Asics Metaspeed Sky+ Performance Review

Asics entered the super shoe race (ahem) last year with the well-received Metaspeed Sky and Metaspeed Edge. The Asics Metaspeed Sky+ takes the learnings from Asics’ first year making high-stack marathon racing shoes and pushes the envelope. The “+” usually denotes only small tweaks but the Metaspeed Sky+ could be named the Metaspeed Sky 2. It includes several changes that improve the overall package and place the Metaspeed Sky+ at the top of the marathon racing shoe pyramid. The Asics Meta speed Sky+ made one of our top running shoe picks overall. It also made the following lists: Best for High Arches, Best for Marathons, Best for Long Distances, and Best Asics Running Shoes.

Pros

Toe Spring

The forefoot of the Asics Metaspeed Sky+ looks bulbous. There’s a ton of FF Blast Turbo foam underneath the forefoot. And that foam, when paired with a sharply curved carbon fiber plate that sits fairly close to the foot, does a heckuva job. Every footstep I took compressed that big hunk of foam so it could rocket back into position and provide me incredible bounce. Only the Nike Alphafly Next% ever gave me this much bounce. It’s just in a different league from most shoes.

As weird as it is to say this, some people (I’m thinking runners who bounce up and down while they run) might think the Metaspeed Sky+ has too much bounce. But I think the majority of people training and running marathons will really enjoy the impressive toe spring.

Oh, and the midsole also provides great impact protection. The day after a hard workout your legs will feel much better than they would after workouts in most shoes. This is an upper echelon midsole and a huge selling point.

Traction

I’ve had mixed results with traction on the various Asics runnings shoes I’ve tried throughout the years. But the AsicsGrip outsole on the Metaspeed Sky+ never slips. I ran speed workouts on a wet, mildewy boardwalk and it held firm. My go to shoe for wet weather races used to be the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite but now the Asics Metaspeed Sky+ has taken the top spot. I trust it completely no matter the conditions.

Stability

The midsole on the Asics Metaspeed Sky+ also feels more stable than the first generation. The Asics team changed the geometry and width of the midsole ever so slightly but the result is a shoe that hugs the corners and never feels wobbly.

A lot of modern-day marathon racing shoes really struggle in the stability department but the Metaspeed Sky+ feels like the midsole is built with a giant forefoot outrigger (really just the shape of the midsole acting as an outrigger). The outrigger provides support and structure as the foot sinks into lateral foam when planting hard into the ground. It’s a great shoe for race courses with lots of curves or those annoying 180-degree turns that some courses have.

Airflow

The Motion Wrap Upper is somewhat see through and that’s a good thing. When you’re racing, your body temperature climbs. The Asics Metaspeed Sky+ takes care of the air conditioning. Well, at least for your feet. The textile upper just gulps the air to keep your feet as cool as possible. There’s even some cutouts towards the bottom of the heel cup to let even more air escape. It’s a great setup for racing and summer running.

Cons

Motion Wrap Upper

While the Motion Wrap Upper on the Asics Metaspeed Sky+ excels in breathability, it’s got a little too much volume in the forefoot. This is a super small quibble but I know some people really dislike extra space above their toes when racing. The forefoot doesn’t feel as sleek and form-fitting as it should.

The Metaspeed Sky+ fits true to size and the forefoot is widefoot friendly, but its still a bit poofy even for wide footers. The upper feels like its barely there but the lack of structure affects the forefoot ever so slightly. I don’t view it as a huge deal because the shoe is so good everywhere else, but it’s worth mentioning.

Speaking of mentioning small things, the tongue is a super light synthetic suede that does the job but I wish it would have been slightly more padded. And the barbed lacing looks like it would hold tight no matter what but when it gets soaked (as often happens on summertime long runs), it immediately comes untied. So, just in case, double knot when going long or racing.

Asics Metaspeed Sky+ Summary

The Asics Metaspeed Sky+ is an impressive marathon racing shoe. It’s light, peppy, grippy, stable, breathable, and super bouncy. I’d put it alongside the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3, Nike Alphafly Next%, and Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite as my current personal favorite marathon, long run, and speed workout shoes. Other brands have new race day shoes coming out soon but I have a hard time imagining them surpassing what Asics did with the Metaspeed Sky+.