to-do list. But Grace's Parkrun journey began when a staff member on her rehabilitation team, who volunteered at Ormeau Parkrun, suggested she might enjoy coming along. With a bit of encouragement from one of her daughters, Grace went to do her first Parkrun in 2016 and said she became the talk of the event. "Everyone kept saying: 'This woman in her 80s has turned up thinking she can do a parkrun.' Well I certainly showed them," she said, laughing. Grace became a regular at the community event and broke numerous records for runners in her age category in her first year. "I just love it, all the people you meet, it's just wonderful - people from all over Northern Ireland come and mix at Parkrun and you wouldn't have had people from all the communities mixing like that when I was growing up," she said. The former teacher, who professed a love of mountain hiking and golf, said not even the suspension of Parkruns in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic slowed her down. "I just went down and did it myself anyway," she said. Grace recorded all of her times and got her daughter to send them all to Parkrun afterwards. "I've probably done a lot more than 250 Parkruns, but the ones during Covid don't count," she added. Not even a broken leg, suffered while out walking during the pandemic, stopped her, as she bounced straight back to Parkruns after recovering. She's now assisted around the course by her two friends Cathy and Sue. "I wouldn't be here without them, they take me to the run each week and go round with me." A 'local legend' cheered on by Olympians Grace now has a bench named after her on the finish line with a a plaque that says "Grace's Bench, Park runner extraordinaire". On a typical week, you'll find Grace sitting on it after the run posing for photos with her fans. Lots of people have come to visit Grace over the years including the Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes, who ran alongside her. "Kelly wanted to talk as we were going round the course so I had to say, come on Kelly, you're holding me back." Grace's preparations for her 250th run hit a snag when she had a stent fitted four weeks ago, but she only missed one week during her recovery. "I told the surgeon I was going to test out his work, I've got a new valve, why would I not use it," she said. Deirdre McConvey, one of the volunteer run directors at Ormeau Parkrun, said Grace has "become a local legend". "We've had visitors come specially to meet her, nobody smiles broader than Grace. "Her warmth and friendliness has endeared her to all the regulars who love to cheer her over the finish line, especially on her birthday. "Her grit and determination are definitely inspiring and sometimes quite humbling." Belfast South MP Claire Hanna is also a regular Parkrunner and will be cheering Grace on. "Congratulations to the inimitable Grace," she said. "What an inspiration she is to so many." However, Grace doesn't really understand the fuss over her Parkrun record. "So what!" she said. "Many people do much more remarkable things than this, but if it inspires some people to start running then that's great. "I just hope I get a good time on Saturday with everyone watching me." Parkrun: The local jog that became a worldwide hit NI leads the pack in Parkrun participation NI Christmas Parkrun breaks course participation record Community mourns passing of 'Mr Northampton parkrun'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Paula Radcliffe: Eilish McColgan has a good chance of breaking my British record
There is one mark that's been at the forefront of every female British marathon runner's mind for over two decades. In 2003, Paula Radcliffe set a British marathon record of 2 hours 15 minutes 25 seconds and in the 22 years since, no British woman has ever bettered that mark, which was a new world record at the time. Indeed, no one has even come close, with the next best time by a Brit a whole six minutes slower than Radcliffe's mark. There is, however, according to the woman who has had such a firm grip on that record for over two decades, one candidate who has the potential to come closer to that record than any other, and perhaps even beat it. That runner who is as likely, if not more likely, to finally break the longstanding British record is Eilish McColgan and given the prediction is coming from Radcliffe herself, it holds more weight than most. McColgan may have been a world-class runner for well over a decade but she remains a novice in marathon terms. The 34-year-old Dundonian made her marathon debut earlier this year, in April's London Marathon, and on her first attempt at 26.2 miles, set a new Scottish record of 2 hours 24 minutes 25 seconds. It was a debut that had been eagerly anticipated given McColgan had initially planned to run her first marathon in 2023 before several injury setbacks caused postponement after postponement of her maiden marathon appearance, Finally, though, she got to the start line in April. McColgan's Scottish record-beating run, which also bettered her mum, Liz McColgan's, best-ever marathon time, was particularly impressive when taking into account both her disrupted preparation, and the fact she ran almost the entirety of the race alone having been separated from the leading pack in the very early stages. Radcliffe was an interested observer of McColgan's marathon debut and she admits she was extremely impressed with how McColgan equipped herself over the 26.2 miles in London. 'Eilish's preparation was maybe a little bit short on volume because of the injury issues but she was really smart in taking her time to get on top of everything and not to do a marathon until she was healthy,' Radcliffe says. 