Switched shoes (Asics Nimbus to Novablast) and suddenly all of my runs are 20-30 seconds per mile faster

I notice this too. They are a fast shoe.

I have a pair. This isn't the case.

You need to provide a real magnitude for your pace, otherwise that 20-30 seconds faster per mile is meaningless. If your easy pace went from 6:40 to 6:10, then that's a big change. If your easy pace went from 9:00 to 8:40, then that's not much of a change and I still wouldn't be convinced that the shoes are the difference over your mentality and placebo effect.

I had a similar experience with the novablast. I think they are a good demonstration that the super shoe effect is primarily due to the geometry of the rocker on the shoe and the foam, not the plates. For a while I was doing all my moderate paced long runs in the novablast and even tested it out for a tempo run. The novablast has a perfect rocker for paces from around 6 flat to 7 flat pace IMO. The foam is also really nice. For running faster than 6 flats I’d rather have a shoe with a little more rigidity and less weight though. I think for slower runners the novablast would be one of the better marathon racers on the market, cheaper and maybe more optimized for slightly slower paces than the real super shoes.

My previous easy pace range was 7:35 to 9:00 and since the Novablast it's been 7:15 to 8:33. Average pace has been about 22 seconds per mile faster.

I just discovered this review where the runner mentioned a 15-20 second difference, which is pretty similar to my experience:

https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/frontrunner/articles/asics-novablast-fast

I guess if one is already used to those types of shoes they won't have the same experience.

I wouldn't assume your experience to be outside of the placebo effect, but maybe. Novablasts are by far that tallest, softest, and mushiest shoes I've run in. I thought I had a similar experience to you at first, but I think it was just a day when I was little more fresh. I've run on them for 3.5 months, but they're too mushy for me. I'm used to light shoes like Kinvaras for most of my mileage, but Novablasts are too soft (and I don't think they're really any faster).

Is this an ad for Novablast

I fuggin hated that shoe. Felt like I was running on unstable mattresses.

Free Britney wrote:

Is this an ad for Novablast

I fuggin hated that shoe. Felt like I was running on unstable mattresses.

I get why you'd say that, but no, I was just really surprised by this. Maybe I'll have a different experience in a few hundred miles. But I can't see myself ever returning to the Nimbus.

It's funny you mention the lack of stability. I saw this comment in a lot of negative reviews, particularly referencing an unstable heel. I don't get those comments because the Novablast isn't a stability shoe and is not advertised as such. I'm a neutral runner and loathe stability in shoes, so I guess that's why it works for some people.

Free Britney wrote:

Is this an ad for Novablast

I fuggin hated that shoe. Felt like I was running on unstable mattresses.

I had the same feeling. Cushioned and light but the cutout made them unstable. I got a sore knee after a routine run on a familiar course which had never happened to me before with Adidas and now Puma shoes. Got rid of them promptly.

Why are you not racing in them, oh wait, they are heavy and not responsive and changing to something lighter and responsive allows you to run quicker?

I’m surprised at the pace improvement though, but yes they are a fun shoe and these must be more efficient for you than the previous asics shoes. I also found them quicker at the same pace but around 5 seconds

Yes, its all in the shoes! I remember back in the day, bought some Air Jordans, being 5'8" went from a 24 inch vertical to doing windmill jams! :)

I just bought 7 pairs

I agree easy runs are generally faster with them but they are too mushy and unstable for me.

I've put over 1000 miles on mine. Did 5 miles yesterday at 6:30. They are nice and the build quality is very high, hence the high mileage. However they didn't make me any faster than my old shoes.

I get racing in super shoes, but is there any point in traing in them? I guess what I want to know is, does running in a shoe that makes you faster actually make you fitter than if you ran in a slow shoe?

My question was meant for anyone, not you specifically, 1090

Webber Grill wrote:

My previous easy pace range was 7:35 to 9:00 and since the Novablast it's been 7:15 to 8:33. Average pace has been about 22 seconds per mile faster.

I just discovered this review where the runner mentioned a 15-20 second difference, which is pretty similar to my experience:

https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/frontrunner/articles/asics-novablast-fast

I guess if one is already used to those types of shoes they won't have the same experience.

With that large of a range of easy pace already it's effectively impossible to rule out all other external factors besides the shoes. You're already varying easy pace by 1:30, which is a 20% slowdown from the fast end to the slow end. So now you're attributing a 5% difference to only shoes? My easy pace swings by more than that just from temperature/weather, especially this time of year as temperatures fall in the northern hemisphere. How about your sleep patterns, nutrition, training load, ...? Some combination of these factors, or the placebo effect, seems more likely to be the cause here.

If you’re using a footpod you need to calibrated for each shoe.

A lot of the benefits of these newer shoes are being able to recover better. I know my legs don’t take as much of a beating after harder sessions when I’m using the Saucony Speed. Quicker recovery means becoming fitter I would guess.

Beaten legs doesn't necessarily lead to longer recovery tïme. One might even say beaten legs will make them stronger. Also there are questions around whether super soft shoes make you run with a bad form. You get hunched over, compared to harder shoes where you straighten up and stiffen your bones.