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ASICS Noosa Tri 16 Review: Fast, Light, Plateless Fun!
18K views
Jul 16, 2024
In the video, I share all Noosa Tri 16 00:00 details, 05:17 from the run impressions of fit and ride, 09:51 comparisons to the Novablast 4, Magic Speed 4, New Balance Rebel v4, and Hoka's Mach 6 and older Mach 4 and 19:41 Conclusions. The colorful Noosa Tri 16, a moderate stack height un plated uptempo trainer, gets a big midsole foam update to FF Blast Plus from firm older Flyte Foam. It comes in at a very light weight of 7.5 oz / 213g (US9) with a stack height of 34.5mm heel / 29.5 mm forefoot. It includes ASICS GuideSole rocker geometry and has snappy flex to help propel. It is very reasonably priced at $135. It will release July 1, 2024 Samples were provided at no charge for testing purposes with no additional compensation. The opinions herein are entirely the author's 100's of Run Shoes and Gear Multi Tester written reviews at www.roadtrailrun.com SHOP Running Warehouse at the links below for the widest selection of run shoes and gear anywhere and help support our channel! USA https://tinyurl.com/RWRTRUS EUROPE https://tinyurl.com/RWRTREU EU Only: Use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products AUSTRALIA: https://www.runningwarehouse.com.au/?from=rtr EUROPE SHOP Top4Running https://tinyurl.com/bh9t3hpm Use Code RTRTOP4 for 5% off All Products, Even Sales
View Video Transcript
0:00
We're going to take a look at the Noosa Tri 16
0:05
It's $135, available July 1st. It's a super fun looking and running shoe, plateless with a new Flight Foam Blast Plus
0:14
midsole foam. I've taken them out for several runs, so I'm going to give you my thoughts as well as some
0:20
detailed comparisons. Okay, everybody, let's dig into the details of the Noosa Tri 16, then I'm going to take
0:27
them out for my third run on the roads of Rye. I'm also on the run and after I'm going to compare them to some of the other competitors
0:38
but also some of the other shoes in the ASIC's current lineup, the Magic Speed 4 and Nova
0:45
Blast 4, as well as the New Balance Rebel V4 and two versions of the Mac from Hoka
0:54
So let's talk about this little guy here. So it is a unplated shoe, it's an up-tempo trainer and as you can tell from the name
1:05
it has sort of a Tri focus, Tri heritage. They're always super colorful and here, colorful and a little bit kind of more subtle motif
1:15
to the colors. They do have some Tri specific features, namely the pull tab here, both pull tabs, very nice
1:23
and a big hole here. I don't run Tri's but I like this shoe and it's a distinct improvement, I think, over
1:31
the 14, which was the last I ran. What is it, what's different
1:37
It gets a Flight Foam Blast Plus with at least 20% bio-based
1:43
As it's midsole, there is no plate here, but you do have ASIC's guide sole technology
1:49
which was so effective in shoes such as the EvoRide and the GlideRide
1:53
It really moves you forward. It is a 5mm drop shoe with a 34.5mm heel, 29.5mm forefoot, so 5mm drop
2:05
I don't think that's a change and neither is the Stackite, but the big difference here
2:08
is the new foam. It also gets ASIC's Grip Rubber and I like the little extra kind of lugs there
2:17
You can see the projections and the holes through, as it is a relatively flexible shoe
2:24
something I like in kind of an up-tempo trainer that isn't plated
2:30
The upper is a nice, thin, very thin actually, engineered mesh that's, as you can see, it's
2:40
not like a super soft kind of mesh. It has some substance to it, but it also has a bit of stretch, so the fit is really good
2:48
I'll comment on that, but it has an excellent fit, relatively wide toe box
2:54
There is a gusset tongue, a little hard to see, but we do have some pads on the side
3:00
of the lace-up. Laces are really neat. They're kind of a little bit sticky, maybe a bit long, but they really, really stay put
3:09
And a bit of a change, the heel collar, I think, is now lower, less elf-like
3:15
Maybe a bit more pressure back here for some people, but it didn't really bother me, but
3:20
that's definitely a change. So it's $135 and it's available July 1st, and I think as we look at different kinds
3:31
of shoes with more and more plated shoes, higher stacks, there is a definite place for
3:35
