Maximum Cushioning and Responsiveness: Our Review of the Asics Megablast Tokyo (2025)
The first Novablast brought a breath of fresh air to the Asics running shoe lineup. The Blast series subsequently expanded to include the Superblast, which has also proven very popular despite its rather high price.
The Japanese brand takes it a step further with its Asics Megablast, premium shoes that offer even more cushioning.
But how good is this new model? And how does it compare to the Superblast 2?
That's what we'll find out in this comprehensive review.
Why should you trust me?
With a personal best of 2 hours and 38 minutes in the marathon and a substantial weekly training volume, I have the opportunity to test many different models of running shoes to help improve my performance.
I tested the Asics Megablast on different types of workouts to evaluate their comfort and how they felt while running. I also consulted with other runners of different skill levels to validate my impressions and ensure that my recommendations would be useful to as many runners as possible.
Our verdict
An excellent, premium, highly versatile shoe for any type of training or racing.
- Weight: 218 g in size 42
- Foam: FLYTEFOAM TURBO²
- Height: 45 mm (heel), 37 mm (forefoot)
- Drop: 8 mm
- Training for all distances, racing
I might as well say it right off the bat: I was a little skeptical given the high price, but the Megablast is a success. Even though it isn't perfect, it offers an enjoyable ride combined with good versatility and a high level of performance.
The dimensions are truly “mega,” with a 45 mm heel height, making it one of the shoes on the market with the highest stack height (like the Superblast 2), and the shock absorption is impressive, certainly among the best.
The brand is introducing a brand-new foam: FlyteFoam Turbo². It’s made of A-TPU, a material that Asics describes as the most responsive and dynamic. The responsiveness is excellent, and the Megablast is well-suited for racing.
The upper is very good, although there are a few complaints about the fit. Finally, the Asics Grip outsole rubber provides excellent traction on all surfaces.
In short, this Asics Megablast impresses with its lightness, responsiveness, and incredible shock absorption. It’s certainly one of the best shoes without a plate available today.
Benefits
- A shoe upper that offers optimal breathability and a great fit
- Impressive shock absorption for such a lightweight model
- Excellent propulsion for covering all paces
- An enjoyable ride with plush, responsive cushioning
- Powerful traction on all surfaces
Disadvantages
- High price
- A change that not all testers were happy with
- Lack of depth in the toe area
Cushioning
It’s hard to imagine a more imposing shoe, with maximum heights of 45 mm at the heel and 37 mm at the metatarsal. It’s quite simply one of the tallest shoes you can find (note that the Sonicblast, released at the same time, reaches 46 mm).
The shock absorption is simply incredible, especially for such a lightweight shoe. It’s definitely one of the shoes that offers the most protection out of all the ones I’ve tried.
It is therefore suitable for all types of runners looking to increase their distance, regardless of their skill level or body type. The only limiting factor will be your personal preference for cushioning and how it feels.
On this point, I was eager to try the shoe on for myself to form my own opinion, since I’d read such conflicting reviews, with some people describing it as stiff and others as too plush.
My take? The shoe is very well balanced, with a feel that leans (just a tiny bit) more toward the plush side, a little more so than the Superblast 2, for example.
But not as much as on other models; I admit I have a hard time understanding the reservations on either side. In any case, I think this feel will suit the vast majority of runners.
The midsole design is fairly simple, consisting of a single block of the new FlyteFoam Turbo² foam. This foam is made of A-TPU (aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane), a next-generation foam that outperforms Peba.
It’s basically the same foam as FlyteFoam Leap, which is found in racing models like the Asics Metaspeed Ray, but in a more durable formulation designed specifically for training.
Another key feature that enhances accessibility is that the shoe has no plate and is therefore less rigid than racing models.
Finally, the 8-mm heel-to-toe drop is standard and should suit all runners.
Energy Return
The weight of the shoe is 218 g in size 42, which makes it very lightweight, especially considering its imposing dimensions. It features the asymmetrical design of the outsole and midsole (Trampoline Pod), a signature feature of the Blast line.
It features a smooth ride with quick and efficient transitions. The rocker is very pronounced, even more so than on other Blast models, which provides a strong rocker action and powerful propulsion.
The responsiveness is excellent. It’s not comparable to that of carbon fiber rackets, but the responsiveness is very good, and the energy return allows you to handle all paces with ease.
Support and Stability
While this aspect has been criticized by a number of testers, particularly those who find the shoe too plush, I personally find the stability to be standard and perfectly comparable to that of competing models.
With such a high stack height, you can’t really say the shoe feels close to the ground either. But the base is fairly wide and the shoe feels well-balanced, especially since the outsole provides excellent traction.
It should be noted that this shoe is designed for a Neutral stride and does not feature any specific technology to stabilize the stride, but the brand points out that it may also be suitable for supinators.
Foot Support
Brands know how to create maximalist yet very lightweight shoes, as they’ve proven with the Carbon Rockets. This is generally less true for training models, which are designed to be more durable and comfortable.
For the Asics Megablast Tokyo, the brand inevitably had to make some compromises to achieve a weight of 218 g in size 42 (despite a 45 mm stack height). And those compromises are concentrated in the upper.
Unsurprisingly, this is the point that has drawn the most criticism, although in my opinion not all of it is justified, as I’ll explain here. I even came across a review that described the upper as “sloppy” and said it didn’t justify the shoe’s price.
The upper is made of a technical mesh that is very lightweight and breathable. Contrary to what is stated in this review, I would describe it as a premium upper. The brand has reinforced the heel and midfoot (for better support) but has kept the toe box very narrow.
