Of ASICS' 6 new shoes for 2026, the one with the most reason to buy is the GT-2000 15. By the official numbers it is about 20g lighter, the sole about 2mm thicker, and the price the lowest of the 6. The other 5 I read by whether weight or contents changed.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
Buy a generation change from the shoe whose "got lighter" and "got thicker" are written in the same sentence. Thickening a sole normally makes it heavier, and only a generation that swapped the material or design can say both at once. In ASICS' 2026, the one that wrote it in numbers is the GT-2000 15 alone, and it also has the lowest price of the 6.
Key points
- Release dates for all 6 are confirmed in official announcements, from the GEL-NIMBUS 28 in January to the YOGIRI SPEED in September
- 3 shoes went up in price: the NIMBUS 28 and NOVABLAST 6 by JPY 1,100, the SUPERBLAST 3 by JPY 2,200
- The GEL-KAYANO 33's price is unchanged, and the name of its wobble-control system changed from 4D GUIDANCE SYSTEM to FLUIDSUPPORT
ASICS' 2026 new releases changed by very different amounts across the 6
The one with the most reason to buy at list price among this year's new releases is the GT-2000 15. It was the only shoe shown by numbers to have gotten thicker and lighter.
For the other 5, how they changed differs shoe by shoe. Some got 20g lighter, while others never show a weight figure. Some went up in price, some stayed the same.
This article lists only each of the 6 shoes' "what changed this year." How to choose by role is in the article on 11 recommended ASICS shoes, so I will not repeat it here.
The conditions I used
What I lined up are road running shoes whose release dates appeared in ASICS' official news releases (corp.asics.com) between Jan and Oct 2026. Of those, I chose 6 where it is easy to be torn about replacing and the previous generation is clear. They are not in order of sales.
I left trail shoes out because there was no model whose 2026 release I could confirm in an official announcement.
Quick table of the 6 new shoes of 2026 (release date, price, weight)
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Release date | Price | Weight | Stack height | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEL-NIMBUS 28 | Jan 9 | JPY 22,000 | 281g | About 43.5mm | 8mm |
| SUPERBLAST 3 | Mar 1 | JPY 26,400 | 239g | About 46.5mm | 8mm |
| GEL-KAYANO 33 | Jun 11 | JPY 22,000 | 298g | About 40mm | 8mm |
| NOVABLAST 6 | Jul 10 | JPY 17,600 | 253g | About 41.5mm | 8mm |
| GT-2000 15 | Aug 6 | JPY 16,500 | 252g | About 38mm | 8mm |
| YOGIRI SPEED | Sep 10 | JPY 24,200 | About 227g | About 39.5mm | 5mm (calculated) |
Drop is the difference between heel and forefoot stack. The top 5 are all 8mm, and it did not move in this year's generation changes. What moved is weight and the contents of the sole.
What differs from the previous models? What changed, and by how much
I put the "difference from the previous generation" written in the official announcements into one table. The previous generation's weight is the current weight plus the announcement's weight cut.
| Model | Weight | Midsole |
|---|---|---|
| GEL-NIMBUS 28 | About 20g less (301 → 281g) | Rubber only where needed |
| SUPERBLAST 3 | About 10g less (249 → 239g) | Upper layer is FF LEAP. Rebound up about 15.2% |
| GEL-KAYANO 33 | 298g (current weight) | Material goes from 1 type to 2 layers. The mechanism becomes FLUIDSUPPORT |
| NOVABLAST 6 | "Lighter" (official wording) | FF TURBO SQUARED added in the forefoot |
| GT-2000 15 | About 20g less (272 → 252g) | About 2mm thicker (36 → 38mm) |
| YOGIRI SPEED | About 13g less (240 → 227g) | Upper layer is FF LEAP. The heel plate is forked |
As a share lighter, the GT-2000 15 is about 7.4% (20 ÷ 272), the NIMBUS 28 about 6.6% (20 ÷ 301), the YOGIRI SPEED about 5.4% (13 ÷ 240) and the SUPERBLAST 3 about 4.0% (10 ÷ 249).
Even for the same 20g, the lighter-to-begin-with GT-2000 gets the bigger share. And the GT-2000 15's 20g came while thickening the sole.
GEL-NIMBUS 28: 20g from less rubber
What changed: The official explanation is specific. It places the sole rubber "only where needed" to save about 20g, and says grip and durability are on par with the previous model.