'In London, she spent so much of the race on her own and in no man's land so she should be proud of how well she did given those circumstances because, of course, if you're running alone, it's not going to be as quick as if you're running with others. 'I ran alone in the marathon a few times but most of the times I did that, it was because I was leading and that's a very different feeling to when you know the race is moving away ahead of you. 'So the way Eilish did that race is much tougher than any time I did it. 'Ahead of London, she's been pretty vocal about having set herself the target of bettering her mum's time so to get her mum's record, and the Scottish record, was very good for her first marathon.' Eilish McColgan set a Scottish record on her marathon debut earlier this year (Image: Steve Christo - Corbis) Radcliffe and McColgan may have been competing in different eras but the pair share several similarities including their mentalities and the obstacles they've encountered in their careers, namely injuries. Radcliffe was famous for pushing herself to her physical and psychological limit and McColgan is made from the same mould, which she demonstrated in her gold medal-winning run in the 10,000m final at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. And with Radcliffe's career being ended by injuries, she can empathise with McColgan's injury challenges over the past few years which have seen her race schedule seriously disrupted. McColgan has now rediscovered full fitness but it is, says Radcliffe, a razor-thin line between fitness and injury for all elite marathon runners. 'Injuries are part and parcel of being a marathon runner and most marathon build-ups will have niggles. It's about working out where the line is between a serious injury and a niggle,' the former world champion says. 'I loved the mental challenge of the marathon, though, and I think Eilish will too because I think she's the type of person who does relish that. 'On race day, I did feel like it was a little bit of a game in terms of you're hurting, but how long can you ignore it and keep going?' The next milestone for McColgan, now she has her hands on the Scottish record is, of course, Radcliffe's British record. To take the Englishwoman's record, McColgan, whose next competitive outing will be at next month's Great North Run over 13.1 miles, will need to slice nine minutes from her debut marathon time which is, clearly, a sizeable chunk. It's not an improvement that'll happen overnight but Radcliffe is confident that as the Scot gains experience over the distance, she'll get closer and closer to the fabled mark. 'I think, and Eilish would probably agree, that at the moment she's still more comfortable and more solid over the 10k and the half marathon distance. But that's absolutely not to say that in the future that can't change,' says Radcliffe. Paula Radcliffe set her current British record back in 2003 (Image: Getty Images) 'I hit the ground running with the marathon - it went amazing the very first time I ran it but that's probably unusual because you look at other really successful marathon runners like Haile Gebrselassie or Paul Tergat and they took a while to settle into the marathon. 'After my first marathon, in my lifetime, I only improved about three minutes whereas other people improved a lot more from their marathon debut so everyone's very different. 'What I've noticed with Eilish, over the years, is it can take her a bit of time to learn a new distance so she just needs a little bit more time to feel really comfortable with the marathon. 'She's now experienced the marathon and I think Eilish has got as good a shot, if not a better shot, than almost anyone else at breaking my British record. 'I don't think it's unachievable for her - the thing about the marathon is getting it right on the day. 'I think she can go quicker than she did in London so it's just a question of how much quicker.'
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Asics Is the Fastest-Growing Sneaker Brand on StockX in 2025 So Far
StockX released its latest Big Facts report today, providing insights into the best-selling products on its platform for the first half of 2025. The data revealed that Asics sneakers were the fastest-growing footwear brand on the platform for the second year in a row, with sales up 71 percent compared to this time last year. StockX also confirmed that the Gel-1130 and Gel-NYC were the biggest drivers in sales for Asics sneakers. The second fastest-growing brand for 2025 thus far was from Japanese label Mihara Yasuhiro, and ranked at number three was Salomon, which saw a 53 percent increase from the year prior. Coming in at fourth is Anta, which is fueled by Kyrie Irving's signature shoes with the brand. The fifth sneaker brand on the list is On, which saw a 15 percent increase from a year prior. StockX also shared its three most-searched and top-selling sneakers in the first half of this year, including the cream grey-colored Asics Gel-NYC, the metallic silver Nike Total 90, and the silver Puma Speedcat Ballet. COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess. Related Products ASICS ASICS GEL-K1011 WHITE/PURE SILVER $130 , ASICS ASICS GEL-NYC MIDNIGHT/MIDNIGHT $130 , ASICS ASICS GEL-NYC BLACK/GREIGE $130 , ASICS ASICS GEL-1130 KALE $110 Related News , , Related News Ronnie Fieg Previews New Kith x Adidas Superstar Collab Ja Morant's Ja 3 Is Coming to Nike By You Soon COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess. Making Culture Pop. Find the latest entertainment news and the best in music, pop culture, sneakers, style and original shows. Solve the daily Crossword
