The ASICS Megablast is the top-of-the-range trainer in the Blast family. It's designed to be a versatile, premium trainer for all types of runs. It costs $225.
The ASICS Sonicblast is a mid-range trainer in the Blast family. It's also designed to be a versatile trainer however it has a plate in its midsole. It costs $180, significantly less than the Megablast.
This comparison will tell you which trainer is the better option for you.
The midsole of the Megablast is made of only FF Turbo Squared, ASICS’ new aliphatic TPU midsole foam. It provides a firm but energetic ride that feels better the faster you run in it. It’s a very lightweight material, so it makes the Megablast feel like a sleek, fast racer without a plate in its midsole.
The Sonicblast has a dual-density midsole with FF Turbo Squared on the top and FF Blast Max on the bottom. In between the two foams, is a Pebax plate for stability and extra sole stiffness. The Sonicblast feels more like a daily trainer than the Megablast.
The Pebax plate in the Sonicblast doesn’t provide a lot of propulsion but it does make the ride more stable. The plate is flexible so the ride doesn’t feel as jarring as a carbon-plated speed trainer.
The Megablast is best suited to faster runs such as steady, tempo, threshold or interval runs. Its midsole returns more energy with each foot strike, so it’s easier to pick up the pace in the Megablast. The Sonicblast is better suited to slow, relaxed runs (easy and recovery runs). It feels more stable at slower paces and it has a plusher, more comfortable ride.
The Megablast and Sonicblast have mild forefoot rockers however the Sonicblast has the stiffer forefoot due to its plate so it has a more prominent rocker. The rocker helps to save you energy during runs and helps to speed up transitions.
If you need more support, the Sonicblast has a more stable, more supportive ride. This is due to its wider base and its plate. It’s easier to corner and run on uneven surfaces in the Sonicblast than the Megablast.
Both trainers have durable outsoles but the Sonicblast is more durable. This is because its exposed FF Blast Max foam is more resistant to wear-and-tear than the exposed FF Turbo Squared foam of the Megablast. You should be able to get more mileage out of the Sonicblast.
The upper of the Megablast feels like a racing shoe upper: the upper material is very thin and the tongue is flat. The material feels like plastic and this allows it be lightweight and not absorb much liquid. The flat tongue is semi-gusseted and this ensures no tongue slide. Foot lockdown is very good in the Megablast. The fit is true to size but the upper is very narrow, especially in the toe box. This is one upper which I don’t recommend for wide footed runners.
The Sonicblast upper feels plusher and more comfortable. It has more padding in the tongue, collar and heel tab so it feels like a daily trainer upper. It also has a semi-gusseted tongue and has great foot lockdown. The Sonicblast has a wider, more spacious upper which is more accommodating for wide-footed runners. It also fits true to size.
If you have narrow feet and you’re looking for a fast, unplated trainer to do uptempo runs in, the Megablast is the super trainer for you. It’s extremely lightweight for how thick its midsole is and its A-TPU midsole is very energetic. It also has super durable outsole so it can be used for plenty of training sessions or races.
If you have wide feet and you need a plated trainer for easy or relaxed runs, the Sonicblast is the better trainer for you. It has a stable ride at slow paces and a Pebax plate for extra efficiency. The Sonicblast is much cheaper but it’s not as easy to pick up the pace in the Sonicblast. The Sonicblast has a more comfortable upper which is more spacious and plusher. It’s also the more durable trainer.
