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The engine's answer

Best running shoe with maximum cushioning for race training on the treadmill, under €170

Asics Novablast 5

73% match

The fun daily trainer that keeps winning group runs

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Live search for the Asics Novablast 5 at retailers that carry it.

Why it wins here

The Asics Novablast 5 wins this question with a 73% match against all 78 shoes in the catalogue. It costs €150, weighs 255 g and stands on a 41 mm heel stack with a 8 mm drop; its cushioning scores 80/100, its grip 60/100 and its energy return 76/100. The tightest constraint is the €170 ceiling: only 52 of the 78 shoes come in under it, and 38 clear both the price and the terrain filter. Its biggest edge over that field is on budget — €150, €20 under the €170 ceiling — 52 of 78 shoes qualify. The nearest runner-up, the Nike Vomero 18, finished 0 points behind.

The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically — with the numbers behind each one.

  • Budget€150, €20 under the €170 ceiling — 52 of 78 shoes qualify
  • TerrainRoad shoe, grip 60 /100, stability 55 /100; 61 of 78 shoes count as a road-ready shoe
  • Cushioncushioning 80 /100, stack height 41 mm
  • Goalenergy return 76 /100, cushioning 80 /100, durability 72 /100

What's good

  • Bouncy enough for tempo, soft enough for easy days
  • Excellent value for how much shoe you get

What to watch

  • A touch tippy on sharp corners
  • Upper runs slightly long for some feet

What the runners-up gave up

The next three in the ranking, and the measure each one lost on against the Asics Novablast 5.

Questions this answer raises

Is the Asics Novablast 5 within a €170 budget?
Yes. At €150 it sits €20 under the ceiling, and 52 of the 78 shoes in the catalogue come in at €170 or less.
Does the Asics Novablast 5 suit the treadmill?
It is a road shoe with grip 60 /100 and stability 55 /100. The question filtered for a road-ready shoe, which 61 of the 78 shoes are; for race training the ranking also weighed energy return 76 /100, cushioning 80 /100, durability 72 /100.
How much shoe is under foot in the Asics Novablast 5?
A 41 mm heel stack with a 8 mm drop, a cushioning score of 80/100 and no plate — at 255 g on the scale.

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This page answers one runner's question. Yours is not that question — adjust the surface, the goal or the budget and watch the whole field re-rank.

Answer for your own running