If Any Running Shoe Is Worth $225, It’s This one

Asics left big shoes to fill with the Superblast 2. Its successor fills them and then some.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

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By Jack Seemer

Published January 2, 2026

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In 2024, Asics left big shoes to fill with the Superblast 2, a pricey but versatile trainer with no shortage of descriptors. It was smooth, stable, versatile and quick, a robust combination that made it the shoe to beat industry-wide.

The Megablast does.

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If the Superblast 2 felt a bit stiff out of the box, the Megablast arrives ready to rip from mile one.

A pair of athletic shoes placed side by side on a concrete surface. The left shoe is predominantly purple with black stripes and a white sole featuring a gradient of blue to red near the heel. The right shoe is mostly black with white accents and a black sole. Both shoes have a sleek, modern design. — The Megablast (left) succeeds the Superblast 2 (right) as the industry’s new ultrapremium trainer to beat.

The secret sauce is a new foam called FF Turbo Squared fashioned from A-TPU, the same compound found in Asics’s topline racer, the Metaspeed Ray.

That gives the shoe a near-addictive amount of bounce, while reducing the overall weight. The Megablast clocks in at 8.1 ounces (men’s size nine), which becomes even more impressive when you consider the 46mm stack height.

Close-up of a shoe midsole with the text "FF Turbo²" embossed on the white foam. The upper part of the shoe features a purple and red striped pattern with black geometric lines. — FF Turbo Squared is made from A-TPU, the same compound found in Asics’s topline racer, the Metaspeed Ray.

“If there was such a metric as stack-to-weight ratio, I feel like we’re taking the trophy on that one,” says Paul Lang, a senior product manager at Asics who helped oversee the creation of the Megablast.

The upgrade in foam isn’t without a hard cost, however. Pairs of the shoe retail for $225, putting it at the very top end of the market.

Purple and pink running shoe with black accents and a white sole featuring a red and blue gradient design, placed on a textured concrete surface. The shoe has "FF Turbo²" written on the side of the sole. — The Megablast also includes a superthin tongue, serrated laces and ultrabreathable upper.

That said, the inclusion of a supetthin tongue, ultrabreathable upper and race-inspired serrated laces make it a complete package with no obvious flaws.

If ever a trainer was worthy of a $225 price tag, it’s this one.