ASICS Novablast 5 'Tokyo Marathon'
Colorway: White/Aquarium · Style code: 1011C110-100 · Release date: February 27, 2025 · Price: $233 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: ASICS Novablast 5 'Tokyo' (1013A206-700) · ASICS Wmns Novablast 5 'Tokyo Marathon' (1012B888-100) · ASICS Novablast 5 Tokyo 'Vapor Edo Purple' (1011C139-500) · ASICS Wmns Novablast 5 Tokyo 'Vapor Edo Purple' (1012B912-500)
By its fifth generation the Novablast had become the shoe ASICS uses to test how much foam a daily trainer can carry. FF Blast Max, the compound in this version, is the variant the brand reserves for higher-stack trainers: more cushioning volume underfoot without losing the rebound the line was launched on.
That launch pitch still governs the shoe. The midsole was drawn from a trampoline: a concave platform that compresses and returns rather than simply absorbing, paired with AHARPLUS outsole rubber to stop the softer foam wearing through. Five versions later the shoe is taller and softer, but the intent has not changed: a trainer for everyday mileage that rewards a quick cadence.
ASICS has been headquartered in Kobe since Kihachiro Onitsuka founded the business there in 1949, and Japanese road racing has been part of its identity for as long. The white and Aquarium blue treatment here keeps the sculpted sidewall legible against a plain upper.