Can I go straight from the Asics Novablast 4 to the Novablast 6 and skip the Novablast 5?

Yes, but going Novablast 4 to Novablast 6 means taking one change in a single step: the Novablast 5 is where the ride moved. Drop holds at 8 mm, so the difference is foam and fit rather than geometry: FF Blast+ Eco to FF Blast Max with an FF Turbo Squared forefoot insert.

How much did the weight change across these two updates?

0.3 oz off in total, 9.1 oz to 8.8 oz in a men's US 9. Almost all of it came in the second update; the Novablast 5 weighed 9 oz.

Is the Novablast 5 the better buy than either of these?

On paper it splits them: 9 oz against 9.1 oz for the Novablast 4 and 8.8 oz for the Novablast 6, on a 41.5 mm heel and a $140 list price. Whether that is worth chasing depends on what the Novablast 5 update actually did, which the section above works through.

Where does the Novablast 6 sit in the Novablast lineup now?

It is the current model, two versions on from the Novablast 4 and the newest one you can buy at full retail.

Asics Novablast 4 vs Novablast 6

Two versions apart. Updated August 2, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.

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THE SHORT ANSWER

Two updates and 3 years separate the Asics Novablast 4 from the Novablast 6. Net change: 0.3 oz lighter, a new midsole, $15 more at list. The Novablast 5 is where the character changed, and that is the update Novablast 4 owners notice first.

Asics Novablast 4Sizes running outMen's at Amazon Women's
Asics Novablast 6Men's at Amazon Women's

Availability last checked Aug 2, 2026. Prices and stock change without notice.

Novablast 4 · 2023

Novablast 6 · 2026

The two updates in between

Each step has its own page with the full change list and the verdict on that update.

Step 1Novablast 4 to Novablast 52024Changed character
Novablast 4 vs 5 What replaced the Asics Novablast 4?
Step 2Novablast 5 to Novablast 62026Refined, same shoe
Novablast 5 vs 6 What replaced the Asics Novablast 5?

Novablast 4 vs Novablast 6: every spec, side by side

The net of both updates. Per-update change notes stay on the step pages above, because they explain changes measured from a different starting point than this table uses.

Spec	Novablast 4	Novablast 6
FIT AND WEIGHT
Weight	9.1 oz	8.8 oz
Widths	D, 2E	D, 2E
Upper	Woven upper with a stretch tongue	Engineered woven mesh with a longer padded tongue
CUSHIONING GEOMETRY
Heel stack	41.5 mm	41.5 mm
Forefoot stack	33.5 mm	33.5 mm
Drop	8 mm	8 mm
MATERIALS
Midsole	FF Blast+ Eco	FF Blast Max with an FF Turbo Squared forefoot insert
VALUE
List price at launch	$140	$155

Or buy the Novablast 5 instead?

The Novablast 5 is worth a look only if you want the ride it introduced, because that is the update that changed the shoe. Buying it to soften the jump does not work: you would be adapting to the same change either way, just at an older spec.

Buy the Novablast 5

Stocked at Amazon

Men's: Check price at Amazon Women's: Check price at Amazon

Availability last checked Aug 2, 2026.

Questions runners ask

Can I go straight from the Asics Novablast 4 to the Novablast 6 and skip the Novablast 5?: Yes, but going Novablast 4 to Novablast 6 means taking one change in a single step: the Novablast 5 is where the ride moved. Drop holds at 8 mm, so the difference is foam and fit rather than geometry: FF Blast+ Eco to FF Blast Max with an FF Turbo Squared forefoot insert.
How much did the weight change across these two updates?: 0.3 oz off in total, 9.1 oz to 8.8 oz in a men's US 9. Almost all of it came in the second update; the Novablast 5 weighed 9 oz.
Is the Novablast 5 the better buy than either of these?: On paper it splits them: 9 oz against 9.1 oz for the Novablast 4 and 8.8 oz for the Novablast 6, on a 41.5 mm heel and a $140 list price. Whether that is worth chasing depends on what the Novablast 5 update actually did, which the section above works through.
Where does the Novablast 6 sit in the Novablast lineup now?: It is the current model, two versions on from the Novablast 4 and the newest one you can buy at full retail.