The NOVABLAST 6 is for runners who want one bouncy thick-soled pair to cover everything from daily jogs to training distance runs. 253g, stack about 41.5mm, 8mm drop, no plate. Two widths: standard and wide. Released Jul 10, 2026 at JPY 17,600.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
Buy the NOVABLAST 6 as the shoe that gets you the rebound material at the lowest price. Lining up the shoes with FF TURBO SQUARED from the official announcements gives 4: the MEGABLAST, SONICBLAST 2, METASLEEK and this one, and this one is the cheapest. It goes only into the forefoot that kicks off, while the landing side stays the same material as the previous generation. I see that as a sound way to hand out the material in a shoe you wear every day.
Key points
- JPY 1,100 (about 6.7%) more than the previous generation. Weight is only given as "lighter," with no gram figure
- Stack is about 41.5mm, with about 6.1g per mm of thickness. That is lighter than the GEL-NIMBUS 28's about 6.5g
- The gap to the SUPERBLAST 3 is 14g, 5mm and JPY 8,800. The one with wide sizes is the NOVABLAST 6
What kind of shoe is the NOVABLAST 6? A bouncy thick-soled shoe with a changed forefoot material
The NOVABLAST 6 is for runners who want one bouncy thick-soled pair to carry their daily jogs. What changed from the previous generation was the material in the front half of the sole, and who it is recommended for.
Where it sits within ASICS as a whole is in the article on 11 recommended ASICS shoes, and how it compares with the stability GEL-KAYANO 33 is in the article on the Kayano 33 vs NOVABLAST 6.
NOVABLAST 6 weight and drop? The official numbers
| Item | NOVABLAST 6 |
|---|---|
| Release date | In stages from Jul 10, 2026 |
| Official price | JPY 17,600 |
| Weight | 253g |
| Max stack height | About 41.5mm |
| Drop | 8mm |
| Width | Standard and wide (both men's and women's) |
| Plate | None |
| Colors | Men's: 6 standard, 2 wide / women's: 6 standard, 1 wide |
| Sizes | Men's 24.5–29.0cm, 30.0, 31.0 and 32.0cm / women's 22.5–26.5cm |
Drop is the difference between heel and forefoot stack. Taking the maximum stack as the heel figure and subtracting, the forefoot is about 33.5mm (41.5 − 8).
It is sold at the official online store, directly operated stores, and sports shops nationwide. There was no early-release period; it went on sale in stages at all outlets from the start.
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 Japanvs the NOVABLAST 5: what changed from the previous generation
I put the NOVABLAST 5 release (Nov 2024) next to the 6 release.
| Item | 5 | 6 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official price | JPY 16,500 | JPY 17,600 | +JPY 1,100 |
| Midsole | FF BLAST MAX | FF BLAST MAX plus FF TURBO SQUARED in the forefoot | One more material |
| Upper fabric | Engineered mesh | Engineered woven | From knit to woven |
| Men's standard colors | 4 colors | 6 colors | +2 colors |
| Official recommended audience | People aiming for a 4–5 hour full | People starting to run / people who run regularly | Moved toward entry level |
Material: On the 5, the whole sole was FF BLAST MAX. With that material, the 5 raised rebound about 8.5% over the earlier model (ASICS' figure). The 6 adds FF TURBO SQUARED in the forefoot only. In the release's words, it is a combination aimed at high energy return.
A sole doesn't have to be one material per shoe. The NOVABLAST 6 splits the material between the landing side and the kick-off side. It keeps the feel of landing from the previous generation and swaps in a different material only where you push off the ground.
Upper fabric: from knit mesh to woven. A light, stretchy fabric whose weave and hole size change by area, balancing airflow and fit to the foot.
Who it is for: The 5's release named people who run a full marathon in 4 to 5 hours. The 6 names people just starting to run and people who run regularly. The color slots also grew from 10 to 15 when added up by men's/women's and width (4+2+3+1, 6+2+6+1).
vs the SUPERBLAST 3 and GEL-NIMBUS 28
I line it up against the SUPERBLAST 3 and GEL-NIMBUS 28, which are on the same cushioned side.
| NOVABLAST 6 | SUPERBLAST 3 | GEL-NIMBUS 28 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 253g | 239g | 281g |
| Stack height | About 41.5mm | About 46.5mm | About 43.5mm |
| Weight per mm of thickness | About 6.1g | About 5.1g | About 6.5g |
| Drop | 8mm | 8mm | 8mm |
| Official price | JPY 17,600 | JPY 26,400 | JPY 22,000 |
| Midsole | FF BLAST MAX+FF TURBO SQUARED | Upper FF LEAP, lower FF BLAST PLUS | FF BLAST PLUS plus PureGEL in the heel |
vs the SUPERBLAST 3: The SUPERBLAST 3 is 5mm thicker and 14g lighter (253 − 239), because its upper layer is FF LEAP, also used in the METASPEED. The price gap is JPY 8,800, so the premium for 14g less comes to about JPY 629 per gram (8,800 ÷ 14).
There is one more point where reading the releases shows a difference. The SUPERBLAST 3 comes in standard width only. The NOVABLAST 6 lets you choose wide.
