Transcription
Hello, welcome to Run Testers. My name is Nick. In this video, we're going to be comparing the Adidas Adizero Evo and the Asics Novablast 5.
So, the Novablast 5 and the Adizero Evo are two of our favorite shoes on the channel. They are shoes that we recommend a lot, so we think it was worth doing this comparison to kind of highlight the different strengths and weaknesses you have with these two shoes. Because they are both, both daily trainers, but of a different type. The Novablast 5 is a more cushioned, comfort-focused shoe, whereas the Evo leans more towards speed. But they're around the same price, both great shoes. So we wanted to have this video out there to maybe help people pick between them if they're unsure exactly what each shoe does best.
So, the Adidas Adizero Evo is £130 or $150. The Novablast is £135 or $140. The Evo is the lighter shoe, it's 224 grams or 7.9 ounces in the UK 9. The Novablast is 274 grams or 9.7 ounces. You've got a 6mm drop on the Adidas Evo, with a stack height of 39mm at the heel, 33 at the forefoot. The Novablast has an 8mm drop and it's a higher stack shoe. It's 41.5mm at the heel and then 33.5 at the forefoot.
Comes to the design of the two shoes. With the Novablast 5, you've got a jacquard mesh upper, a little bit of cushioning around the collar of the shoe, actually quite a lot of cushioning around the collar of the shoe, but a pretty thin, lightweight tongue. And then a pretty significant internal heel counter at the back to add some structure there. You have an FF Blast Plus midsole, which is a fairly soft and comfortable foam, but does have a little bit of response to it. Got a slight rocker profile on the shoe. And then you've got an Ahar low rubber outsole.
And with the Adidas, you've got a pretty minimal mesh upper, but it does have a bit of padding around the back of the shoe and an internal heel counter there. You've got a full-length Lightstrike Pro midsole. So this is a super foam. It's the foam used in the Adios Pro 3 racing shoe, so the previous generation of Adidas's carbon racing shoe. So very responsive, springy foam. And there's a small nylon shank around the midfoot to add a little bit of structure to that midsole. A very sharp forefoot rocker on the shoe, like more noticeable than the one on the Novablast 5. And then there's two types of rubber used on the outsole of the shoe. The Continental rubber section on the forefoot there, and then Adidas's Clear Rubber used for the two strips at the back.
All right, I'm joined by Tom now to talk about the fit of the two shoes. I'd say one of these shoes is pretty easy on fit, one's a bit tricky on, wouldn't you say?
Um, yeah, but not wholly surprising. Um, if you know shoes well. If for no Novablast, for me, absolutely fine. I've not had any issues with it at all. I'd definitely go to my UK size 8 in the Novablast. It's a very comfortable shoe, um, nicely padded. Uh, it's, yeah, over I'd definitely stick to my size in the Novablast. Uh, the, the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, um, yeah, is a bit of a funny one. Um, I, I actually, it's one of the rare occasions where I've actually tried on different versions of the shoe in the shop. Um, and normally I would go for, for your UK size 8. And in in Adidas, it's a bit of a mixed bag for me. Sometimes an 8 is fine, sometimes I have to go for an 8.5. In this, I definitely felt like I had to go for an 8.5. I tried on the 8 and, um, when I pressed my foot down a bit, as if I was running, uh, I did feel like my toes were pushing towards the end. So I went for an 8.5 and I've been absolutely fine with it now. Um, and finding it a very, very comfortable shoe. It's actually quite roomy in the forefoot as well, which, um, is not always the case with Adidas shoes.
No, yeah, especially the Adizero shoes, they can be a bit like torpedoes. But, um, same for me, the Asics Novablast 5, absolutely fine. No concerns, usual fit, same fit I have across all the Asics shoes. And, yeah, absolutely stick to your normal size. Adidas, I'm the same, basically. Sometimes I go half size up in Adidas, sometimes I don't need to because I'm basically a bit small for my UK size. So a US 9.5, which is what a UK 9 is with Adidas. The Asics is a US 10, for example. Uh, it's fine. Uh, it's usually fine for me. And so it's a bit of a tight fit. I probably could have gone half size up, but I was probably slightly happier in my normal size for a slightly more dialed-in fit for a shoe that I use for a lot of speed work. If you're really looking at it, maybe buying it as an all-rounder, as a daily trainer, I'd probably look at going half size up and enjoying that extra room. But it really depends. If you're big for your size, then definitely go half size up. If you're lucky in the UK, if you're around the rest of the world, probably just stick to your normal size. I think this is a UK only problem. I think, uh, because I do think it fits true to size in US sizing. So could put it that way at the end.
Maybe onto the run test then. Uh, these are two really, really good shoes. Like, maybe some wouldn't consider them directly comparable, but they're both really good daily trainers of slightly different types. I think they're both standout options of their type. So I'd say for me, the Asics is a little bit more at the cushioned end of things, and then the Adidas is almost this new breed of really lightweight do-it-all daily trainer. Both great shoes. Tom, how's your experience been with these two shoes?
