Novablast 6 vs Superblast 3

The Novablast 6 is Asics at its most playful: a high-stack, bouncy daily training shoe built to make easy miles fun and steady miles feel effortless. At 249g with a big 41.5mm heel it sits in the upper reaches of the daily trainer class, closer to a max-cushion cruiser than a lean workhorse, yet the FF Blast Max midsole keeps it lively rather than dull. This is the do-everything running shoe for the runner who wants one pair for most of the week: warm-ups, recovery jogs, long runs and the odd relaxed tempo. It is not a race shoe and it is not a stability shoe, so if you overpronate heavily or want firm ground feel, look elsewhere. But as a cushioned, spirited daily trainer at a sensible price, we rate it highly. The Novablast 5 fans will feel right at home, with a touch more bounce underfoot.

The ASICS Superblast 3 is the most versatile running shoe ASICS makes: a towering, plateless super trainer that does the job of three or four shoes in your rotation. With a 45.8mm heel and 37.7mm forefoot it sits right at the World Athletics stack limit, yet at 235g it stays light enough to pick up the pace when you ask. There is no carbon plate here, and that is the whole point. This is soft, bouncy foam doing the work, so you get a springy daily training shoe that will still hang on through a tempo session or a half marathon. We rate it as one of the best do-it-all trainers on the road right now. It is not a dedicated marathon shoe and it is not cheap at £190, but if you want a single pair that covers easy miles, long runs and race-pace efforts without switching, the Superblast 3 is about as good as it gets. Bigger runner, one shoe, most of the week: this is the one.