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The Blazeblast is a road-to-trail shoe designed for non-technical terrain, built on the same platform as the Novablast line but fitted with a tougher, grippier outsole for light trail and gravel work.
If you’re weighing it up against rivals, we’ve also reviewed the Salomon Aero Glide 4 Gravel, the North Face Altamesa 500 v2, and the Asics Evo SL ATR, all of which compete in the same “do a bit of everything” category.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £140 / $155
- Weight: 277g / 9.7oz (UK 9 / US 10)
- Drop: 8mm
- Midsole: FF Blast Max
- Upper: Woven upper with light toe reinforcement, padded tongue and collar, internal heel counter
- Outsole: Asicsgrip outsole with 2.5mm lugs.
Asics Blazeblast Review
How’s The Fit?
We found the Blazeblast fits true to size across the board, in line with other shoes in the Asics running range like the Novablast and Metaspeed. There’s a solid thumb’s width of room in the toe box, with a wide, sweeping toe shape that gives plenty of splay without ever feeling floppy or unstable.
It’s not a wide-fit shoe by design, so those with wider feet may want to size up or try before they buy, but for average width feet it strikes a good balance between roomy and secure.
The lightly padded tongue does a good job of spreading out lace pressure, so we could lace the shoe down firmly through the midfoot without any pinch points, and that translated into a locked-in feel with no slipping off the platform, even on uneven ground.
The heel collar is generously padded too, and we had no heel slip in testing. It’s worth noting the shoe feels fairly hefty and built-up on foot rather than light and nimble, but for long, easy miles that trade-off felt worthwhile. Even on steep descents and technical sections, feet stayed secure without sliding forward inside the shoe.
The Run Test: Likes
We tested the Blazeblast across easy runs, long runs and mixed terrain, and it settled in as a genuinely versatile daily trainer. The FF Blast Max midsole gives a smooth, cushioned ride with a lot of protection at the back of the shoe, which will suit heel strikers well, and the transition through to the forefoot felt smooth without ever feeling dead.
It handled a pick-up in pace during a long run without complaint, and it proved a strong option for travel, coping happily with everything from tarmac to converted rail trails and forest paths without needing a shoe change.
The outsole was a consistent highlight. On dry, loose gravel and hard-packed trail, grip stayed reliable with no skidding on landing, and the extra rubber coverage should mean better durability than a standard road shoe on abrasive surfaces like stony forest trails. Several of us picked it out as a strong “one shoe for an uncertain route” option, especially for holidays or travel where you don’t know exactly what surface you’ll end up on.
The Run Test: Dislikes
Where the Blazeblast came unstuck was on anything steeper or more technical. On coastal path trails with narrow, rocky sections, the shoe’s height and softness worked against it, feeling too wide and too disconnected from the ground for precise foot placement, and the plush, high-stack midsole made it harder to feel confident picking a line on loose or uneven surfaces. It’s happiest on easy, runnable, hard-packed trail rather than anything technical.
A few of us also found the ride a touch too soft and bouncy for a gravel shoe, missing some of the snap and ground feel you get from firmer options in the category, and that softness felt slightly draining over the closing stages of longer runs. All testing here was done in dry conditions, so we can’t yet speak to how the outsole performs in wet or muddy trail conditions.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Blazeblast is a comfortable, versatile daily trainer that adds a genuinely useful outsole to the familiar Novablast ride. It’s a strong pick if you want one shoe that can handle road, gravel paths and light, easy trail without a second thought, and it makes a particularly good travel or holiday shoe. It isn’t built for technical or muddy trails, and it doesn’t quite have the road-shoe pop of the Novablast 6, missing out on that model’s livelier forefoot foam.
If you’re deciding between options in this category, the Salomon Aero Glide 4 Gravel and the North Face Altamesa 500 v2 both offer a touch more energy underfoot alongside similarly versatile outsoles, and both are worth trying first.
If you want more range for picking up the pace on light trail, the Asics EVO SL ATR is a firmer, less spongy alternative. And if you’re heading onto proper technical terrain, a dedicated trail shoe such as the Hoka Speedgoat 7 will serve you far better. But as an easy-going, comfortable everyday option for road and light trail, the Blazeblast holds its own.