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The Asics Sonicblast 2 is a plated super-trainer that’s mainly designed to handle your interval and tempo workouts. It’s a big upgrade on the original Sonicblast, with a lighter, softer and bouncier design, and most of the team are big fans of the Sonicblast 2.
It faces some fierce rivals in its category though, including the New Balance SC Rebel v1 and the Asics Megablast, as well as some impressive cheaper alternatives like the Adidas Adizero Evo SL and Dynafish Xiaonian, both of which also excel for fast training runs.
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Design & Key Stats
- Price: £170 / $190
- Weight: 239g/8.4oz (UK 9 / US 10)
- Drop: 8mm
- Upper: Mesh upper
- Midsole: FF Turbo Squared top layer, FF Blast Max bottom layer, with forked PEBAX plate
- Outsole: AsicsGrip rubber on forefoot and heel
Asics Sonicblast 2 Review
How’s The Fit?
The Asics Sonicblast 2 is quite a roomy shoe, which is a bit surprising for a speed-focused model like this, but Mike, Kieran and Nick all found that it fit well in their normal running shoe size. Tom did find it a bit too long though, and would go half a size down in the Sonicblast 2.
In general the upper is quite lightweight, minimal and unfussy, but proved comfortable for us even on longer runs, with a little padding around the collar improving the hold at the back of the shoe.
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The Run Test: Likes
The Asics Sonicblast 2 is a clear improvement on the original shoe, with a lighter design and a softer midsole, and a faster, smoother ride feel. It’s better for workouts, which is its primary job, but we also found it more enjoyable for easy runs as well.
Asics’ FF Turbo Squared foam is one we’re a big fan of across the shoes it’s used in because it delivers a high amount of energy return. It’s not the squishiest material, but soft enough to absorb the impact of running nicely, before pinging that energy back to you as you roll onto your forefoot.
The Sonicblast 2’s forked plastic plate isn’t as stiff as a full carbon one, which makes the shoe a little more flexible for regular runs, but still adds a good amount of propulsion as you step up to faster paces.
The Run Test: Dislikes
While most of the team enjoyed the ride of the Sonicblast 2 as speed, Nick still found it a bit blocky when he pushed the pace. For an expensive super-trainer, it doesn’t deliver the punch he was hoping for during workouts, with rivals like the New Balance Rebel v1 being notably quicker.
The high price is a concern in general for the Sonicblast 2, just because there are so many excellent shoes available for around £130-£150, and once you get to this price it’s tempting to upgrade to the Asics Megablast, which for most of us has a better all-round ride (though Kieran has the Sonicblast 2 ahead of the Megablast and Superblast 3).
Verdict And Alternatives
The Asics Sonicblast 2 is a successful update and a solid speed shoe to consider adding to your rotation. It’s springier and faster than the original shoe and now can compete better with the popular alternatives in the Asics blast line-up.
For a flat-out speed shoe with a plate, the New Balance SC Rebel v1 would be one very strong alternative to consider. Nick rates it more highly in particular, and most of us would also say the Megablast matches the Sonicblast 2’s speed while being better for easy runs too.
Cheaper options for fast training include the Adidas Evo SL and Dynafish Xiaonian, which are outstanding value, while there are also some solid all-rounders available for less like the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro and Asics Novablast 6.