Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris review

Asics has continued to innovate with the new Metaspeed Sky Paris – a shoe that as been raced to victory by elite athletes, but does it deliver the speed it promises? We put the shoe to the test…

Higher, lighter and cheaper… the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris have plenty for Asics’ marketing department to get their teeth into. We’ve rounded up the best Asics running shoes on the market for an overview.

On the track, they’ve also already been worn to victory on debut at the 2024 Paris Marathon in April by both the male and female winners, Ethiopia’s Mulugeta Uma and Mestawut Fikir, respectively. Belgium’s Bashir Abdi would latterly wear them to silver at the Paris Olympics in the men’s marathon this August.

First impressions of the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris

The Metaspeed Sky Paris are the sequel to the Metaspeed Sky+, but with a 20g weight reduction (our size UK7 weigh in a lithe 175g per shoe) thanks to the new Turbo FlyteFoam+ midsole.

That makes them one of the lightest super shoes around, undercutting our Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 3 by 8g and the Hoka Rocket X 2 by a noticeable 60g. Take a look at our best running shoes in 2024 round-up for more inspiration.

Stack and midsole

The stack height is 0.5mm higher than the Metaspeed Sky+, measuring 39.5mm in the heel and 34.5mm in the forefoot to sneak under World Athletic’s 40mm limit.

The heel-to-toe drop is just 5mm, which is low compared to the supershoe competition which regularly sits around a 8mm drop, and should appeal to the mid/forefoot strikers out there.

Much of that weight reduction is thanks to the Turbo FlyteFoam+ midsole, which feels bouncier than the previous incarnation. The Sky Paris comes with a slightly wider carbon plate located in the midsole, creating a shoe that feels lively but secure.

For a stacked carbon super shoe, they offer a decent amount of nimbleness – ideal for navigating the cones on twisty urban tri courses – compared to much of the straight-line racers such as the Hoka Cielo X1. They offer the right level of bounce yet feel for the asphalt underneath,

You’ll probably want to swap the serrated edge laces for an elastic pair right away if you’re racing tri, but the existing laces are secure and long enough. Tri-specific features are sadly absent, with a lack of both a heel and tongue loop for T2 speed.

The tongue does need a bit of careful aligning but it’s easier to sit flush on the foot than the likes of the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 3 and Hoka Rocket X 2, for example.

Fit and performance

Despite its slenderness, it still offers plenty of lengthy run comfort and neatly wraps around the dorsum. I have wide feet and found the toebox had plenty of space, but thinner-footed triathletes might need to try them out before they splash the cash.

The slightly coarse upper means I’d personally stick to socks in these, but there’s plenty of post-bike ventilation. They’re not for filthy days or anything featuring anything close to off-road sections, especially with plenty of exposed foam on the outsole.

The traction from the reinforced areas of the outsole was fine on the wet cobbles of Bristol, however, but I still have durability concerns over the exposed areas of outsole, which are already showing some signs of wear (in a similar vein to my existing Edge+ shoes).

Final thoughts – is the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris worth buying?

The Metaspeed Sky Paris retails at a mighty £220, which, depressingly, is fairly average by super shoe standards. I’d still reserve these for racing and not training runs due to that pricetag and outsole, although I did enjoy wearing these for lower tempo efforts, more so than most carbon-soled racers.

There are two striking Metaspeed Sky Paris colourways, the excitingly titled Safety Yellow and the Sunrise Red tested here, which feels closer to an orange than the name suggests.

Happily, at least 50% of the shoe’s main upper material is made with recycled content to reduce waste and carbon emissions.

Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris spec

Price:	$249 / £220
Sizes:	2.5-12 unisex, UK
Stack height:	39.5mm, heel, 34.5mm forefoot
Drop:	5mm
Midsole:	Turbo FlyteFoam+ midsole and carbon plate
Weight:	175g (7 men’s, UK)