- Mainly daily jogging → NOVABLAST 6
- Wider feet, want a wide fit → NOVABLAST 6
- Want to run distances over 30km in a thick shoe without a plate → SUPERBLAST 3
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 Ichibavs the GEL-NIMBUS 28: The NIMBUS 28 is 28g heavier and 2mm thicker (281 − 253, 43.5 − 41.5). The official "cushioning" scale reads Maximum for the NIMBUS 28 and High, one step lower, for the NOVABLAST 6. If softness is your top priority, the NIMBUS 28; if you want lightness and a lower price, the NOVABLAST 6.
Converting the 28g difference to landings of one foot in a full marathon: at a 1m stride it is about 21,098, so about 591kg (28g × 21,098).
What I like
You get the rebound material at the lowest price. Picking shoes with FF TURBO SQUARED from official announcements: the MEGABLAST is JPY 27,500, the SONICBLAST 2 is JPY 22,000, the METASLEEK is JPY 19,800. The NOVABLAST 6 is below them at JPY 17,600.
The SONICBLAST 2 and METASLEEK amounts are what I read from official releases for our article on 6 new shoes. The gap to the MEGABLAST is JPY 9,900 (27,500 − 17,600).
The material is placed sensibly. A rebound material makes sense where it returns the force you push. They didn't lay it across the whole sole but limited it to the forefoot that kicks off, which I read as why the increase stayed at JPY 1,100. The forefoot sole also gets a trampoline-inspired design and ASICSGRIP, a grip rubber.
Easy to fit to your foot. There are 2 widths, and men's goes up to 32.0cm. Even wide feet can run on the same sole. The price per gram is about JPY 70 (17,600 ÷ 253), the second lowest after the GT-2000 15 among the 7 ASICS shoes I compared.
Things to watch
It's not clear how much lighter it got. The only number in the release is the price. The 5's release gives no weight either, so the two generations can't be compared by weight. If you would upgrade from the 5 for lightness, there is not enough to go on.
The heel side is the same material as the previous generation. For runners who land on the heel and run quietly from there, what changed is mainly the upper fabric.
No plate. For anyone who wants a plated shoe on race day, the role is different. The SONICBLAST 2 is those same 2 materials plus a resin plate.
Who is it for?
- It suits: people looking for a first pair. People who want to cover everything from jogging to races in one pair. People who want a wide fit.
If softness comes first, the NIMBUS 28 fits better. If your foot rolls inward on landing, the GT-2000 15 is 1g different and JPY 1,100 cheaper, and limits wobble. If you have no complaints about the NOVABLAST 5, you have time to wear it out first.
Price and where to buy
| Model | Official price | Rakuten price range |
|---|---|---|
| NOVABLAST 6 | JPY 17,600 | JPY 13,200–22,000 |
| ASICS NOVABLAST 5 (previous generation) | JPY 16,500 (at release) | JPY 12,490–16,500 |
| SUPERBLAST 3 | JPY 26,400 | JPY 26,400 |
| GEL-NIMBUS 28 | JPY 22,000 | JPY 15,015–25,300 |
The decision is simple. Do you pay the price gap in the table for the forefoot material and the woven fabric? If yes, the 6; if no, the 5. The heel-side material is the same, so even the 5 gives you the NOVABLAST sole base.
Decide on width before you buy. Standard and wide have separate model numbers and different color counts (men's wide has 2 colors). Choosing by color can land you on a model number that doesn't fit your width.
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 Japan
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
ASICS NOVABLAST 5 (previous generation)
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 12,490 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 16,500 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 JapanFAQ
How does the NOVABLAST 6 fit?
True to size. The length is right and there is room in the forefoot width. The height over the toes is lowish, so runners with tall toes should keep that in mind.
With a 25.0cm foot, I'd pick 25.0cm. Men's run 24.5–29.0cm in 0.5cm steps (plus 30.0, 31.0 and 32.0cm) and women's 22.5–26.5cm. Standard and wide are offered for both; if the width is tight, take the wide before going up in length. Try them on in the evening with your usual socks.
Is there a rainy-day GTX version of the NOVABLAST 6?
Yes. In our article on 11 ASICS shoes, I read the NOVABLAST 6 GTX listed in the official lineup at JPY 22,000. The gap from the standard version is JPY 4,400 (22,000 − 17,600).
Can the NOVABLAST 6 be used in a full marathon?
The official recommendation runs from everyday running to marathon training. The previous generation's release also named race day for people who run a full in 4 to 5 hours. How shoes divide by target time, training and race, is laid out in the pace-based shoe article.
Gear in this article
Ads and images: Rakuten Ichiba
Sources
- RTINGS.com ASICS Novablast 6 (size and fit measurements)
- ASICS news release: NOVABLAST 6 (Jul 2, 2026)
- ASICS news release: NOVABLAST 5 (Nov 7, 2024)
- ASICS news release: SUPERBLAST 3 (Feb 16, 2026)
- ASICS news release: EKIDEN Pack (Nov 4, 2025; prices of the MEGABLAST and others)
- ASICS Japan official: BOUNCE feature