Uh, so yeah, as you suggested there, they're not necessarily shoes that some people would class as being comparable, but I think a lot of people would. Because when you look at the price of these shoes and what they're trying to do, I think most people would look at it and go, I just want a nice daily shoe that I can use for lots of different things. These are both shoes that would fit into that. Um, however, I do think the ride and what you get out of them is quite different based on the the positives of them. I think the Novablast 5 is probably one of the better Novablasts that has been released, might even be the best of the Novablasts. Um, and it is, it's quite a good all-round shoe. If you, if you're skewing towards those sort of daily comfortable runs, it's, it's not the most versatile shoe in the, I wouldn't go and do a lot of speed work in this shoe. Um, but it's definitely a shoe that works very well for easy ones. I, I like the midsole in this. It gives you a nice bit of softness. It gives you a nice, not loads of energy return, but you can feel like you're getting a bit back from it. Um, works really well for those sort of easy runs, recovery runs, but also long runs as well, because it's that foam works well over longer distances. Um, but it's limited. You know, I'm not using this for interval sessions or anything like that. I'm not really using it for marathon training. It's really a good daily shoe that is very accessible to a lot of people.
Um, the Adizero Evo, it, it can do a lot of stuff. So, and we talked about this before, and I said for me, actually, easy runs, I quite like doing it in this. I think it's quite comfortable, no issues at all with it. Um, but it's definitely a shoe that skews more towards those faster sessions. And what I do find in this shoe is that I, I actually run faster just by wearing it. Because it, it seems to sort of prompt you to, to, you know, speed up a bit, um, and have a nice efficient, consistent pace. Um, the midsole in it, quite similar to the Novablast in some ways if you're going for like an easy run, but there's a lot more energy in this Lightstrike Pro. It, you can really feel the bounce in it. And if you're picking up the pace, if you're doing a longer session, um, or, you know, an interval session, it's a fast shoe. Um, so I think really, they're both great all-rounders, but the where they sit on that, um, that spectrum, the Adizero Evo is far on the end of performance in comparison to the Novablast 5, which is okay, it's some level of performance, but really, um, it's an easy daily shoe, which is just, you know, good for most people.
Yeah, exactly. I think I agree with all that. It really, which one you'd go for, very much almost depend on you as a runner as well, in many ways. Like the Novablast 5 is a shoe, if someone, I want a daily trainer, I'd recommend it without thinking about it. I'm pretty sure it's going to work quite well for them. It's comfortable, it's pretty stable, it's got a bit of versatility, it's a reasonable price. Yeah, I'd recommend the Novablast without thinking. But the Adizero Evo is a shoe I prefer for the same role. And if I knew the runner well and knew their preferences, I think it's a, a better shoe and I think they'd get more from it because it has got that greater range at speed. But it's a less safe recommendation because it is skewed towards speed. Like I say, so I like it for easy runs, but I think there is a stability concern there if you're someone who needs any kind of support because it's got a bit of a cutout on the medial side, it's quite a soft foam, but the heel, and at easy paces, if you're not transferring, you know, straight through onto that rocker, you might start, you know, skewing a little bit inwards. So some reason, some people that might be putting them off. For easy runs, you're not going to have that problem with the Novablast, which is a really wide base, you know, it's a stable shoe for a high stack shoe. But the Adidas has got that extra gear. I think it's almost softer when you land in it than the Novablast, then springs back so much better because it's got more energy return. Got that really sharp forefoot rocker, which does help you tick over really well. It means like Tom, I sometimes run a bit too fast on easy runs in it, but you, the heart rate's okay, so it's fine. But that's why it's not necessarily the perfect shoe for easy runs, but it is a shoe that can do them. And then you have much more of an upper gear for it. Like I've gone down the track and done kind of hard sessions that I normally reserve for a plated trainer because it's got that level of performance in an unplated shoe at such a good price, which is why it's you quite a special shoe, I think. All around. But then the Novablast just gives you that extra comfort and support on easy runs. Like, like even for myself, like I'm fine running in the Adizero Evo easy, but if I had a 60-90 minute easy run on the plan, I'd be thinking about, oh, should I use that shoe? As the Novablast, you know, it's a no-brainer. Yeah, that's the perfect run for that shoe because it is one that I use very much for easy runs in my rotation. And then for me, the problem with it is it lacks a bit of that top-end speed. Even though it's a pretty versatile shoe, it's a really versatile shoe. If you're a new runner, if you're a heavier runner, you're going to get more support, more versatility out of the Novablast than maybe the Adizero Evo. It's just an easy recommendation, like I say. And then maybe if you're more clued into exactly what you like and you really like lightweight, you know, all-rounder shoes, the Adidas Adizero Evo is the better one. You can even use it in rotation with something like a Novablast. But, yeah, I do think it's just, I love it so much. It's a shoe I really like for everything. And it's just got that, you know, really nice fast, soft, comfortable ride. All around, I think it even probably works reasonably well as a standing racing shoe.
