Asics may not be as popular to the sneaker-loving public as Nike, adidas, and Jordan, but runners know that Asics consistently delivers reliable options. Asics has some of the best running shoes available on the market. You’ll notice several Asics running shoes also featured on our Best Running Shoes page. Asics is most famous for its Gel technology, rightfully so, but with better foam and midsole technologies now available, Asics uses Gel much less. This is perfectly fine because Asics shoes remain top of the line in comfort and cushion. Here’s our list of the Best Asics Running Shoes.
This list does not include all of our Asics running shoe reviews – just the best ones. If you want to see more, you can check out all our running shoes reviews here.
All the shoes mentioned here are at the top of their category within the brand. We tried to make it easy to find the categories that are most important to you. Just click the category you want to read in the table of contents, and you’ll quickly see what we have to say about the best shoe from that category.
Updated: 08.24.2023
Best Neutral Cushioned Asics Running Shoes
Asics Gel-Nimbus 25
The Asics Gel-Nimbus 25 isn’t a snappy shoe, but there’s plenty of soft FF Blast+ cushion underfoot. That, alongside an absolutely luxuriously comfortable upper, means the Gel-Nimbus 25 is ready for a ton of road miles. We don’t recommend using it for any of your speed work, but you can churn out miles in the Gel-Nimbus 25 while saving your legs from harsh asphalt and roads.
As an added bonus, the foam flares out from the foot, creating an incredibly stable platform. Oh, and it’s built to accommodate tons of foot types. Wide-footers, flat-footers, and beginners will all find a shoe that works for them. And for wide-footers that need even more room, Asics sells an extra wide version that may be perfect for you. See the full review.
Fits: True to Size, Drop: 8mm, Price: $160
Asics Superblast
The Asics Superblast is a high-stack, fun, and versatile neutral running shoe useful for anything from easy miles to workouts to long runs. It’s so light, it feels like a race day shoe. It’s soft but stable, and even without a carbon fiber plate in the middle of all that foam, it’s got a nice pop. You’re getting a shoe with a ride that will make you want to run more often. And true, the price seems high at first glance…but this do-everything shoe is extremely durable and worth the investment. See the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 8mm, Price: $220
Asics Novablast 3
The Asics Novablast 3 is close to the perfect running shoe. There are many reasons it currently sits atop our rankings as the best running shoe of 2022. The combination of bounce and impact protection provided by the FF Blast+ midsole makes this shoe an extremely comfortable daily trainer that can pick up the pace when needed. The Novablast 3 is also much more stable than you’d expect for a shoe this soft. In addition, the upper is breathable and comfortable, while the overall ride is super smooth. There are basically no weaknesses, and it doesn’t hurt that the Novablast 3 looks spectacular as well. Grab it and enjoy an extremely good all-around shoe. See the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 8mm, Price $140
Best Asics Stability Running Shoes
Asics Gel Kayano 30
The Asics Gel Kayano 30 is one of the best-selling stability shoes on the market for a reason. The large FF Blast+ midsole (with a little PureGel in the back) is soft and easy to break in. The 4D Guidance System does its job by providing unobtrusive support that disappears if you don’t need it. Even though the upper isn’t as accommodating as we’d like, there’s a wide version available for wide footers. Finally, on the bottom, there’s a durable AHAR+ outsole that means the Kayano 30 will last a long time on the harshest surfaces. Read the full review.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 10mm, Price: $160
Best Asics Marathon Running Shoes
Asics Metaspeed Sky+
The Asics Metaspeed Sky+ is light, stable, breathable, and super bouncy. The FF Blast Turbo paired with the carbon plate really provides a spring to every step. The AsicsGrip traction grabs every surface making this shoe an excellent choice for running a race in bad weather. The upper isn’t perfect, but the rest of the shoe is so good you can overlook any minor issues. This shoe is perfect for race days, long training runs, or fast-speed workouts. It’s versatile and helps you feel fast. Read the full review.
