The Asics Megablast comes to us during an interesting time. Right now, one of the hottest categories of running shoes is a “supertrainer:” a sweet spot between a normal ol’ daily trainer and a fast, carbon-plated race day shoe. The Megablast is a lightweight supertrainer, garnering so much runner attention because of how bouncy it is. Overall, it is a model that could work for plenty of runners—beginner or advanced, training for anything from a 5K to a marathon. I, however, have a few caveats.
The magic of these shoes is that they feel like you’re running with a carbon plate without actually having one anywhere in the shoe. The downside? They’re not all that versatile for slower runners. These shoes are majorly fun for fast paces—and many reviewers note that they are versatile enough for easy runs—but my 11-minute-mile easy pace was very much not fun in these shoes.
That said, most runners are faster than I am. For runners whose easy days cap out faster than a 10-minute-mile, it could function as a very versatile option. I still think it’s better for the upper ranges: tempo runs, sprints, and race paces.
With that in mind, here’s how the shoes performed.
Table of Contents
Specs
Initial Thoughts
First impressions: This is a very pretty shoe. I got compliments on them every time I wore them. Fit-wise, it runs narrow. I have wide feet and wore my normal size, which worked, but the fit felt snug through the midfoot. If I sized up, they would’ve been too long.
The upper is divisive. It isn’t a traditional knit, it’s a thin, engineered mesh that lacks stretch. It’s not very forgiving; at first my foot felt like it was being pinched on both sides. However, after about 20 miles, it broke in for much better comfort. Runners with narrow feet will likely find the upper stream-lined and secure from the jump.
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