The Drop Report
New Balance vs ASICS: Best Running Shoes in Australia for Daily Training, Stability & Speed (2026)
New Balance or ASICS? It's a comparison a lot of Australian runners ask for, but going through our actual current stock turned up something worth being upfront about before we get into the detail: these two brands aren't competing in the same categories right now. ASICS has a deep, genuinely varied running range in stock across daily training, stability, and max-cushion. New Balance's current range leans heavily retro and lifestyle, with one standout exception built specifically for speed.
We'd rather tell you that straight than force a category-by-category "winner" where one doesn't exist. Every model, price, and stock status below was checked directly against our live inventory before publishing — if a shoe isn't genuinely available in your size right now, we're not going to write around that. And to be clear: LUZActive is an independent multi-brand retailer, not an official partner of New Balance or ASICS — we stock genuine pairs from both and tell you straight which one actually suits your training.
Every price below is what you'll actually pay landed in Australia, GST and duties included — that's the LUZActive Landed Price Guarantee, no surprise fees at checkout, ever.
Comparison at a Glance
| Use Case | ASICS Pick | Price (AUD) | New Balance Pick | Price (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight daily trainer | Novablast 5 | $300 (men's) | — | — |
| Max cushion / recovery | Gel Nimbus 28 | $275 (men's) / $349 (women's) | — | — |
| Stability / overpronation support | Gel Kayano 32 | $283 (men's) / $349 (women's) | — | — |
| Speed work / tempo | — | — | FuelCell Rebel v5 | $341 (men's & women's) |
| Smooth daily ride (women's) | Gel Cumulus 16 Women's | $258 | — | — |
That table looks lopsided because, right now, it genuinely is. ASICS currently has four distinct picks across daily training, stability, max-cushion and women's-specific comfort. New Balance has one — but it's a strong one, and we'll explain exactly why below rather than papering over the gap.
Quick Verdict: New Balance vs ASICS by Use Case
- Daily trainer for easy-to-moderate kilometres: ASICS Novablast 5 ($300 AUD) — New Balance doesn't currently have a direct equivalent in our range
- Max cushion & recovery days: ASICS Gel Nimbus 28 (from $275 AUD) — another category where ASICS currently stands alone
- Stability for overpronation: ASICS Gel Kayano 32 (from $283 AUD) — New Balance doesn't currently stock a dedicated stability trainer
- Speed work & tempo sessions: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 ($341 AUD) — this is New Balance's clear win, and ASICS doesn't currently have a dedicated speed shoe to match it
- Smooth, cushioned daily ride for women specifically: ASICS Gel Cumulus 16 Women's ($258 AUD)
If you want the short version: ASICS currently has the deeper, more versatile performance running range across our catalogue, while New Balance's strongest current pick is a genuine speed/tempo specialist. Here's the detail behind each call.
Best Lightweight Daily Trainer: ASICS Novablast 5
The ASICS Novablast 5 ($300 AUD, men's) is built around a tall, springy midsole that feels considerably lighter on foot than its cushioning stack suggests — it's the shoe ASICS positions as the bouncy, energetic option in its daily-trainer lineup, good for everything from easy jogs to moderately quick tempo efforts without feeling like a dedicated max-cushion shoe.
We don't currently carry a women's Novablast 5 in stock, and New Balance doesn't have a comparable lightweight daily trainer in our current range either — its closest catalogue entries sit firmly in retro lifestyle territory rather than performance training. If a springy, do-most-things daily trainer is what you're after, the Novablast 5 is the standout pick between the two brands right now, for runners who can take the men's sizing.
Best for Max Cushion & Recovery Days: ASICS Gel Nimbus 28
Every running rotation needs a shoe that absorbs impact rather than asking your legs to do the work, and the ASICS Gel Nimbus 28 is built exactly for that — $275 AUD for men's, $349 AUD for the women's version. It's ASICS's long-running max-cushion flagship, with a soft, plush ride designed for easy long runs, recovery jogs, and any day your legs need the shoe to do more of the work.
As with the daily-trainer category above, this is currently an ASICS-only category in our range. New Balance doesn't have a max-cushion recovery shoe in current stock to put head-to-head against the Nimbus, so we're not going to manufacture a comparison that doesn't exist. If plush, forgiving cushioning is your priority, the Gel Nimbus 28 is the one to look at.
