Asics Superblast 3 vs On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper:
Which to Choose

On paper these two look almost like twins — both max cushioning (6/6), both neutral, both plateless, both high responsiveness (5/6), both naming the half marathon among their sweet spots — but the ride diverges once you look at weight, geometry, and intended pace. The Superblast 3 is the lighter and taller shoe: 235g in a men's US 9 on a 46mm/38mm stack, versus the Cloudmonster's 264g on a 43mm/34mm stack. That roughly 29g gap, combined with the taller, A-TPU-topped platform, is why the Superblast feels livelier the harder you press and happily holds tempo, while the Cloudmonster's PEBA-based Helion HF foam reads slightly firmer and more planted — protective and smooth when you're cruising, but noticeably less eager to surge. Drops are close, 8mm on the Superblast and a measured 9mm on the Cloudmonster (On markets it as 6mm), so heel-to-toe feel is broadly similar. The clearest split is pace intent: the Superblast rates 5/6 and is happiest in the 3:50–4:45 min/km window, whereas the Cloudmonster rates 3/6 and settles into a 5:00–6:00 min/km easy-day rhythm, fading if you push much past 4:45. Stability leans marginally to the Cloudmonster (4/6 vs 3/6) — the Superblast's taller 46mm platform can feel slightly tippy at very slow paces until you find a rhythm, though both stay stable for their height on broad bases with no sidewall reinforcement. One practical trade-off: the Superblast's exposed foam sidewalls ask for a bit more long-term durability care, while the Cloudmonster's upper and CloudTec base are built more for the grind of high-mileage weeks.