I agree. I haven't raced it yet, but I keep saying I should do. Yeah, haven't got around to it. But yeah, even then, the Novablast though, it also, I think, is a pretty good stand-in like marathon racing shoe for new runners. I think they both do have, they both both basically do, I think the same job for different runners, almost.
Yeah. Agree. Right, verdict then. So I guess what we could say here is like, which one you'd pick out of these two shoes, Tom, and why? Uh, and then maybe what you'd recommend for runners in general.
Yeah, so picking it for myself is really easy. Probably going to be really easy for you as well. Uh, the Adizero Evo is just an incredible shoe for the price. Um, I've said it in many videos that we've done, it's punching far above its price point, um, in terms of what it delivers from a performance point of view. Um, it is, it's just an incredible shoe for, um, the sort of runner like me that I, I do at the moment, I'm not doing that much speed stuff, but when I'm actually training properly, I will be doing a lot of speed stuff. And what I find is when I go out on a run, whether it's sort of general run, um, whether it's a long run, I want to have that versatility to go, oh, I'm feeling great today, I want to pick up the pace, I want to, you know, try and try and go as fast as I can on some of these, um, some of these bits. This is the shoe that I want to pick up for it. There's other shoes as well, like the Superblast, which I think works already very well in in some similar ways to this. But, yeah, for me, definitely in my style of running, I definitely go for the Adizero Evo all the way. It's the shoe that I, I pick up more than anything at the moment if I just want to go out and have a nice, nice run and I want to maybe push myself a little bit or not, or not if I, if I can't be bothered. So that's, that's what I go for. If I was picking it, and for the price, I think it's an absolute steal.
Um, you know, comparison to the shoes out there. I think for, if it wasn't for me, I do think there's a lot to it, really comes down to the sort of run that you're going to do. I think I, I do think for someone like me, the Adizero Evo is a rotation shoe. I think it's a shoe that sits really perfectly in that middle section where you want a shoe that can do a bit of this, the more comfortable, enjoyable stuff, but can also do the fastest stuff as well. But I don't think that's, that that would be the case for everybody. Uh, I think the Novablast 5 actually is probably the best option for most people, who are general runners and, you know, just want a good solid shoe that's going to tick a lot of boxes. Definitely think it's a shoe that if you were going to buy just one shoe, you'd probably go for the the Novablast 5 because it's, there's a bit more to it, it's a bit more stability, the midsole is a little bit sturdier. I think the outsole is probably a little bit more durable. I mean, that's, that's based purely on my view of how much rubber is on these shoes because it's not worn off the Adizero Evo, but there's just a bit more to the Novablast 5. So I think for a lot of people, it's a, it's a better investment, especially if you're doing a lot of easy runs and stuff like that. Um, so yeah, I think I think for a lot of people, I think Novablast 5 is probably the best one. But for me and my start of running, definitely the Adizero Evo. It's probably my favorite shoe for the past four, four months, something like that.
Yeah, Ian, agree with that again. Like, it's the shoe that I'd want out of these two in my daily training. I do a lot of easy to steady progression runs, things like that, where I'm not going to go really flat out at the end, but I am going to start picking up the pace. It's just nice to do it in a shoe like the Evo, which has been comfortable at the start of the run and those easy paces, and then is really fun and lightweight and nimble for those faster paces. Yeah, for lots of people, this will be a speed shoe. And I think if you're, you know, if you haven't tried these kind of lightweight shoes before, you're not necessarily what to go for, I wouldn't pick up the Evo as your daily trainer. I'd pick up the Novablast 5, like Tom says, it's the one that's going to make probably more sense, work well. And then if you do find out that you love lightweight shoes, actually find the max cushioning trend in shoes a bit overdone, because the Evo is still a very cushioned shoe, you're not worried about stability, it can then be a daily trainer that does a bit of everything for you as well. Probably again, like says, by that point, you probably have a rotation in way and you're probably sticking it alongside something which could be the Novablast. Like I very strongly consider having the Novablast and the Adizero Evo as my rotation. You know, those the speed shoe and easy day shoe. When we did the video recently along with the racing shoe, and it definitely would work very well like that. And there's just something great to having two very versatile shoes in a rotation. You can pick up each one each day based on exactly how you're feeling and what you're planning to do. But yeah, someone comes to me, I don't know them, they ask for a daily trainer recommendation, I'd say them Novablast 5. If I do speak to them a bit, I know them a bit better, I know they like lightweight shoes, they like trying out some of the most exciting stuff on the market, the Adizero Evo is an equally easy recommend because I think it is such a standout shoe this year, bringing you a lot of really high-level tech and performance at a very reasonable price in a really fun shoe.