Customer Reviews ASICS Novablast 3 Trail

I wrote a long review about the Novablast 3 and I absolutely love it. In fact, I now have 3 pairs of it in different colorways that I rotate along with a bunch of other shoes from other brands. Being that I average 70~80 miles per week, I can justify having many shoes for both the road and trail. Enamored with the regular road version, I was very intrigued by the TR trail version although I knew that it wasn't meant for technical trails that I also run on a regular basis. Although I love road running and it accounts for two-thirds of my miles, my real passion is in running the trails. Instead of pavement, tarmac, and asphalt, I prefer dirt, gravel, rocks, and tree roots to run over or jump over. I have nearly a dozen trail running shoes but couldn't resist the Novablast 3 TR based on my experience with the regular version for road running. Overall, the TR version provides pretty much everything that the road version does with the addition of higher rubber lugs. There's a lot of talk about the regular version not providing good traction in wet conditions but that isn't an issue for me since I live in very dry drought-stricken Southern California. Still, I wanted to get the TR version and see how it'd handle the trails that I run. I knew even before I ordered the TR version that it wasn't the right one for my runs on technical trails that I run once or twice per week. These trails have very steep hills, lots of rocks and roots, and plenty of abrupt twists and turns. I have other shoes that are better suited for running on such terrains. Soft-cushioned high-stack midsole isn't really what you want for running on challenging terrains at high speeds. You want ground feel and the nimbleness to shift on a dime. Is the Novablast 3 TR the proper shoes for such endeavors? No, it isn't? I believe ASICS and many other brands have better shoes for such endeavors. This being said, the Novablast 3 TR is great for hard-packed smoothened dirt and gravel trails that are, overall, fairly straight with mild hill inclines and declines. Also, for those who are concerned about running in wet road conditions, the TR version is great for better traction but you do need to take into account that it adds about an ounce over the regular road version. As I see it, TR should stand more for 'Traction' than 'Trail'. I will certainly run in the TR on the road when it does eventually rain and get wet in SoCal during the winter months (December through March). I will run in the TR over smoothened dirt trails over long distances but I won't wear it for running on 'technical' trails. I like colorway of the TR. I normally wear white for the road and anything black and very dark for the trail, so the TR fits in fine. I'll happily use the TR for the road when it gets rainy and wet on the road as well as smoothened dirt and gravel trails as I mentioned earlier. For me, the Novablast 3 TR is more about traction than trail and is also great for the occasional road-to-trail situations. The midsole stack is too high for "real" trail running, IMHO. But, if you seek traction and wearing it for "easy" trail running, the NB3 TR is great. Considering how much I love the regular NB3 for the road, the TR version was a no-brainer for wet conditions and running on smoothened straight-ahead trails. For me, it's more about TRaction than TRails and that's how I'd recommend it. The Novablast 3 is an amazing running shoe. I currently have over two dozen shoes I rotate for various running situations, racing and training purposes, and terrains and the NB3 is my favorite overall shoes and gets most of my miles. The TR version is great but comes with a caveat: it's more about traction and for running on limited range of trails. Works great for me but I recommend that you consider your usage case and the particular environments and situations you run in before purchasing the TR version.

This shoe is an amazing shoe! However, if the amazing squishiness lasted longer, I'd give it 5 stars for sure. Only complaint I have is that after 30 miles, it's lost a fair amount of it's cushion. Still, I use this one on bark mulch and gravel paths mostly, which makes up for that. Will definitely be buying this trail version of the NB3!

Good for daily, road, soft medium trail, one shoes for all using

Great improvement from nova blast 2 More cushion and better support for long runs

Super comfortable with lots of bounce and grip. I just completed and HYROX competition and these were had the traction and cushioI needed for the race. The NOVABLAST 3 TR are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.

Fantastic shoegrip outstanding. Runs very wella great balance between too bouncy and too deadjust right for me. Comfortable upper and laces don't slip. Yellow & blue colourway rocks, and got it on special to complete the satisfaction! Compared to the regular Novablast 3, which felt very (almost too) bouncy when tested, this one feels just right. I don't notice the (slight) extra weight, but I do appreciate the extra tread and grip. Perfect shoe for road to park trail.

