Superblast 2 v. Neo Vista
There are a ton of reviews of the Superblast 2 here, so I won’t try to give an exhaustive one. There are fewer reviews of the Mizuno Neo Vista (although they exist - mine is here)
I’m focusing on these head to head for a few reasons. I think they’re both fantastic shoes, that could suit a lot of the same runners in a lot of the same use cases. Both have an immediate smile-on-your-face feel that is really special, and really unusual. And both have the right characteristics to be a long run shoe, while being versatile enough to do other workouts well.
Sizing: The SB2 runs a little short. I went with a 12.5, vs my normal 12D. The forefoot is a little wider than I’m accustomed to because of this, but it’s a good fit for a long run shoe. The NV is TTS and I wear a 12. Both shoes can accommodate an aftermarket insole.
Surfaces: Most of my mileage is on asphalt and concrete. I’ve run on the Bridal Path in Central Park in both, and a bit of dirt paths. If your primary running surface isn’t paved, these aren’t the best call. They’re fine but they slip a bit, as you would expect a road shoe to do.
Step-In Feel: The NV is distinctly softer. Bounce around and hop up and down? You can feel the energy return in both shoes. The NV is softer and cushier, the SB2 goes boing.
Pacing on runs: the boing boing feeling of the SB2 absolutely encourages you to run faster. At a familiar effort level, you will likely find your pace is 15 to 30 seconds a mile faster than you expect. Is it that much more efficient? Probably not, but there’s definitely some degree of mechanical benefit, and some degree of psychological encouragement. The funny thing is, the NV does exactly the same thing. It has less of a trampoline feeling under foot, but the shoe gives back what you put into it, and you will find yourself going faster than you expect to when you compare it to your daily trainer.
Slow runs: the SB2 does not want to go an easy pace. It can, but you’re fighting its nature a bit. The NV is quite willing to slow down and go at recovery paces.
Tempo and hills: I tested both shoes this week with all-out efforts up Harlem Hill. My pace was within 5 seconds in both shoes (tiny edge to the Superblast, but it was earlier in my run so it may mean nothing)
Long runs: my long run in the NV is 18 miles. While my long run in the SB2 is only 12 miles, others have gone for 100. Both can happily handle your distance.
Lockdown and comfort: the SB2 has a really clean upper, good lacing, and provides a nice lockdown through the midfoot for me without a runner’s knot. No heel issues despite the half size up. The NV is quirky, with its sock upper. I tighten in the lower midfoot and leave the upper lacing loose, relying on the upper itself, as the overlays can dig into my ankle if over tightened.
Socks: worth noting. SB2 - wear whatever you want. NV - no millennial no shows here, the ankle extends too high and its rough on the skin.
Grand Conclusion - I get the hype about the SB2. I want to take it out for every run over 6 miles. It’s fun, responsive, and comfortable. Asics made a fantastic shoe. But you can’t find it! Hopefully the new color drop will make it more accessible. - the NV is a sleeper. If I was buying just one shoe for all my runs and racing, this would be it. It is soft and comfortable at recovery pace, cruises happily on long runs, picks up the pace well, and it has the same unquantifiable “fun” feel as the SB2. And you can go try it out at your local store, it’s probably in stock.
There are a ton of reviews of the Superblast 2 here, so I won’t try to give an exhaustive one. There are fewer reviews of the Mizuno Neo Vista (although they exist - mine is here)
I’m focusing on these head to head for a few reasons. I think they’re both fantastic shoes, that could suit a lot of the same runners in a lot of the same use cases. Both have an immediate smile-on-your-face feel that is really special, and really unusual. And both have the right characteristics to be a long run shoe, while being versatile enough to do other workouts well.
Sizing: The SB2 runs a little short. I went with a 12.5, vs my normal 12D. The forefoot is a little wider than I’m accustomed to because of this, but it’s a good fit for a long run shoe. The NV is TTS and I wear a 12. Both shoes can accommodate an aftermarket insole.
Surfaces: Most of my mileage is on asphalt and concrete. I’ve run on the Bridal Path in Central Park in both, and a bit of dirt paths. If your primary running surface isn’t paved, these aren’t the best call. They’re fine but they slip a bit, as you would expect a road shoe to do.
Step-In Feel: The NV is distinctly softer. Bounce around and hop up and down? You can feel the energy return in both shoes. The NV is softer and cushier, the SB2 goes boing.
Pacing on runs: the boing boing feeling of the SB2 absolutely encourages you to run faster. At a familiar effort level, you will likely find your pace is 15 to 30 seconds a mile faster than you expect. Is it that much more efficient? Probably not, but there’s definitely some degree of mechanical benefit, and some degree of psychological encouragement. The funny thing is, the NV does exactly the same thing. It has less of a trampoline feeling under foot, but the shoe gives back what you put into it, and you will find yourself going faster than you expect to when you compare it to your daily trainer.
Slow runs: the SB2 does not want to go an easy pace. It can, but you’re fighting its nature a bit. The NV is quite willing to slow down and go at recovery paces.
Tempo and hills: I tested both shoes this week with all-out efforts up Harlem Hill. My pace was within 5 seconds in both shoes (tiny edge to the Superblast, but it was earlier in my run so it may mean nothing)
Long runs: my long run in the NV is 18 miles. While my long run in the SB2 is only 12 miles, others have gone for 100. Both can happily handle your distance.
Lockdown and comfort: the SB2 has a really clean upper, good lacing, and provides a nice lockdown through the midfoot for me without a runner’s knot. No heel issues despite the half size up. The NV is quirky, with its sock upper. I tighten in the lower midfoot and leave the upper lacing loose, relying on the upper itself, as the overlays can dig into my ankle if over tightened.
Socks: worth noting. SB2 - wear whatever you want. NV - no millennial no shows here, the ankle extends too high and its rough on the skin.
Grand Conclusion - I get the hype about the SB2. I want to take it out for every run over 6 miles. It’s fun, responsive, and comfortable. Asics made a fantastic shoe. But you can’t find it! Hopefully the new color drop will make it more accessible. - the NV is a sleeper. If I was buying just one shoe for all my runs and racing, this would be it. It is soft and comfortable at recovery pace, cruises happily on long runs, picks up the pace well, and it has the same unquantifiable “fun” feel as the SB2. And you can go try it out at your local store, it’s probably in stock.