Novablast 5

Soft and bouncy is the headline here. The Novablast 5 has a trampoline-like quality underfoot that springs you forward, and the geometry rolls you through each stride with a smooth, rocking sensation. On easy and steady runs this is where the shoe shines: it stays lively lap after lap and keeps your legs feeling fresh deep into long efforts. Push the pace and it holds up better than you might expect for a soft daily trainer, though it never feels as snappy or planted as a dedicated tempo shoe. The ride is best described as cushioned and cheerful rather than aggressive. You sit on top of a generous slab of foam, so there is a slight wobble at the very edges of your footstrike, but for the steady mileage this shoe is built for, it is a genuinely fun, energetic ride that makes the kilometres tick by.

Cushioning is the Novablast 5's calling card. There is a deep, soft layer of foam underfoot that soaks up impact on easy days and protects your legs over long runs, yet it stays springy rather than mushy, so you still get energy back at toe-off. This is the sweet spot a lot of runners are chasing: protective enough for marathon-distance training blocks and high weekly mileage, but lively enough that you never feel like you are slogging through it. Heavier runners and heel-strikers will appreciate the generous stack soaking up the pounding. The trade-off is that all that soft foam can feel a little unstable if you are tired or running on uneven ground, and it is less precise than a firmer trainer. For its intended job, easy and steady miles, the cushioning balance is excellent.

This is a neutral running shoe with no medial post or dedicated support features, so if you need motion control or have a history of overpronation you should look at a proper stability shoe such as the Asics GT-2000 14 instead. That said, the Novablast 5 is not a tippy mess for neutral runners. The midsole sidewalls cradle your foot reasonably well and the wide base gives a decent platform underfoot. The soft, tall stack does mean there is a little lateral wobble when you are fatigued or cornering, which is the usual price of a bouncy high-stack trainer. For neutral runners doing the bulk of their training in a straight line, stability is fine. For anyone needing structured support, this is not the shoe.

The upper is comfortable and easygoing, built from a soft engineered mesh that breathes well and moulds to your foot without pressure points. The tongue is lightly padded and stays put, and the heel collar has just enough cushioning to lock your ankle without rubbing. Breathability is good, so warm summer runs do not turn into a sweatbox, and the smooth interior is forgiving if you run with thin socks. It is a fairly plush, no-fuss upper that prioritises everyday comfort over a locked-down race feel, which suits the shoe's daily-trainer brief perfectly. Durability looks solid too, with reinforcement in the high-wear areas, so it should hold up across a full training block.