Best for Stability & Overpronation Support: ASICS Gel Kayano 32
If you need a shoe that actively supports your gait rather than just cushioning it, the ASICS Gel Kayano 32 is the pick — $283 AUD for men's, $349 AUD for the women's version. The Kayano line is ASICS's flagship stability trainer, built for runners who overpronate or simply want extra structural support through longer runs, without feeling like a clunky orthopaedic shoe.
New Balance doesn't currently stock a dedicated stability trainer in our range, so if you specifically need overpronation support, the Gel Kayano 32 is the clear option between the two brands as things stand. This is genuinely one of the bigger gaps in New Balance's current lineup — stability trainers are a category where the brand has historically competed hard, but it's simply not represented in our live stock right now.
Best for Speed Work & Tempo Sessions: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5
This is where New Balance takes the clear win. The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 ($341 AUD for both men's and women's) is a genuine speed-oriented trainer — light, propulsive, and built around New Balance's FuelCell foam, which is tuned for energy return rather than plush absorption. It's the shoe for tempo runs, parkrun efforts, and faster sessions where you want the midsole working with you rather than just cushioning your stride.
We don't currently carry a dedicated speed or racing-specific shoe from ASICS in this exact category, so if tempo and speed work is specifically what you're shopping for, the FuelCell Rebel v5 is the standout option between the two brands right now. For runners who want a more do-it-all daily option, the ASICS Novablast 5 (above) is the more versatile all-rounder — just don't expect it to feel quite as fast underfoot as a dedicated tempo shoe.
Best Smooth Daily Ride for Women: ASICS Gel Cumulus 16 Women's
The ASICS Gel Cumulus 16 Women's ($258 AUD) rounds out the ASICS lineup as a softer, more forgiving everyday trainer than the Novablast 5, without going as deep into max-cushion territory as the Gel Nimbus 28. It sits in the middle of the ASICS range — a genuinely comfortable shoe for easy daily kilometres if the Nimbus feels like more shoe than you need.
Worth noting directly: we don't currently stock a men's version of the Gel Cumulus in our range, and New Balance doesn't have a comparable women's daily trainer either. If you're after a soft, no-fuss everyday shoe and you wear women's sizing, the Cumulus 16 is worth a look alongside the Nimbus 28 above.
Why New Balance's Running Range Looks Different Right Now
It's worth being direct about this rather than letting the comparison table speak for itself without context. New Balance's current range in our store leans heavily into retro and lifestyle silhouettes — models like the 530, 9060, 740, 480, and 1906R, which are genuinely well-made shoes, but built for everyday wear and style rather than structured performance running. The FuelCell Rebel v5 is the clear exception: a purpose-built performance trainer that holds its own against anything in the ASICS range for its specific use case.
This isn't a knock on New Balance as a brand — the company makes excellent dedicated running shoes globally, including daily trainers and max-cushion models in lines like Fresh Foam X. It's a reflection of what's currently sitting in our Australian warehouse. We'll update this guide as our New Balance running range expands, but for now, the honest read is: come to New Balance for the FuelCell Rebel v5 if speed work is the goal, and lean on ASICS for everything else in this comparison.
Durability & Outsole Grip: What to Expect Long-Term
Price per pair only tells half the story — how a shoe holds up over a few hundred kilometres matters just as much, especially if you're choosing between a $258 daily trainer and a $341 speed shoe. ASICS's daily-trainer and stability lines (Novablast 5, Gel Nimbus 28, Gel Kayano 32, Gel Cumulus 16) are built with higher-mileage durability in mind, using ASICS's AHAR outsole rubber in the higher-wear zones under the heel and forefoot — the kind of shoe designed to comfortably handle 500-plus kilometres of regular training before the cushioning noticeably breaks down.
The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5, by contrast, is built more like a dedicated speed tool than a daily workhorse. Lighter speed-oriented foams generally compress and lose responsiveness faster under high mileage than a daily-trainer compound, so most runners get the best out of it by reserving it for tempo sessions, speed intervals, and race day rather than running it as an everyday shoe — which also happens to be exactly how it's positioned in this comparison. Treat it as the specialist tool it's designed to be, and it'll reward you with a noticeably faster-feeling ride for considerably longer.