This is the interesting part: what they lightened is the rubber that meets the ground. The sole rubber is a combination of 2 called HYBRID ASICSGRIP, with ASICSGRIP for grip in the middle and AHARPLUS at the toe and heel. ASICS explains AHARPLUS as wearing about 3 times more slowly than its conventional rubber. They left strong rubber only where wear happens and cut the rest of the area.
vs the sibling: The GEL-SLOWCUSH, out Oct 8, is on the same "softness" side, with a maximum stack of about 48mm, 4.5mm thicker than the NIMBUS 28's about 43.5mm. The price is JPY 4,400 higher (26,400 − 22,000). Width is standard only, so people who need wide take the NIMBUS 28. Details are in the GEL-SLOWCUSH review.
What I like: 301g became 281g, getting under the 300g line. What was cut was sole rubber, and on the cushion side it is FF BLAST PLUS and PureGEL in the heel. The explanation that sugarcane-derived material is about 24% is the same as with the 27. It is a generation that lightened without touching the softness side.
What to watch: The price went up. The calculation of the premium for the 20g is in the notes to the table above.
It suits: People who like soft shoes and were held back only by the NIMBUS's weight. If you have no complaints about the 27, you have time to wear it out first.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS GEL-NIMBUS 28
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 15,015 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 25,300 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanSUPERBLAST 3: race-day material in the upper layer
What changed: The upper layer of the sole became FF LEAP, the material used in the METASPEED, described as ASICS' lightest. The lower layer is FF BLAST PLUS. Compared with the previous model that used FF TURBO PLUS, it is about 10g lighter and rebound is up about 15.2%.
vs the sibling: 5mm thicker and 14g lighter than the NOVABLAST 6 (253 − 239). No plate. The difference from the YOGIRI SPEED and MAGIC SPEED 5, which use the same FF LEAP in the upper layer, is whether there is a carbon plate.
What I like: It has the thickest sole of the 6 and the second lightest weight. Weight per mm of thickness is about 5.1g (239 ÷ 46.5), the smallest of the 6. The NIMBUS 28 is about 6.5g (281 ÷ 43.5) and the KAYANO 33 about 7.5g (298 ÷ 40). In the efficiency of thickness over lightness, it is a head above this year's 6.
What to watch: It has the biggest price rise of the 6. The premium per gram saved is 4 times the NIMBUS 28's (220 ÷ 55; the source numbers are in the notes to the table above).
It suits: People who want to run long distances in a thick plateless shoe, from tempo runs and jogs to races. If short distances are your focus, the NOVABLAST 6 is better value for the price.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS SUPERBLAST 3
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 26,400 (as of 10/13). Prices change daily. Try shoes in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Sizing varies by brand, so check the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it at Super Sports XebioSee it on Rakuten IchibaGEL-KAYANO 33: the mechanism changed, not the numbers
What changed: The official release has no previous-generation comparison for weight or stack. Two things changed.
- The wobble-control system went from the Kayano 32's 4D GUIDANCE SYSTEM to FLUIDSUPPORT. The official explanation is a build that supports continuously from heel strike to toe-off, with soft material on the inside of the middle of the sole.
- The sole material went from the 1 type FF BLAST PLUS to 2 layers: FF BLAST MAX on top and a firmer FF BLAST PLUS below.
Soft above, firm below. It softens impact on the side near the foot and keeps shape on the side near the ground.
vs the sibling: 46g heavier than the GT-2000 15, which has the same stability role (298 − 252). In exchange, it has 2 sole materials and PureGEL in the heel.
What I like: The price is unchanged. With both the mechanism and the material swapped, the suggested retail price is the same as the Kayano 32. Among this year's 6, this is the only one that can be said by official numbers to have changed contents without moving the price.
What to watch: 298g is the heaviest of the 6.
It suits: People starting to run and people aiming to finish a full marathon. If you choose by lightness, there is the GT-2000 15, 46g lighter.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS GEL-KAYANO 33
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 15,600 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 43,300 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNOVABLAST 6: a different material only in the forefoot
What changed: The NOVABLAST 5 had FF BLAST MAX across the whole sole. The 6 adds FF TURBO SQUARED to its forefoot, a material advertised as "light and highly resilient." The upper fabric also changed from a knit mesh to an engineered woven.