this kind of an all-arounder. And I would say that I could easily daily train in it, and maybe more so than some of
3:43
the other shoes we're going to talk about, especially the Rebel V4. Very soft, forces really, really need to be fastened on its forefoot, unlike here
3:52
This is an all-arounder. Now in terms of weight, we come in at 7.5 ounces, 213 grams for US 9
4:00
Very competitive for a non-supercritical foam shoe with a decent, that 34.5, 29.5 millimeter stack
4:11
It is a 5 millimeter drop. Sometimes with soft shoes, I find that the 5 millimeter drop isn't enough, and also sometimes
4:21
it depends on the geometry, but the Guide Sole really works well here to drive me forward
4:28
Any pace has been good. So this is really an all-around, light, light daily trainer to up-tempo shoe
4:36
You'll hear my commentary, but I also think it's a great option if you want, if you're
4:42
running a, say, a half or a 10K on a very hilly course because you've got the flex
4:48
Let me show you that. You've got some nice flex. You've got a really bouncy, not hyper bouncy, but really rebounding heel
4:59
I'm going to take them out now for the third run on the roads
5:03
It's a beautiful day here in Rye, and I'll give you the thoughts from the roads and then
5:07
some comparisons and conclusions, and here are our comparisons to come. Stay tuned
5:16
So we're at the end of the beach here at what's called the Beach Club, and let's talk about
5:30
the fit. So it's true to size. The mesh is sort of a mono-meshy, but with a bit of stretch, a bit of kind of snappy
5:43
stretch, a bit short, but I wouldn't size up compared to, say, the upcoming Magic Speed
5:52
4, which has sort of a stretchier, more knit-like upper. This has a wider toe box, but it isn't as stretchy
6:01
It's got a unpadded tongue with little padded wings. You can't quite see them there
6:10
It's got the hole for pulling on triathlon. I'm not doing any tris
6:14
The laces are a bit long, but they're a bit sticky. They go through the hole super well
6:19
Never had to adjust in the three or four runs so far. Midfoot with the gusset, very well held
6:26
Heel counter is a bit lower, I think, than the 14 and 15 were, noose a tri
6:31
Works just fine. Maybe a bit more pressure at the very top because we don't have the flare, but not bothering
6:40
me at all. So all in all, it's a performance-oriented upper, but a comfort-oriented one as well
6:49
especially up front with that somewhat wider toe box and a little bit of stretch
6:54
It's a really, really fine, fine upper. If you want to compare to, say, the Mach 6, the Mach 6 is lower volume, less stretch
7:03
Of course, it's available in a wide as well as the regular. So this is a bit roomier than the Mach 6
7:11
And it's, in terms of the Rebel V4, the Rebel V4 has more volume
7:18
It's a very thin material. I kind of prefer this for my foot, but if you have a slightly wider foot, the Rebel's
7:24
upper might do you a bit better. And we'll talk here in a bit about the ride, comparative ride from the run
7:30
Still going to keep going. Cruising along about sub-10 minute pace now, a little faster
7:38
So in terms of the ride, very direct, responsive. That means it's not a super bouncy ride, although the bounce off the heel is noticeable
7:50
It's not overly soft. It's very kind of smoothly directed, quick, quick feeling off the ground without being
8:02
exaggerated, stable, a lot of good front snappy flexibility. I actually took them the other day on a far hillier course, and I noticed they climb really
8:15
well and they're great on downhills. So if you have a 10K or even a half on a hilly course, I think they make a great choice
8:28
because sometimes clay to choose can kind of get in the way, especially on climbs and
8:34
then can be unstable on the downhills. Good for that. More comparison, Rebel V4, new balance, softer foam for sure
8:47
I showed you that or I'll show you that less stable, about the same stack height, although
8:54
it's several tenths of an ounce lighter. It's more strictly speed shoe, whereas this is a speed plus if you want a lighter daily
9:07
trainer and racer, I think a better choice, maybe not as exciting, but much more practical
9:15
for me. We also have a Geissel here that we found in some older shoes such as the EvoRide and
9:23
GlideRide, and it really directs the foot in the direction of travel