Fits: True to Size, Drop: 5mm, Price: $250
Asics Metaspeed Edge+
The Asics Metaspeed Edge+ is made with a slightly different geometry from the Metaspeed Sky+. This gives runners more options on race day. The Edge+ has a little less stack height, a higher heel-to-toe drop, a more gradual toe-spring curve, and a carbon plate that sits lower in the midsole. The Edge+ doesn’t bounce you up as much as the Sky+, instead bouncing the user forward. Which will you like better? That depends on your running form. Grab them both, see which feels better on foot, and then return the other using Running Warehouse’s great return policy.
Fits: Fits small, Drop: 8mm, Price: $250
Best Asics Speed and Short Race Running Shoes
Asics Magic Speed 3
The Asics Magic Speed 3 is a modern-day racing flat built for speed work, track work, and shorter races like the 5k and 10k. The two layers of FF Blast+ sandwich a full-length carbon plate. You get a similar squish to the Novablast 3 but the extra pop and stability that a carbon plate brings with it.
The upper is super breathable and very similar to the uppers on the Metaspeed series. It’s not perfect, but it accommodates wide footers well and allows a ton of airflow. The outsole is also similar to the Metaspeed series and provides great traction. The Magic Speed 3 feels comfortable on foot and excels on tracks or other surfaces where you can go fast but don’t need much impact protection. Read the full review.
Fits: True to Size, Drop: 7mm, Price $160
Best Asics Running Shoes – Honorable Mention
Asics Gel Cumulus 25
The Asics Cumulus line is reliable. An updated Asics Gel Cumulus 25 packs a nice squish, a fairly standard running shoe upper, and a smooth ride. It’s fairly accommodating and comes in a wide version too.
At $140, it delivers value but is hard to choose over the Asics Novablast 3, which offers more pop at the same price, and the Asics Gel Nimbus 25, which delivers more comfort and stability for $20 more. The only reason it ends up here among the honorable mentions is Asics has too many solid models this year. Read the full review.
Fits: True to Size, Drop: 8mm, Price $140
Best Asics Running Shoes Now on Sale
Asics Noosa Tri 14
First, let’s take a second to enjoy the wild colorway of the Asics Noosa Tri 14. And there are four other (also pretty crazy) colorways of the shoe on the Asics website. But this shoe is more than just a colorway. The FlyteFoam provides solid cushioning, which, while not the best Asics offers, the Noosa Tri 14 compensates with a super smooth ride. The Guidesole rocker is perfectly shaped to where it feels like you’re gliding as you run. The upper is wide-foot friendly with a roomy forefoot so you can stretch your toes. And because this is a triathlon-focused shoe, it comes with an extra set of toggle laces for easy on/off transitions. We’ve heard many serious triathletes find these so comfortable they’ll wear them without socks. The upper is comfy, but we’re not quite ready for the no socks thing. The Noosa Tri 14 is not just good for triathletes…it’s also a really good everyday running shoe.
Fit: True to Size, Drop: 5mm, Price: $130 $90
Best Asics Casual Shoes
Asics EX89
The Asics EX89 is the reissue of one of Asics’ basketball shoes from 1989 called the Gel Extreme. The EX89 is not meant for basketball, but it does bring comfort and retro style to your feet. Asics even added FF Blast to liven up the underfoot cushion and feel. The traction also has no issues, even in wet and slippery conditions. It’s similarly priced to the Nike Dunk Lows, but the Asics EX89 features better materials, fit, and performance for walking and casual wear. Read the full review.
Fits: True, Price: $110
Asics Gel-Lyte III OG
The Asics Gel-Lyte III OG, originally released in 1990, features the iconic split tongue configuration that’s still easily recognizable today (though the split tongue actually originated on the Gel-LD Racer). The OG version stays true to the original shape and tooling, including the Gel unit encapsulated in the midsole. It’s a truly classic shoe that’s now available in a ton of different colorways and collab versions. The Gel Lyte III OG can even stand out in today’s crowded retro sneaker scene.
Fits: True, Price: $110-120, $140-150 for collab versions
Thinking of a shoe we should add to the best Asics running shoes list? Comment below or message us on Instagram or Twitter.