A high-rebound material is placed only where you kick off, with the heel side kept the same material as the previous generation. It is a generation change that kept the landing feel and changed only the part that moves you forward.
vs the sibling: The SONICBLAST 2, out in September, uses the same 2 materials but with FF TURBO SQUARED in the upper layer and FF BLAST MAX in the lower, plus a resin plate (ASTROPLATE). The NOVABLAST 6 has no plate.
What I like: Race-leaning material has come down to the shoe with the second-lowest price of the 6. The official audience is people starting to run and people who run regularly. A rebound material going into an entry shoe is, as I see it, this year's biggest change.
What to watch: The price is up about 6.7% (notes to the table above).
It suits: People looking for a first pair, and people who found the 5's forefoot lacking. If you can buy the 5 cheap, that is a good way to choose too. The heel-side material is the same.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS NOVABLAST 6
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 13,200 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 22,000 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanGT-2000 15: thicker and lighter
What changed: Two numbers sit in one sentence of the official release: the sole is about 2mm thicker and the weight about 20g lighter (men's 27.0cm per shoe). It also says the sole material FF BLAST MAX was tuned softer than the previous generation.
Adding thickness normally adds weight by the material. The upper fabric is described as a light, stretchy engineered woven. The 3D GUIDANCE SYSTEM that limits wobble carries over from the previous generation.
vs the sibling: 46g lighter than the Kayano 33, with a sole 2mm thinner. The price is the lowest of the 6 (quick table). It does not have the PureGEL in the heel.
What I like: The share lighter is about 7.4%, the top of the 4 shoes with numbers. Convert the 20g to full-marathon steps. At a 1m stride, one foot leaves the ground about 21,098 times, so 20g × 21,098 = about 422kg. The gap from the previous generation alone changes this much.
Price divided by weight per gram is also the smallest of the 6 (notes to the table above).
What to watch: The previous generation's Japan price is not in the official announcement, so I cannot say whether the price went up. The sole's softness is one step below the Kayano 33 on the official scale.
It suits: People who want a stability shoe but want to avoid weight near 300g. If rolling in does not bother you, the NOVABLAST 6, with a sole 3.5mm thicker, also fits (41.5 − 38).
Why it got lighter despite being thicker, and the shape that limits wobble, are dug into in the GT-2000 15 review, for this one shoe.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS GT-2000 15
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 11,550 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 19,800 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanYOGIRI SPEED: a carbon plate forked at the heel
What changed: The successor to the S4+ YOGIRI. About 13g lighter at about 227g (27.0cm per shoe). The upper layer of the sole became FF LEAP and the lower FF BLAST PLUS.
A mechanism readers rarely know is the plate's shape. The carbon plate is forked at the heel. The official feature page explains that this softens the carbon's characteristic stiffness and lets you land smoothly. The outsole rubber also widens the contact area from the middle toward the heel, adding it on the inside.
In other words, it keeps the force that drives you forward from the plate, while making the shoe so heel strikers are not thrown off by stiffness. The intended audience is runners aiming for a sub-4-hour full marathon.
vs the sibling: Placed next to the MAGIC SPEED 5, which also has FF LEAP and a carbon plate.
| YOGIRI SPEED | MAGIC SPEED 5 | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | About 227g | 196g | 31g |
| Stack height | About 39.5mm | About 37.5mm | 2mm |
| Official price | JPY 24,200 | JPY 19,800 | JPY 4,400 |
| Per gram | About JPY 107 | About JPY 101 | About JPY 6 |
The YOGIRI SPEED is 31g heavier and 2mm thicker. The split is: lightness and price, the MAGIC SPEED 5; a build that is easy to handle even landing on the heel, the YOGIRI SPEED.
What I like: That it was made with a target time of "sub-4" decided. The race-day METASPEED is a shoe "for top athletes," so a plated shoe for people running around 4 hours is this line at ASICS. The stack also falls within the road rule's 40mm.
What to watch: Width is standard only, there is 1 color, and sizes go up to 29.0cm.
