This edition has been replaced. Read the current ASICS road lineup.
2026 EDITION · ROAD
ASICS road lineup
Seven roles cover the ASICS road range in 2026. The confusion in this lineup lives at the top, where the Nimbus, the Novablast and the Superblast all cover easy days and long runs, and separate on softness, weight and price.
- 1
The softest shoe ASICS makes for everyday mileage, and the lightest Nimbus in years. It trades responsiveness for underfoot protection, which is the right trade on easy days and the wrong one in a workout.
Women’s difference · The women's Nimbus is 39g lighter at 242g; same 8mm drop and same platform.
Choose it if
- Most of your week is easy running
- You want the most forgiving ASICS ride
- You are on your feet all day
Skip it if
- You want one shoe that also handles tempo
- You prefer a firm, connected ride
Also consider Novablast 6 and Gel-Cumulus 28.
Overlap · Shares easy days and long runs with the Novablast 6 — the Nimbus is softer and more protective, the Novablast lighter and livelier.
- 2
The one ASICS trainer that covers easy days, long runs and a steady effort without changing shoes. Less protective than the Nimbus, less specialised than the Magic Speed, and the shoe most runners should start with.
Women’s difference · The women's Novablast is 38g lighter at 215g, on the same 8mm drop.
Choose it if
- You want a single shoe for most of your running
- You like a lively, springy ride
Skip it if
- You need stability
- You want maximum cushioning underfoot
Also consider Gel-Nimbus 28 and Superblast 3.
Overlap · Overlaps the Superblast 3 on long runs — the Superblast carries more stack and costs $55 more; the Novablast is the everyday one.
- 3
ASICS' structured daily shoe. Support comes from midsole geometry rather than a posted wedge, so it reads as a cushioned trainer that happens to hold you upright rather than a corrective shoe.
Women’s difference · The women's Kayano is 39g lighter at 259g, on the same 8mm drop.
Choose it if
- You want support without a corrective feel
- Your form drifts late in long runs
Skip it if
- You run neutral and want the lightest option
Also consider GT-2000 15.
Overlap · The GT-2000 15 does the same job for $20 less, with less cushioning and noticeably less shoe underfoot.
- 4
The most stack ASICS puts under an unplated shoe, aimed at long runs and marathon-pace efforts where a race shoe would be wasted. At 239g it is lighter than any of the daily trainers above it.
Choose it if
- Your long runs are over 90 minutes
- You want race-day cushioning you can train in
Skip it if
- You want a plated race shoe
- You are watching the price
Also consider Novablast 6.
- 5
The plated shoe you train in. Carbon underfoot at 196g without the price or the narrow tolerances of a Metaspeed, which makes it the sensible weekly workout shoe and a real half-marathon option.
Choose it if
- You do one hard session a week
- You race half marathons
Skip it if
- You want an all-out marathon race shoe
- You want an easy-day shoe
Also consider Metaspeed Sky Tokyo.
Overlap · Covers half-marathon racing too, where the Metaspeed is faster but far less durable.
- 6
At 129g this is the lightest shoe in the ASICS road range by a distance, built for efforts short enough that cushioning is not the limiting factor.
Choose it if
- You race 5 km and 10 km
- You want minimal weight underfoot
Skip it if
- You want one race shoe for every distance
- You need cushioning past an hour
Editorial call
- 7
The stride-length half of the Metaspeed pair, built to hold marathon pace by bouncing further rather than turning over faster. 173g on a 5mm drop.
Choose it if
- You are racing a marathon
- Your stride lengthens as you fatigue
Skip it if
- You want a shoe that lasts a training block
- You turn over faster as you tire — take the Edge
Also consider Metaspeed Edge Tokyo and Magic Speed 5.
Overlap · The Edge Tokyo is the cadence version of the same shoe — same race, different runner.
Suggested rotations
Three-shoe road rotation
Gel-Nimbus 28 + Novablast 6 + Magic Speed 5
Easy days soft, everything else bouncy, one hard session plated. No two of the three do the same job.
Two shoes, marathon block
Superblast 3 + Metaspeed Sky Tokyo
Train the long efforts in the max-stack shoe, race in the plated one.
Not in this lineup
- Gel-Contend 10 — Entry price point, not a running-specialist model.
- Gel-Excite 11 — Entry price point; the Gel-Cumulus is the cheapest shoe we would recommend for running.
- GT-2000 15 — The value stability shoe. The Gel-Kayano covers the same runner with more cushioning.
- Noosa Tri 16 — Triathlon-specific fit and drainage; a different buying decision.
- Gel-Cumulus 28 — The neutral trainer below the Nimbus. Good, but the Novablast is the better everyday pick at a similar price.
Disagree with a pick?
This is editorial judgement on top of the brand’s own numbers. If a role is wrong, or a shoe is missing, tell us: hello@runningshoeshq.com.
specs as published by the brand · editorial judgement, dated 2026 edition