9:28
And now that instead of just regular flight foam, we have the Blast Plus, really energizes
9:34
the stride here. The landing is smooth, then you get a great transition and then a smooth, quick toe off
9:45
Very nicely done with Geissel. So let's start with a sort of a complimentary shoe in the A6 lineup, the Nova Blast 4
9:53
Well, the obvious difference here is in the stack height. As you can see, we have a 41.5 millimeter heel, 33.5 millimeter forefoot in the Nova
10:08
Blast, whereas we're at 34.5 and 29.5 in our Nusa Tri
10:19
So we have an eight millimeter drop shoe with much more stack height
10:24
It is basically the same foam. We have the same Flight Foam Blast Plus, it's just a higher stack shoe
10:32
So it'll tend to, I think some people might like it for somewhat longer runs
10:40
The upper is thicker than what we have here. It's comfortable, but I'm going to lean with the upper over here on the Nusa Tri
10:49
There's no need for really as much upper as we have here, although it is super comfortable
10:54
Now, in terms of weight, that extra stack height, same foam, does make it 9.1 ounces
11:02
compared to 7.5 ounces. So 258 grams versus about 213. So there is a weight difference, but of course you've got more cushion
11:13
In terms of the outsoles, you can see quite a difference there
11:18
You can actually, let me go back a bit, you can see the platform widths here
11:24
Let me turn it around. It might be a bit easier to see that way
11:28
You can see how much wider the platform is on the Nova Blast
11:35
The platform is 190 at the heel, 70 at midfoot, 115 forefoot, whereas over here we are quite
11:48
a bit less. We are at 80 millimeters at the heel, 67 midfoot, and 100 up front
11:59
So a narrower platform, a lighter shoe, more agile, a bit less cushioned
12:05
It really depends on what you need. So let's move on to the next comparison
12:09
We'll stick with Asics with the Magic Speed 4. Magic Speed 4, big change to this shoe
12:16
We just reviewed it on the channel and you can see the review
12:21
So the Magic Speed 3 was carbon plated and was sort of the other up-tempo kind of shoe
12:29
in the Asics lineup and was sort of another way to do it
12:36
Your up-tempo, light kind of trainer. Well, with the Magic Speed 4, we become a max cushioned shoe with a considerably higher
12:46
stack height. So we're at 43 and a half millimeters heel and we are at 35 and a half forefoot
12:56
So we have a considerably higher stack than our Nusa Tri. We have a full carbon plate as before in the Magic Speed, but a much higher stack
13:06
And we have a dual foam combination here. The Flight Foam Turbo, which is seen in Asics racing shoes, is a central core
13:15
And then we have basically the same Flight Foam Blast surrounding it as sort of a carrier
13:22
It does weigh just a little less than an ounce more than our Nusa Tri
13:28
Of course, it has that higher stack. I see this one as more your long steady run shoe, whereas before the Magic Speed was sort
13:36
of your faster kind of up-tempo shoe with the plate. And I think the Nusa Tri in the Asics lineup is now the one for your up-tempo kind of work
13:50
Okay, let's move on to the next one. We're going to talk about the Rebel
13:53
So the Rebel V4 from New Balance has almost exactly the same stack height
13:59
It is a bit lighter, a couple tenths of an ounce, a few grams lighter, five, six grams lighter
14:05
And it sits on a broader platform than our Nusa Tri. Nusa Tri
14:09
Let me try to get to show you that. You can see it's a broader platform
14:15
Its flex pattern is a little bit different. It's way up front versus our little bit longer flex pattern of the Nusa Tri
14:29
The Rebel has considerably softer foam, considerably softer foam. And it really requires you to be up on the front of the shoe way more than our Nusa Tri
14:41
at least for me. The heel is very, very soft. So while it's pleasant, it's not as stable or as sure-footed as our Nusa Tri
14:52
I think the Nusa Tri is a more versatile shoe at about the same weight
14:58
In terms of their uppers, they both have thin uppers. I think the Rebel's is a little broader, it'll accommodate wider feet a little bit better
15:10
It's more minimal, that's for sure. It's the Phantom fit. Not quite as comfortable, I guess you could say, but very, very similar
15:18
