Asics Novablast 5 Causes Ligament Injury, MRI Confirms Damage
In April 2025, during the Novablast 5 promotional event held at the Asics store in Küçükyalı Hilltown Mall, a running and gait analysis was conducted. My running video was recorded on a tablet inside the store, and my foot strike was analyzed using a program on the same device. Despite my overpronation issue, I was told that the Novablast 5 model was absolutely suitable for me, and this specific model was strongly recommended. Trusting the guidance of the Asics specialist, I purchased the Novablast 5 in size 41.5 for $220.
About two months after I started wearing the shoes, I began experiencing severe pain in both ankles and eventually became unable to run. I went to the hospital, and MRI results dated June 11, 2025, revealed serious findings in both ankles, including ligament strain, edema, contusion, and tenosynovitis. I still have these medical reports.
Later, two different sports medicine doctors told me that my problems were most likely caused by the shoes I was wearing, that this model was not suitable for my foot structure and overpronation issue, and that I should immediately switch shoes. Based on my MRI results and these medical opinions, I visited the Asics Viaport store. The staff member there clearly stated that the Novablast 5 is not suitable for runners with overpronation and that I definitely needed to change the shoes.
I then returned to the Küçükyalı Hilltown Asics store where I originally purchased them and explained the entire situation in detail. The store staff agreed that the Gel-Kayano model would be more appropriate for me and acknowledged that the Novablast 5 was the wrong recommendation for my foot type. When I reminded them that the Asics specialist had strongly and definitively recommended the Novablast 5 during the April analysis event, I was told that the specialist no longer worked for Asics, and they offered to send the shoes in for inspection.
Despite sending the shoes for inspection twice and calling customer service once, my exchange request was denied each time with the response, “There is no manufacturing defect.” However, the issue is not a manufacturing defect; it is that I was misdirected during an in-store analysis and sold the wrong shoe based on expert guidance. I am currently able to run completely pain-free in another brand specifically designed to accommodate overpronation. To confirm the issue, I briefly tried running again in the Novablast 5, and I experienced ankle pain for three days afterward, clearly showing that the problem is caused by the shoe.
Because I trusted the in-store analysis and the Asics specialist’s recommendation, I purchased the wrong shoe, suffered significant health issues documented by MRI reports, and experienced ongoing pain. Despite contradictory information even within different Asics stores, no resolution has been offered to me. For all these reasons, I am requesting that Asics replace the size 41.5 Novablast 5 sold to me as a result of the Hilltown store’s analysis and specialist recommendation with a model that is appropriate for my foot structure and needs.
