Asics Metaspeed Sky Deals
Two minute exam
The Metaspeed Sky sees Asics put the gauntlet on Nike and Adidas and prove that they can make a running shoe designed to go fast and help maintain that speed throughout your run.
Announced alongside the Metaspeed Edge and Ride shoes,
the Sky was shaped by Asics research suggesting that when some runners run fast, increase the length of your stride. The Sky is the shoe for this particular type of runner and helps extend that stride and get you to the finish line faster.
Asics Metaspeed Sky (Image credit: Michael Sawh)
See the debut of Asics new FF Blast Turbo foam midsole, combined with a full-length carbon plate to create a soft and durable cushioned ride, while still giving the feeling of being propelled forward. Asics also keeps things lightweight thanks to a fine mesh upper, minimal padding at the heel collar, and a thin tongue to match that lightweight foam in the midsole. It's also roomy, making it a good fit for a roomier fit, although we weren't a big fan of the braided-style lacing and would have opted for an upper that offered a tighter fit.
It's a better-feeling shoe for high-speed running, where you can really reap the benefits of cushioning. and the responsive forward spring you get from the carbon plate and curved sole design. It doesn't feel so good when it slows down and pretty much writes it off as a way to go easy miles.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh)
The rubber sole won't let you down and feels great on wet and dry roads and flat sidewalks.. Although the visibly exposed foam near the heel means you won't want to do all your workouts.
The Metaspeed Sky certainly isn't cheap and is more expensive than the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 and the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro. If you're looking for a shoe that's light to wear, roomy and comfortable to wear quickly, you'll have plenty of time for the Metaspeed Sky.
Price and release date
The Asics Metaspeed Sky was released in March 2021 and costs $250 / €225 / AU330.
Integrated
The Metaspeed Sky only comes in the one colorway and sees Asics continue the red sunrise theme it introduced on the Metaracer., which certainly makes this shoe stand out for all the right reasons. The first thing you'll notice when you take them out of the box is that they really don't weigh that much. The men's shoe weighs 210g and the women's 180g, putting it around the Vaporfly Next% 2 in terms of weight.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh)
It's a clear sign that this shoe is designed for running, as Asics has sought to reduce weight where possible.From braided-style laces and a short tongue to minimal padding in the heel. The technical mesh upper is made from 100% recycled polyester, giving it a rather chunky feel to the touch, but keeping things breathable and cool and offering some protection when the rain pours in. For these key shoe specs, there's a 5mm heel-to-toe drop, a 33mm stack height in the heel, and 28mm in the forefoot. It's not as stacked as the Vaporfly 2 or Adizero, giving it a slightly more "lower to the ground" feel than those rival shoes.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh)
The big talking point here is the new FF Blast Turbo midsole.. The cushioning technology is made from a nylon-based foam that's designed to be lightweight, compressing when your foot strikes, then quickly transforming into a responsive running shoe. To this is added
a full length carbon fiber plate, which differs from the one placed in the midsole only on the Metaracer. Combined with the overall curved look of the Sky,
it's designed to provide a more controlled and stable feel as it seeks to propel you forward.
Underfoot is an AsicsGrip rubber outsole, which distributes this rubber a little more densely in the forefoot to effectively add that rubber to the most effective places and reduce the overall weight of the shoe.
We have organized a variety of different sessions at the Metaspeed Sky. Sprint 5Ks, interval track sessions, tempo runs we spent a 10K on them and also put them through the long training run test.
Our general feeling about them is that they feel better when you want to run as fast as possible.
It's almost as if as soon as you pick up the pace, everything seems to work.
The foam in the midsole does exactly what Asics promises to do. It's soft, but not too soft, and it changes your shape so you can run steadily, quickly and effortlessly. This full-length carbon plate gives you a nice push forward, but you still feel in control.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh) It felt best on longer runs closer to our marathon pace, where you can almost feel like you're running at that faster pace, and it just doesn't hurt your legs like we did. We expected it.
It worked for those interval track sessions too, and we had a decent 40-minute, 10km run there.
However,
when you slow down, it's almost like unplugging everything that makes this shoe special for running and
it can start to feel a bit uncomfortable as soon as you do. this is not a shoe
designed for easy miles.
The cane interests us. It's not the best blade we've tried on a shoe, but it's not uncomfortable either. We would prefer a tongue more and the laces are not of great quality either. What you can't go wrong with is that it's especially roomy in the front and toe box, so if you have wide feet you're in luck here. For our narrow feet, we would have preferred something a bit more snug, but this roominess makes it a good choice for long-distance runs and marathons.
(Image credit: Michael Sawh) As with Metaracer,
Asics does not disappoint in the sole department. Most of the time we beat on dry roads and pavements and also had to deal with wet tracks and the shoe held up well in these two race conditions. We did mention that the rubber is not evenly distributed on this sole, leaving some of the foam exposed closer to the heel area. This is an immediate problem from a durability standpoint and there are already signs of wear. This is the one you want to save for races and when you want to run as fast as possible. However, in general,
this is a shoe that allows a fast runAlthough we don't like the top at all, it can't be faulted from a comfort standpoint. Asics promised us a great shoe and it certainly comes with the Metaspeed Sky.
Buy it if
You want something to run fast
The Metaspeed Sky is designed for speed and if you like the idea of something that can help you do it with a light and spacious design, this is for you.
You want a spacious rod
Engineered mesh upper provides ample room for taller, wider feet and the kind of room to fit in well when you need to increase mileage.
Even if you don't buy it
You want one shoe to do it all
It is not a shoe to wear as a daily trainer or for running without pressure. It is a solution to save when you want to be as fast as possible.
You like a narrower rod
While most will appreciate the roomy mesh upper, some may prefer something that sits closer to your feet or go for a smaller size.