The stitching is precise and the fabric is sturdy, with numerous micro-perforations that ensure excellent breathability. Even without a lining, I can confirm that it provides good protection in cold weather and is best for use in any weather conditions.
The shoe offers excellent comfort thanks to its ample padding. The interior is soft throughout the upper, except in the toe area (it’s best to wear socks).
The gusseted tongue moves well with the foot, but it didn’t win everyone over: some people would have liked more padding. It didn’t bother me, even with my strong foot strike, and I think it’s a great design choice because it helps keep the shoe lightweight.
The semi-rigid heel counter is well-padded and effectively keeps the heel in place. There’s also a buckle to make it easier to put on. The lacing system with notched laces keeps the foot securely locked in place, although we would have liked the laces to be longer.
Simply put, the upper is very well made and underscores the shoe's premium quality.
Sizing and Fit
The shoe fits very snugly. It feels a little tight at first, especially if you have wide feet like me. But I find that feeling goes away as I run, the upper molds to my foot.
I even pulled out a ruler and took a few measurements. At 9.3 cm wide, the base is just a little below the average for shoes (9.5 cm). Nothing too significant.
The shoe is actually wider than the Superblast 2 in the toe box. The feeling of tightness comes more from the depth of that area. The Megablast has a very curved profile, more so than other shoes, which doesn't leave much room for the toes.
In my opinion, that's the only thing to watch out for.
Otherwise, the shoe fits true to size. If you like to have some room for your toes (especially in the toe box), you might want to consider going up half a size.
Traction
The outsole uses ASICSGRIP outsole rubber, just like the Superblast 2.
The traction is powerful and provides excellent grip on both dry and wet surfaces, no slipping to worry about.
Despite the numerous grooves and micro-grooves, the shoe is moderately flexible (it’s a little hard to bend), but this is still within the normal range.
In addition to asphalt, these shoes will handle most non-technical trails with ease.
Usage
The shock absorption is impressive; the Asics Megablast is a formidable shoe for extending your runs. The cushioning makes it easy to push yourself over long distances, no matter what your running style is.
This shoe is an excellent choice for marathons thanks to its high level of comfort. Its excellent responsiveness makes it suitable for all paces.
This last point is important: unlike carbon-fiber wheels, the Megablast remains effective at lower paces. It is therefore ideal for training during any moderate-paced easy run (e.g., recovery runs, basic endurance training).
For runners who don't like (or can't tolerate, due to a condition such as Morton's syndrome) the stiffness of shoes with a plate, the Megablast may simply be the best no-plate racing shoe currently available for all distances.
In terms of pure performance, it will struggle to compete with higher-performance plate models like the excellent Asics Metaspeed Ray. It will also be less effective during sharp accelerations during training (e.g., 400-meter repeats).
But these last points apply more to very experienced riders. For the vast majority of the peloton, the Megablast will be more than enough to handle all paces.
In short, the Megablast offers incredible versatility and is certainly one of the best training shoes available today.
Quality and Lifespan
The ASICSGRIP outsole rubber is very high quality, as is the foam, which retains its properties well over time. The upper is also durable, although some testers noted moderate durability in the toe area (perhaps they should have gone up ½ size).
This shoe is definitely built to rack up the kilometers, but the price is high, we’ll leave it up to you to decide whether there’s a good value for money.
In terms of environmental responsibility, the ASICS Megablast carries the GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification, with at least 50% recycled fibers. This certification also ensures that working conditions meet the standards set by the ILO (International Labor Organization) and that environmental and chemical practices are upheld throughout the entire production chain.
Finally, these shoes are vegan (like all ASICS running shoes).
Alternatives
Asics Sonicblast
It's hard to compare the Megablast with the Sonicblast, which was released at the same time. The Sonicblast is plated and weighs 30 g more. It also consists of two types of foam: FF Turbo² and FF Blast Max.
It’s more affordable (50 euros less), which is no small thing. But its Pebax plate puts it in a different category: it’s stiffer and less versatile than the Megablast, so overall it’s less enjoyable.
Asics Superblast 2
The Megablast is actually much closer to the Superblast 2. In fact, some people see the Megablast as the Superblast 3. But I don't share that view. The Superblast 2 is slightly more comfortable, a little heavier, and a little firmer.
So it’s slightly better suited for quick bursts of speed, while the Megablast is a bit more versatile and comfortable at tempo pace. I keep adding “slightly” because these two models are very similar and offer a similar riding experience.
Conclusion
The Asics Megablast takes things even further than the other shoes in the line. It’s similar to the Superblast 2, but it’s lighter, and the new foam makes it more responsive, and therefore even more versatile.
It's hard to find a downside to this shoe; it's suitable for all training scenarios, and it's one of the best racing shoes for those who don't want a plate.
Our Surface Test on Video
Technical Description
Technical Specs
| Terrain | Road |
| Pronation type | Neutral |
| Drop | 8 mm |
| Heel height | 45 mm |
| Forefoot height | 37 mm |
| Weight (men) | 218 g/7.7 oz |
| Weight (women) | 193 g/6.8 oz |
| Features | Vegan, Rocker |
| Athletes | |
| Release year | 2025 |
| Price | Check prices |
Cushioning
| Softness | Balanced |
| Responsiveness | High |
Technologies
| Outsole | ASICSGRIP |
| Midsole | FF TURBO2 |
| Upper | Technical knit |
Use
| Speed | Slow, Moderate, Fast |
| Distance | Short, 5K, Mid, 10K, Half marathon, Long, Marathon |
| Workout | Daily running, Racing |
Reference: Asics official website
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