The Metaspeeds go to Paris: Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris & Sky Paris Performance Review

The Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris and Metaspeed Sky Paris are on the verge of release and I was able to test both shoes. Do I love the naming? Nope. I’ve heard plenty of confusion about it. As a shoe reviewer it’s hard to reference which version Asics has reached (it’s the Metaspeed 3 for those counting at home). 

But the shoes themselves are already all stars so I can look past any naming shenanigans. They’ve already seen success. Clayton Young wore the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris (painted to resemble the Sky+) as he secured an Olympic berth at the US Olympic Marathon Trials in early February 2024. The shoe was also on the feet of several women finishing in the top 10. It’s clearly working for the pros. 

What Changed?

A lot! The biggest change being the midsole. The new FF Turbo+ is Peba-based thus giving Asics’ top tier foam the squish it was missing. FF Turbo was very good, but didn’t deliver the squish and rebound of a Peba-based foam. This addition puts the Metaspeeds on equal footing with the competition as step in comfort is better and right off the bat you feel it’s super shoe nature with basically no break in required.

Both also get more foam. The Metaspeed Sky Paris gets 0.5mm extra in the forefoot and heel while the Metaspeed Edge Paris gets 3.5mm extra in the forefoot and 0.5mm more in the heel. This leaves the Metaspeed Sky Paris at the same 5mm drop while taking the Metaspeed Edge Paris from its previous 8mm drop to a 5mm drop to match. But don’t make a decision on the shoe based on the drop. It’s best to get one or both of them on feet before passing judgement. Asics has done some great work with the midsole geometry and foam.

Despite squishier foam underfoot, Asics maintained the stability that attracted people to the Metaspeeds in the first place. I got the benefit of the extra squish but still felt confident taking hard corners fast. My recent half marathon included two 90 degree turns (yuck) but I was able to dig in and maintain speed around those corners while runners wearing other super shoes (cough…Alphafly…cough) had to slow down and tread carefully.

The upper changes to Motion Wrap 2.0, and while it’s not as big a change as the midsole, it’s a good change. The upper is less bulbous in the forefoot, extremely breathable (my toes were freezing in the 28 degree temps at the beginning of my half marathon), lighter, and still accommodating.

The Metaspeeds weigh in way lighter than expected. The new foam, upper, and slight outsole rubber changes make them as light as Nike’s Vaporfly 3. 6.5 ounces and under is rare territory, even among super shoes.

I felt the weight difference when I raced in the Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris. Late in my (hilly) half marathon it was easy to keep my feet moving without them feeling heavy. That’s rare as my 6’6” 200 pound frame combined with aggressive race day shoes can often leave my feet tired and heavy from the pounding. Only my overworked hamstrings were the limiting factor late in the race and I still managed to pick it up for the last mile (which was thankfully and gloriously a downhill pitch the whole way).

Pros

• FF Turbo+ is Asics best midsole foam ever
• Accommodating upper
• Breathability
• Stability
• Weight

Cons

• Choosing which Metaspeed works best
• Synthetic suede tongue needs some padding

Which Asics Metaspeed is Right for Me?

This is where the Asics Metaspeed line feels overly complicated and difficult to decipher. The Metaspeed Sky Paris is meant for Stride runners. Here’s what Asics means by that:

“We call those with the most popular running style Stride runners – they have a long-loping gait with large periods spent airborne who increase their speed by extending their stride length.”

The Metaspeed Edge Paris is mean for Cadence runners. Here’s how Asics defines them:

“The other we call Cadence, which features smaller steps made while hovering over the ground with minimal up and down motion. Crucially, these runners increase their speed by both extending their stride length and increasing the number of steps they take per minute.”

I’m firmly in Asics’ cadence bucket because I do the hover thing and my cadence increases as I speed up. But even realizing that, last year I preferred the Asics Metaspeed Sky+ over the Edge+.

This year, however, it was immediately evident after my first runs that the Metaspeed Edge Paris was better for me. I felt bouncier, more stable, and the toe off felt more natural.

The problem is, I’m not sure most people know if they’re a Stride or Cadence runner. I’m also not sure it’s as clear cut as Asics wants to believe in terms of which shoe is best for you. Strides and feet are unique and I could see plenty of cadence type runners jiving better with the Metaspeed Sky Paris and vice versa for stride runners vibing with the Metaspeed Edge Paris.

Asics Great Britain provides this handy guide for choosing but I think it helps even less than the descriptions I placed above. They’re very similar shoes and both perform admirably, but choosing which is the better one for you is a murky decision at best.

Are the Asics Metaspeeds wide foot friendly?

Both the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris and Metaspeed Edge Paris fit true to size and feature a wide footer friendly last. Many wide footers were happy with the fit of past Metaspeeds and that will be the case here as well even though the upper is dialed in a bit more.

Are the Asics Metaspeeds worth $250?

Yes, yes they are. With many shoe companies raising their marathon racing shoes from $250 to $260, kudos to Asics for keeping the $250 price point and making these a no brainer over the majority of super shoes on the market.

The combo of new foam, fit, and weight make both the Metaspeed Edge Paris and Metaspeed Sky Paris two of the best road racing options and absolutely worthy of your hard earned cash.

Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris and Sky Paris Summary

The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris and Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris are Asics’ best road racing shoes to date offering a fantastic combination of great fit, comfort, breathability, stability, improved midsole foam, and an impressively low weight.

Which one of the two shoes you’ll prefer isn’t clear, but if you can figure that out, you’ll end up with a high performing shoe that’s trustworthy for marathons and other road races. Both the Metaspeed Edge Paris and Metaspeed Sky Paris will be on our best marathon racing shoes list. I anticipate they’ll have staying power both on our list and in runner’s closets.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Disclosure

While Asics did send pairs of the Metaspeed Edge Paris and Metaspeed Sky Paris to facilitate this review, they had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and have not attempted to influence it.