Best shoe just got better. Adding the thicker-grippier outsole makes the shoe even more stable without negatively affecting the superior ride/run quality. The "pop" is back. I've had all three versions now and must admit the Nova2, although I like it a lot", lost some of the trampoline (pop) effect. the 3 has it back and the trail outsole grips well, especially going uphill. It bites into the soil, sand and snow quite well. The thicker outsole should wear well and give me more total miles of use than the regular 3's outsole. I run moderate difficulty trails Fire roads and dirt trails in these with no stone bruises even though it does not have a bruise plate. Probably due to the thick mid-sole similar to the trabuco max. The de-coupled outsole snaps back nicely giving that bouncy-roll-onto-your-toe feeling again just like the original novablast. DO NOT PASS GO...BUY THIS SHOE!

I've got a couple hundred miles on my couple of pairs of Novablast 3's. I really enjoy them. Living in the PNW I sometimes need a shoe with more traction. Recently we've had snow & ice and for these run days I used the TR's are they were awesome. Plenty of traction in the snow & slush.

Very comfortable. Seems to be holding up on dirt and pavement. Rain or shine they have been good. Only complaint is I got a blister only in the rain after about 8 miles. On my Achilles.

This is my second Novablast and the first trail edition. I have stuck to Asics for many years and these by far have been the most comfortable. I am training for a marathon and run the local trails. The cushioning is perfect and grips extremely well. Overall I am extremely happy with my shoes and have no complaints.

Super comfy. I use it as my everyday runner. Fit is perfect.

Love Love Love these for MY feet! I'm a plus size woman. Due to weight gain, developed planter fasciitas. I wear 11 in women, but the men for my wider feet 10.5 fits my feet perfectly. NOVABLAST, this upgrade feels sturdier on the back sole. The earlier versions after a while the back heel/sole would sink at bit, that's when I knew to replace shoe. This version, I feel has been corrected. Bridge of foot feels supported, padding is extremely comfortable, sturdy/soft..just the right amount not so SOFT it can have the reverse affect to your feel. AND this shoe is light. I like the TR as I do my hikes up dirt hills.. up and down. Need more TR options. Need cooler color options for the Females. I prefer the Male colors..

The shoe is comfortable as all get out. Feels like it has even more cushion than the novablast 2. I thought the color was more red in the picture and im not a huge fan of the newer tongue on the NB3. Still a great shoe and comfortable to be in for 12+ hours on the floor as a nurse.

This is my new half marathon/long run shoe. So glad I tried it. Love that there is nothing gimmicky about it...all ff+ foam and nothing not needed. Light and comfortable. TR version works well for slippery pavement, gravel roads and paths.

These are the best running shoes I've ever worn (the Novablast 3) and I'm a running shoe snob. I own dozens of pairs of running shoes and these top them all. They're nearly perfect in my mind and I use them for racing, long runs, tempo runs and easy runs. Literally almost every scenario. Insanely comfortable. I bought 3 pairs for myself, 2 for my wife, a pair for my son and a par for my friend and they all agree - most comfortable shoe ever made.

Extremely comfortable trail running shoes. Roomy forefoot and lightweight- I wear my normal size 101/2 in these. Traction on the trails has been good with no slipping issues. I had bought these because I like the Novablast for road running, and I'm very pleased with this TR model for trail use.

Most comfortable shoes I have ever owned, bar none!

I am an overpronator that requires stability, tried the Novablast 2 and they really hurt my knees. The 3's sounded like the improved stability and let's be honest they look great so I had to try them. Beyond glad I did as a head shoes actually make me run faster and they feel a lot better than the 2's. No more knee pain and much better stability. Glad I have them a shot. For reference I use the arahi 6 as my tempo/ distance runners as I shifted from the Kayano.

I traditional run in Cumulus, I tried these out because they've been all over social media this summer and they do live up to the hype. Great all around shoe and the TR offers the additional rubber outer sole. Loving it!

Nice shoe; more a wet road and very easy park trail kind of shoe. for me it is a bit too soft and just high enough stack height to be slightly unstable for any serious trails. Gravel park trails near me that are wet with sone fall leaves are no problem for this trail version. This is a daily trainer easy day shoe not a fast day shoe for me just a bit too soft for speed work /picking up pace much in my opinion. Maybe some tempo work ; but fyi if you expect one shoe to do it all might find this a bit clunky for fast running.

Ultra comfortable, bouncy and stable ride. Would have been five stars but shoe runs a bit longer than I would have liked. Tried with thicker socks and fit is okay. Overall, very fun to run in!

Good for paved and dirt roads. All the cushion makes for a little bit of instability but nothing major and I usually forget about it after I get started. They do seem a bit long and the tread isn't meant for technical or muddy trails, but for dirt roads etc where a more traditional trail shoe would be too much, these are great. I think the outsole on these will last longer on the road than the regular Novablast 3.