Sonicblast 2 vs Endorphin Trainer 1

The Sonicblast 2 is ASICS building a super trainer for runners who want a bit of race-day energy on an ordinary Tuesday. It pairs FF Turbo Squared foam with an FF Blast Max base and a forked Pebax plate, so you get a bouncy, propulsive running shoe that still carries enough foam for long runs. With a 46mm heel and an 8mm drop it is a lot of shoe, yet at 242g it is light for that much stack. We see it as a do-it-all training partner: tempo sessions, long runs with marathon-pace blocks, and plenty of steady miles in between. The plate is Pebax, not carbon, which keeps the snap more forgiving than a race shoe and makes it easier to live with day to day. If you mostly run easy and want something simpler and cheaper, the Novablast 6 makes more sense. At £170 RRP it isn't cheap, so check the UK prices we track below before you buy.

The Endorphin Trainer 1 is Saucony's take on the super trainer: a tall, cushioned daily running shoe with a carbon plate, built to soak up big weekly mileage and still turn over when you want to press. It sits above the tempo-focused Endorphin Speed in protection, and it is aimed at the runner who wants one do-everything trainer for easy days, long runs and the odd faster session. At 285g it is not the lightest plated shoe out there, and the £200 price puts it firmly in premium territory, so it is a considered buy rather than an impulse one. What you get for that is a shoe that shields your legs on long efforts and keeps rolling forward thanks to the plate. We rate it as a cushioned workhorse first and a speed tool second. If you want a lighter, snappier ride, the Superblast 2 is worth a look. If you want plush daily miles with a bit of pop, this delivers.