• The Asics Megablast is one of the bounciest super trainers we tested this year.
• The shoe has the brand’s FF Turbo², an A-TPU midsole foam that delivers explosive bounce.
• Some runners found the Megablast too squishy while others appreciated its cushiness for hard workouts.

When I tested the Saucony Endorphin Pro 5, I went to Central Park and ran the 10K loop. I have a ritual whenever I run that loop: I try to pass as many runners as I possibly can.

This run was no different. I sprinted and surged, ticking off runner after runner. I was coming in hot until I heard someone roaring up behind me. There was someone gaining momentum behind me, trying to pass. I held out as hard as I could, quickening my pace the closer his footfalls pounded. Finally, I had to let him go. As he flew up the park’s Cat Hill, I clocked his shoes: the Asics Megablast.

Aggressively Springy

Asics Megablast

$225Asics

Pros

• Very responsive
• Supportive cushioning for tough workouts
• Lightweight

Cons

• Bulky
• Cushioning too soft and spongy for some

Type	Weight	Drop	Support	Stack Height
Road running	7.6 oz (M), 6.6 oz (W)	10 mm	Neutral	46 mm

Like Springs on Your Feet

When I tested the Megablast myself, I was shocked by the volatile bounce its midsole provides. My experience running in the Asics Sonicblast, another super trainer shoe in Asics’s “blast” family, was more controlled and stable. On a video call with Asics Global Footwear Senior Project Manager Paul Lang, I asked why these shoes had such different rides, despite being in the same Blast family of shoes.

The Megablast has a full-length A-TPU-based FF Turbo² midsole, whereas the Sonicblast has a dual-layer midsole—FF Turbo² and FF Blast Max (polyolefin foam)—that sandwiches a carbon plate. Because of the singular foam and no plate in the Megablast, what you get is a higher bounce value compared to the ride of the Sonicblast.

“On something like the Sonicblast, when it’s constructed in a sandwich layer, it’s stabilized a little bit because of that bottom layer foam,” said Lang. “With Megablast, the idea is to have kind of more of an unbridled experience in terms of bounce.”

That was definitely what the Megablast-wearing Central Park runner was experiencing as he passed me. I saw him rage up hills with enviable momentum as he disappeared from my sight moments later.

It’s All Based on the Ride You Want

Both the Sonicblast and Megablast are way over legal stack height (World Athletics rules state that racing shoes in competitions are limited to 40mm thick). And Lang explained their purpose is for user experience instead of competition.

For me personally, the Sonicblast’s ride is preferable. It feels more stabilized compared to the FF Turbo²-only Megablast, whose midsole feels trampoline-bouncy and squishy.

But for other runners, like shoe tester Josh Davis, who averages a 7:00 training pace, the shoe drives exactly his kind of ride.

“This is a pretty darn good shoe,” said Davis. “This year, I have been super high on the Adizero Evo SL. In my first couple steps in this shoe, I thought, ‘This might be the one that knocks it off the pedestal.’ For its size, the shoe is pretty darn light and very responsive. I’ve put over 100 miles on it at this point, and haven’t noticed any change in the pop. I liked this shoe for easy runs.”

For runners like me, the Sonicblast is a great “illegal” plated shoe for long runs and speedwork. For those like Davis who can wield the Megablast’s power, they’ll find a recovery trainer with explosive energy return that can leave friendly competition-seeking runners like me in the dust.