ASICS Metaspeed Sky Review: A 129g Marathon Racer and the Shoes It Beats

Introduction

Weight is the next frontier in the super shoe race, and the ASICS Metaspeed Sky is ASICS pushing that boundary hard. At a stated 4.5 oz (129 g), it is one of the lightest racing shoes we have tested, and it does so while keeping a full 39.5 mm heel stack and a genuinely lively midsole. At $300, it is priced like a concept car, but it may also be exactly the shoe some runners have been waiting for. In this review, we break down what it offers on the road and how it stacks up against the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1, the Adios Pro Evo 2, and the Puma Fast-R 3.

What the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Is Built With

On paper, the Metaspeed Sky is a 39.5 mm stack height shoe with a 5 mm drop, leaving about 34.5 mm of stack in the forefoot. The midsole is a single main ingredient: ASICS’ new FF Blast formulation of ATPU, an extra tall version that compresses quickly and rebounds just as quickly. Instead of a full-length carbon plate, there is a teardrop-shaped plate toward the forefoot that works like a stabilizer, keeping the very soft foam from feeling squirrely.

The outsole uses a pattern with plenty of exposed foam underneath, covered in tacky ASICS Grip rubber with holes cut into it that act as bite points for extra traction. The upper is a Matryx material: semi-transparent, extremely thin, very light, and surprisingly strong. The tongue is almost like a piece of wet paper, with a microsuede-like texture but barely any weight, and material is placed only where it is needed around the back of the shoe. The result is a very floppy upper that, despite its low volume look, turned out to be one of the more accommodating racing uppers ASICS has made. Sizing runs true to a usual running shoe size.

ASICS Metaspeed Sky: Ultra-Light, Surprisingly Lively

The Metaspeed Sky is an aggressive racer, but it is not harsh. The compression of the FF Blast ATPU is much faster and more significant than in other ASICS racing foams: the shoe collapses underneath you like a crumple zone, then decompresses quickly in a way that brings the foam back to life without ever feeling mushy. Combined with the paper-thin Matryx upper, it genuinely feels like your foot is cutting through the air.

We tested it across a wide range of paces: 800 meter repeats at VO2 max effort, mile repeats, marathon effort miles, and strides. Across all of it, the foam responded well. A lot of racing shoes are great at mile repeat pace but fall apart when you speed up or slow down; this one stayed fun and stable at every speed we threw at it. Runners who like squishy, slightly unstable shoes will feel at home, and the shoe supports everything from a road 5K to the full marathon. One small quirk: the thin upper can be tricky to put on and occasionally causes a bit of tongue scrunching under the laces.

Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 vs Evo 2: Two Different Ideas

Adidas still sells the Adios Pro Evo 1 and the Adios Pro Evo 2 side by side, and the difference between them is substantial. One feels like a super Takumi Sen; the other feels like a super Adios Pro. The Evo 1 has a foam that compresses quite a bit, similar to the ATPU in the Metaspeed Sky, but there is not quite enough of it. It can feel like you are bottoming the shoe out, and it feels aggressive and harsh.

The Evo 2 fixed the bottoming-out problem but overcorrected into a foam that is a touch too firm, losing some of the right mix in the process. The Metaspeed Sky slips in between the two: it keeps the aggressiveness of the Evo 1 with a foam that is more livable than the Evo 2’s. Even though both Evo models come in at $500, for most runners the Metaspeed Sky is the easier recommendation at $300.

If you specifically want something with less of a crumple-zone feel in the forefoot, the Evo 2 is the one to pick. Its firmer, more controlled foam is exactly what some runners will prefer, even at the higher price.

Puma Fast-R 3: Carbon-Forward and Denser Underfoot

The Puma Fast-R 3 sits nominally in the same class: an extremely lightweight ATPU racer with a paper-thin upper and the same stated price bracket as the Metaspeed Sky. Underfoot, though, it is a different experience. It is the heaviest shoe of this group, its ATPU is a denser formulation, and it uses a full-length carbon fiber plate in a disarticulated forefoot and rear construction.

With the Fast-R 3, the predominant sensation is the carbon plate working with a responsive foam underneath it. You do not compress the foam as much as in the Metaspeed Sky. It is an excellent shoe and firmly in contention at the top of the best marathon racer lists, but so far the edge goes to the Metaspeed Sky for the sheer excitement of that foam.

Buying Advice: Which Racer Fits Your Preferences

The Metaspeed Sky straddles the line between concept car and production model. At $300, it is probably not the first marathon shoe we would recommend to most people. But if you know what you like, and what the Metaspeed Sky offers lines up with those preferences, the price starts to feel like a bargain. Runners drawn to very soft, fast-compressing foam with quick rebound, and who want the lightest possible package, are the ideal audience.

If you want a firmer, more stable ride, the Adios Pro Evo 2 is the better fit despite costing more. If you want maximum carbon plate sensation in a durable-feeling package, look at the Puma Fast-R 3. And if you love aggressive, hyper-responsive foam but found the Evo 1 too harsh and underfilled, the Metaspeed Sky lands right where you want it.

Conclusion

The ASICS Metaspeed Sky is one of the most exciting racing shoes available right now: 129 g of weight, a wonderfully lively ATPU midsole, and enough stability to handle paces from 5K effort to marathon effort. Against the Adios Pro Evo 1 and Evo 2 and the Puma Fast-R 3, it currently holds the advantage for runners who want softness, lightness, and speed in one package. Know your preferences, and this shoe rewards them.