ASICS Superblast 3
£200
UK RRP
Midsole to scale · mm · red dashes mark the 40mm road limit
- Weight
- 249 g
- men's US 9
- Stack
- 45 / 37 mm
- heel / forefoot · drawn above, against the 40mm line
- Drop
- 8 mm
- Plate
- none
- Foam
- FF Turbo+ over FF Blast+
- Stability
- stable and forgiving
- Competitive life
- ~700 km
- before the foam stops giving it back
- Built for
- Half · Marathon · Ultra
Verdict
The best plateless shoe in the world and a cult favourite for good reason. Enormous stack, superb foam, and it will train and race happily for 700km.
■ Caution
At 45mm of sole it sits above the 40mm road limit despite having no plate at all, so it is unlikely to pass inspection in an Applicable Competition.
Straight answers
- Is the ASICS Superblast 3 legal for road racing?
- No — not for World Athletics Applicable Competitions. The ASICS Superblast 3 measures 45mm, 5.0mm over the 40mm road limit. It remains fine for training and for the many races that apply no shoe rule.
- How much does the ASICS Superblast 3 weigh?
- 249g in a men's US 9 (UK 8), by the manufacturer's stated figure. Weight moves roughly 3.5% per UK size step, so a UK 11 weighs materially more than the spec sheet says.
- What is the stack height and drop of the ASICS Superblast 3?
- 45mm at the heel and 37mm at the forefoot — a 8mm drop. There is no plate; the midsole is FF Turbo+ over FF Blast+.
- How long does the ASICS Superblast 3 last?
- We estimate roughly 700km of competitive life — the point at which the foam has degraded enough that you are no longer getting the benefit you paid £200 for, not the point at which the shoe falls apart. Spread over race cycles, that is what the cost-per-race figure on this page is built from.
- Is the ASICS Superblast 3 good for a marathon?
- Yes — the marathon is one of the distances it is built for (half marathon, marathon and ultra / 50k+). The best plateless shoe in the world and a cult favourite for good reason. Enormous stack, superb foam, and it will train and race happily for 700km.
Legality by event
Superblast 3 at 45mm · every panel drawn to one scale
Road racing
40mm · 5.0 over
Track events
20mm · 25.0 over
Field events
20mm · 25.0 over
Cross country (spiked shoes)
20mm · 25.0 over
Cross country (non-spiked)
40mm · 5.0 over
Race walking
40mm · 5.0 over
Mountain and trail
no limit
Drawn from the manufacturer’s stated stack height, which is not the measurement World Athletics takes — the rule is measured on a men’s US 8.5 sample, and larger sizes may legally exceed it. An indication, not a ruling. Limits bind Applicable Competitions; most club and local races apply no shoe rule at all. What that means in practice.
Reading — what would the Superblast 3 save you?
Time bought back
−1:37 – 2:59
Off 3:45:00, that lands you at 3:42:01 on the optimistic end.
- Per race
- £18
- ~11.1 races in the foam
- Per second
- £0.13
- whole-life basis
- Sticker
- £200
- UK recommended retail
Economy gain 2.2–3.4% v. a traditional flat, adjusted for pace and your current shoes. Full method.
Manufacturer-stated specs unless marked estimated · last reviewed 2026-09-04 · prices are UK RRP; check the retailer for the live figure.