The short version: The ASICS Sonicblast 2 ($190) is on sale now. It’s a high-stack “super trainer” with a redesigned forked Pebax plate and more FF Turbo Squared foam, about 14 g lighter than the first version. The Reebok SpeedShifter ($220), out October 20, is Reebok’s first full-length carbon-plated shoe, built on new HyperFloat foam. Both are aimed at tempo runs and intervals, not easy miles.
October is when a Texas fall build gets serious: the heat finally lets up and workouts get faster. A plated trainer can make tempo runs feel easier on your legs, so you can save your race shoe for race day. We’ve already covered this fall’s easy-day shoes (Cloudsurfer 3 and Sky Prime, Gel-Slowcush and Pegasus Plus 2), the Endorphin Speed 6, and the Alphafly 4 and Adios Pro 5 racers. These two sit between the trainers and the racers.
Side by side
| ASICS Sonicblast 2 | Reebok SpeedShifter | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $190 | $220 |
| Release | Out now (ASICS: from Aug. 24) | Oct. 20, 2026 (reported) |
| Plate | Forked ASTROPLATE, Pebax | Full-length 1.2 mm carbon fiber |
| Midsole | FF BLAST MAX + FF TURBO SQUARED, Turbo Squared forefoot pod | HyperFloat foam, forefoot rocker |
| Outsole | ASICSGRIP rubber | Three-piece high-abrasion rubber |
| Upper | New engineered mesh | Breathable textile with 3D-printed forefoot |
| Weight (men’s 9) | About 14 g lighter than v1 (exact weight not published) | 7.4 oz (210 g) reported |
| Drop | Not published by ASICS | 8 mm reported |
| Made for | Tempo runs and daily training | Intervals, tempo runs and faster efforts |
“Reported” figures come from launch coverage, not the brands. Neither brand publishes stack heights on its product page.
ASICS Sonicblast 2: a lighter, bouncier super trainer
ASICS introduced the Sonicblast 2 on August 17 as part of its Rise and Shine collection and calls it an “energetic super trainer.” The main change is the plate. The new forked ASTROPLATE, made of Pebax, lets more of ASICS’s top foam, FF Turbo Squared, run through the midsole and into a forefoot “trampoline” pod. Under that is a layer of FF Blast Max. ASICS also put on a new engineered mesh upper that needs fewer overlays, and says the shoe is about 14 grams lighter than the original.
The product page lists high cushioning and a neutral fit, for tempo runs and daily training, at $190 for the men’s version.
Reebok SpeedShifter: Reebok goes carbon
The SpeedShifter is new, with no earlier version. Reebok’s spec sheet lists HyperFloat foam with a 1.2 mm carbon fiber plate and a forefoot “Flowzone” rocker, a high-abrasion three-piece rubber outsole, and a breathable textile upper with a 3D-printed forefoot. Reebok’s copy says the foam “feels crazy light and has high energy return” and that the carbon fiber “launches you forward.” Its shoe finder files it under “lightweight speed for intervals and tempo runs.”
Sneaker News reports an October 20 release, a 7.4 oz weight and an 8 mm drop, and describes the plate (Reebok calls it AccelerPlate) as sandwiched between two layers of HyperFloat. It comes in unisex sizing in two colorways, White/Black and Red/White/Blue.
Which one for a Texas fall build?
- You want one shoe for workouts and long runs: the Sonicblast 2. ASICS built it as a trainer, it’s $30 cheaper, and you can buy it today.
- You want something closer to a race shoe: the SpeedShifter, with a full-length carbon plate and a lower reported weight. It’s new and unproven, so wait for reviews after October 20 before you plan a goal race in it.
- Racing in the next six weeks? Don’t debut a new shoe on race day. Do at least a couple of workouts and a long run in it first. If your goal race is a half, like the Transmountain Half on November 8 or one on our Texas half marathon calendar, there’s still time.
- Get fitted. High-stack plated shoes fit and feel very different from brand to brand. A local Texas running store can put you in both.