You can see the heel counters are about the same height, maybe even the New Balance is
15:23
a little bit lower. We have a bit more heel counter substance in the Asics
15:31
Both are great up-tempo shoes. Depends on what you need. The Rebel is a bit more exciting, maybe
15:40
Maybe not as practical. Its foam is a blend of Peeba and EVA, but it's mostly EVA
15:49
Very soft, very low-density. Whereas over here, you've got a little bit denser, certainly plenty of cushion, a bit
15:56
more kind of responsive, quicker-reacting. Whereas here, it's more a bouncier feel
16:03
Okay, let's move to the Hoka Mok. Okay, the comparison to the Hoka Mok
16:07
So I've got the 6 here and the 4 back here. I did not run the 5, but it was quite similar
16:14
Now the Mok got quite a bit more stack height in this version
16:19
So it's up to now to 37 at the heel and 32 at the forefoot
16:27
5mm drop, whereas we're over here, we're 34.5, 29.5, 5mm drop. So they're both 5mm drop
16:35
However, the biggest difference in terms of what comparing them is, you can see how much
16:45
broader the Mok is to our Anusa Tri. The width here is 70mm, 90mm at the heel of the Mok, 10mm more than the Anusa Tri
17:02
And the midfoot's about the same, but we are also 10mm wider on the Mok at the forefoot
17:10
So the Mok gets a supercritical foam, which it didn't have before
17:14
It's very energetic. It's a bit softer than our Anusa Tri. You can see it's quite soft, not super soft
17:24
But I would say it really changes the character of the shoe a bit
17:30
And if you could kind of say how it compares to the 4 back there, our Anusa Tri sits right
17:37
in between in terms of kind of firmness and utility. The 4 and the 5 had that midsole, that outsole that was rubberized foam
17:49
They were quite firm. I felt quite firm, a bit too firm, whereas here we're quite a bit softer, but not quite
17:56
as responsive as our Anusa Tri. If you're looking for the up-tempo kind of action, the Anusa Tri fits the bill a little
18:09
bit better than the Mok now, whereas the Mok leans more towards daily training, whereas
18:14
before they were more an up-tempo shoe. So they're both great options
18:19
In terms of the uppers, well, the Mok is the lowest volume upper, although I think there's
18:27
a wide of the choices here. It's a similar kind of material, but there's less stretch
18:35
It's a bit stiffer than the softness here, you can see. So it's a relatively low volume upper in comparison to the Anusa Tri
18:45
Tough match up there. I personally would go, I think I would go with the Anusa Tri, at least for my preferences
18:55
I like the quicker response, if you will, of a slightly firmer foam, whereas over here
19:03
it's more a daily trainer, maybe a bit more all-arounder, and certainly more all-arounder
19:08
than the Mok used to be. And we have a full rubber outsole, which before they did not
19:15
So very close comparison between these two in terms of weight. The Mok, with its wider platform, is a little bit heavier
19:25
It's two-tenths of an ounce, or about two-tenths of an ounce heavier, but it is lighter than
19:33
the Mok 5, that's a 4, which was almost eight-tenths of an ounce heavier than our Anusa Tri
19:42
So, great options. Okay, let's do some conclusions here. I really like this shoe
19:51
It kind of fits the bill of a snappy, up-tempo trainer with plenty of cushioning
19:56
In terms of pros, I had the GuideSole Tech as being really effective here with the rocker
20:03
and the flex. There's no need for a plate here. The cushioning, FlightFoam Blast, is not super critical, but it is lively and responsive
20:13
Lightweight, 7.5 ounces, 215 grams for a relatively near-maximal stack height of 34 1⁄2", 29 1⁄2"
20:26
So it's a true racer trainer. Its performance-ready upper is comfortable, really comfortable
20:32
One of the best kind of performance-oriented uppers of the year for me
20:38
Well, the cons, there's only one. I wish it had full FlightFoam Turbo instead of Blast Plus, but then it wouldn't be a $135
20:48
shoe and a great value. So we're going to have a multi-tester review real soon on Road Trail Run
20:55
The Noosa Tri 16 is available July 1st, $135. Great value and a fun shoe to run as an up-tempo kind of shoe, daily trainer
21:08
And there's something still to be said for the plateless shoe in today's max stack world
21:16
Have a great run