It suits: People who want a plated shoe for race day that works while landing on the heel. The reading converted to a sub-4 pace is in the YOGIRI SPEED review, and how to compare plated shoes is in the article on 10 carbon thick-sole shoes.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS YOGIRI SPEED
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 21,200 (as of 10/13). Depending on the shop it goes up to JPY 24,200. Prices change daily. Try shoes in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Sizing varies by brand, so check the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping Japan
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS MAGIC SPEED 5
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 10,500 (as of 10/13). Depending on the shop it goes up to JPY 19,800. Prices change daily. Try shoes in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Sizing varies by brand, so check the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping Japan2026 new releases left out of the table
| Model | Release date | Price | Official listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| METASLEEK | Aug 20 | JPY 19,800 | No plate. The sole is FF TURBO SQUARED |
| SONICBLAST 2 | Sep 3 | JPY 22,000 | Resin plate. Lighter than before (no number) |
| GEL-SLOWCUSH | Oct 8 | JPY 26,400 | Sole is FF LUXE PLUS. PureGEL PLUS in the heel |
The SONICBLAST 2 suits people who want "a plate that is easier to handle than carbon." Once its weight is published, it is one I want to line up against the YOGIRI SPEED.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS SONICBLAST 2
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 12,900 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 41,200 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanThe one ASICS shoe for 2026 with the strongest reason to buy
The GT-2000 15. I set 3 conditions and fit the 6 to them.
- The gap from the previous generation is written in official numbers → 4 shoes (NIMBUS 28, SUPERBLAST 3, GT-2000 15, YOGIRI SPEED)
- That gap also exists beyond weight → GT-2000 15 (stack +2mm), SUPERBLAST 3 (rebound +about 15.2%)
- The gap is large for the price → The GT-2000 15 has the lowest price of the 6. The SUPERBLAST 3 has the highest of the 6, and also the biggest price rise
The GT-2000 15 passed all 3. Its weakness is that, as a stability shoe, its role does not fit people not bothered by rolling in. For them, the next candidate is the NOVABLAST 6, whose forefoot changed.
People who do not need to replace are clear too: those who own the KAYANO 32 and NOVABLAST 5 and want lightness. What changed in the new generations of those 2 is the sole's contents, more than lightness.
FAQ
An ASICS new model or the old one left cheap: which to buy?
It depends on whether you need what changed. The NIMBUS is 20g; the GT-2000 is 20g and 2mm. The question is whether you pay the price gap for that. The Kayano changed into a different mechanism, so if the 32 fit you, it is safer not to treat the 33 as the same shoe continued.
How does the GEL-KAYANO 33 differ from the GT-2000 15?
Same stability role, and the GT-2000 15 is 46g lighter (298 − 252). The Kayano 33 has 2 sole materials and PureGEL in the heel. For lightness, the GT-2000 15; for a more generous sole build, the Kayano 33.
Why do ASICS new releases have 2 release dates?
Because they are sold first at the official online store and some directly operated stores, then spread to sports shops nationwide 1 to 4 weeks later. The NIMBUS 28 was Jan 9 and Jan 22, the SUPERBLAST 3 Mar 1 and Mar 26. The NOVABLAST 6 and GT-2000 15 are "in stages" at all outlets from the start.
Are there trail shoes among ASICS' 2026 new releases?
I could not find any. In the official news releases I searched, I found no trail running shoe stated as released in 2026. For lining up road shoes with other makers, the 2026 recommended shoes article has each maker's numbers.
Gear in this article
Ads and images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- ASICS news release: GEL-NIMBUS 28 (Jan 5, 2026)
- ASICS news release: SUPERBLAST 3 (Feb 16, 2026)
- ASICS news release: GEL-KAYANO 33 (Jun 4, 2026)
- ASICS news release: NOVABLAST 6 (Jul 2, 2026)
- ASICS news release: GT-2000 15 (Jul 29, 2026)
- ASICS news release: YOGIRI SPEED (Sep 3, 2026)
- ASICS official Japan site: YOGIRI SPEED feature
- ASICS news release: SONICBLAST 2 (Aug 26, 2026)
- ASICS news release: METASLEEK (Aug 13, 2026)
- ASICS news release: GEL-SLOWCUSH (Oct 1, 2026)
- ASICS news release: GEL-NIMBUS 27 (Jan 23, 2025)
- ASICS news release: GEL-KAYANO 32 (Jun 6, 2025)
- ASICS news release: NOVABLAST 5 (Nov 7, 2024)
- ASICS news release: EKIDEN Pack (Nov 4, 2025; prices of the SUPERBLAST 2 and MAGIC SPEED 5)
