Asics Retools the Internet’s Favorite Running Shoe in Every Way That Matters

The most popular shoe on Strava steps into a new generation with small tweaks and a big fun factor.

Pair of light pink Asics running shoes on a concrete surface, showing side and top views.

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By Jack Seemer

Published May 29, 2026

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Asics is on one hell of a run.

At the 2026 Boston Marathon, John Korir wore a prototype of the MetaSpeed Sky to set a new course record. Even more impressive: seven out of the top 10 men and women crossed the finish line in shoes bearing Asics’s iconic stripes.

But the brand isn’t just dominating the tip of the running spear.

asics running shoe — The Novablast 5 (pictured) recently dethroned Nike and Hoka as the most popular shoe on Strava.

Slowly but surely, the Novablast has become a crowd-favorite for elite runners and hobby joggers, alike.

Last year, the Novablast 5 dethroned the Nike Pegasus and Hoka Clifton to become the most popular shoe across all of Strava, cementing its status as the everyday trainer to beat.

Leave it to Asics to be the one to do it.

Welcome to Power Moves: Diving deep into the product and brand moves that can change where a category is headed. Discover more here.

Keep what works

Arriving in early July, the Novablast 6 is the latest installment in the fan-favorite franchise that helped to put Asics back on the map after its early-2000s heyday.

Pair of white and pink Asics running shoes on mossy ground near stone blocks. — The Novablast 6 comes out July 1 for $150.

For those that loved its predecessor, rest assured: the new model shares much with the Novablast 5, including the same 41.5mm stack height and 8mm drop.

“We’re coming from a pretty great starting point,” says Paul Lang, the senior manager of global product at the brand.

The new version features the same stack height (41.5mm) and drop (8mm) as it’s predecessor.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

“Our big creative tension was: do you keep doing what people have come to expect or do we use this as an opportunity to push forward a little bit and try to take the shoe to the next level?”

Lang and his team landed somewhere in the middle, preserving the overall look, geometry and dimensions of the Novablast while dialing in its biggest shortcomings: bounce and traction.

Off the bounce

Though the bulk of the new midsole is made up of FF Blast Max, as featured in the Novablast 5, a so-called “trampoline pod” fashioned from FF Turbo Squared (an A-TPU polymer similar to what Asics uses in its marathon racers).

White and light green Asics running shoe with "FF Turbo²" text on the sole. — The forefoot is made up of FF Turbo Squared, an A-TPU foam similar to what Asics uses in its top marathon racers.

“The number one priority was re-energizing that forefoot,” Lang says.

“Your full foot engages. It works down and comes to a focus point. All of that energy is then channeled right to that bounce pod that has that ability to recess and pop out.”

The other big change pertains to the outsole, where the Novablast 6 includes AsicsGrip in the forefoot.

White and light green running shoe sole with textured grip patterns on a concrete surface. — The outsole features both AsicsGrip and Ahar Lo. The Novablast 5 only has the latter.

“That’s our high tactile rubber. It’s exceptionally grippy and used in a bunch of our trail shoes,” Lang says.

The result is a inclusive daily trainer that can not only adapt to a wide range of surfaces and weather conditions but different runners, too.

“With the breadth of athlete that’s wearing this shoe, there are a lot of foot strikes,” Lang says. “This shoe means a lot to a lot of people.

Top view of a white Asics running shoe on concrete ground. — As Asicis most inclusive everyday trainer, comfort cues abound. There’s extra padding around the collar and flared heel optimized for heel strikers.

Close-up of a white and light pink Asics running shoe with laces tied in a standard crisscross pattern. — The Novablast 6 also features a new engineered-woven upper instead of jaquard mesh.

“There’s always that one shoe at a brand. When someone from the outside, be it family member or friend, comes to you and asks, ‘Hey, I just need a shoe. What do you recommend?'”

“The Novablast has become that shoe I just default to,” Lang adds.

Given the sheer popularity of the franchise, which only seems to grow with every new iteration, he’s far from the only one.

Pair of running shoes on concrete, one white with maroon accents and "FF Turbo²" text, the other blue with green and pink accents and "FF Leap" text. — The Novablast 6 (left) isn’t the only new trainer in Asics’s roster. The Superblast 3 (right) came out earlier this year.

Availability and pricing

Available starting July 1, the Novablast 6 comes in a handful of launch colorways, which now appear on Asics’s official website.

It costs $155, a small bump from the Novablast 5.

Beige and brown Asics running shoe with a thick sole and light green outsole.

Asics Novablast 6

$155 at Asics

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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