Cushioning Technology: How ASICS and New Balance Actually Differ
The two brands take genuinely different approaches to midsole foam, which explains a lot of how each shoe actually feels underfoot. ASICS leans on its FF BLAST+ foam family across the Novablast and Gel Nimbus lines — a lightweight, high-rebound compound tuned for a springy, energetic ride — alongside traditional GEL cushioning units in the Kayano and Cumulus lines, which prioritise shock absorption and a more structured, supportive feel over outright bounce.
New Balance's FuelCell compound, used in the Rebel v5, is built around a different goal entirely: propulsion. It's a firmer, more responsive foam than ASICS's plush GEL-based models, designed to give energy back on push-off rather than simply soften the landing — which is exactly why it suits tempo and speed sessions rather than long, easy recovery kilometres.
Neither approach is objectively better — it's a genuine trade-off between structured, shock-absorbing comfort (where ASICS's current range has the depth) and propulsive responsiveness (where New Balance's FuelCell shines specifically). If you want a shoe that disappears underfoot on an easy run, look at the ASICS side of this guide; if you want a shoe that makes tempo pace feel more achievable, the FuelCell Rebel v5 is the one.
New Balance vs ASICS: Sizing Differences to Know Before You Buy
Fit is where cross-brand comparisons fall apart fastest, and New Balance and ASICS don't size identically — getting it wrong matters more on a running shoe than almost any other piece of activewear, since half a size out can mean blisters by kilometre five.
As a general starting point, ASICS running shoes tend to run true-to-size through the midfoot with a slightly narrower heel than New Balance's equivalent width, and some runners find New Balance's toe box noticeably roomier — but this varies by model and by foot shape, so it's worth checking against actual measurements rather than assuming. We've got dedicated, brand-specific size guides to take the guesswork out of it:
- ASICS Men's Footwear Size Guide
- ASICS Women's Footwear Size Guide
- New Balance Men's Footwear Size Guide
- New Balance Women's Footwear Size Guide
If you're between sizes on any of the models above, we'd genuinely recommend checking the relevant guide before you buy — it'll save you a return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Balance or ASICS better for running?
Based on our current range, ASICS is the stronger overall choice for performance running right now — it has genuine options for daily training, stability, and max-cushion recovery. New Balance's standout pick is the FuelCell Rebel v5 for speed and tempo work specifically, but the brand's broader range in our stock currently leans lifestyle rather than performance.
Does New Balance make other running shoes besides the FuelCell Rebel v5?
New Balance makes a wide range of performance running shoes globally, including daily trainers and max-cushion models. Our current Australian stock is the FuelCell Rebel v5 specifically — we'll update this guide as the range expands.
What's the best ASICS shoe for a first-time runner?
The ASICS Novablast 5 is a good general-purpose starting point if you want one shoe that handles easy runs and moderate tempo efforts without being a dedicated stability or max-cushion shoe. If you know you overpronate, the Gel Kayano 32 is worth considering from day one.
Is the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 only for experienced runners?
Not necessarily, but it's worth knowing what it's built for. It's a firmer, more propulsive shoe than a typical daily trainer, so newer runners will generally get more comfort out of the ASICS Novablast 5 or Gel Cumulus 16 day-to-day, and reach for the Rebel v5 specifically when training for speed.
Do New Balance and ASICS running shoes fit the same?
Not exactly — ASICS tends to run true-to-size with a narrower heel, while New Balance often has a roomier toe box. Check our ASICS and New Balance size guides before buying, especially if you're between sizes.
Are these prices the final price I'll pay in Australia?
Yes. Every price listed includes GST and duties under our Landed Price Guarantee — there are no surprise customs or import fees added at delivery.
Final Verdict
If we had to summarise the whole comparison in one line: ASICS currently offers the deeper, more complete performance running range across daily training, stability, and recovery, while New Balance's FuelCell Rebel v5 is a genuine standout for speed and tempo work specifically. Rather than forcing a single "winner" between two well-respected brands, the honest answer here is to match the shoe to the session you're actually training for this week — and to recognise that, in New Balance's case, that currently means one very good shoe rather than a full range.
Browse the full range from both brands — shop ASICS running shoes or shop New Balance running shoes — and if you're also comparing Nike and adidas, our Nike vs adidas running shoe comparison covers that pairing in the same level of detail.