One-minute review
The Metaspeed Edge+ joins the Metaspeed Sky Plus as the two new running shoes in Asics’ collection that are built for speed and racing.
Like the Sky+, the Edge+ promises improvements on its predecessor including adding more of its FF Blast Turbo cushioning, tweaking the upper to offer a more secure hold and Asics has repositioned the carbon plate to make it a better shoe to run fast in.
More foam means you get plenty of bounce in this shoe and that midsole creates a ride that feels pleasingly stable and particularly effective in shorter, sharper runs compared to our time in the Sky+.
The mesh upper keeps the overall weight of the shoe down and it feels like a shoe that fits true to size. Asics says it’s bolstered the heel of the outsole to improve durability and life of the Edge+ but it does still feel like one to keep for when you want to go your speediest.
Like the Sky+, the Edge+ is one of the most expensive racing shoes you can lace up, but if you’re looking for something to work for 5k all the way up to half marathon distance and potentially hold up in a marathon, this is one of the best shoes to grab.
The Asics Metaspeed Edge+ was launched in June 2022 and costs £225/$250/$330 from Asics (opens in new tab).
The Edge+ looks a lot like the Sky+ with that similar gorgeous green colorway, but there are some subtle and key differences between the two that Asics claims will better serve what it refers to as ‘cadence’ runners. Those are runners Asics says based on its studies and research, increase the number of steps they take per minute when they start to run faster.
First and foremost, this is a super light shoe and our UK size 8 weighed in at just 199g. That’s partly down to a very thin jacquard mesh upper that Asics says is made from at least 20% recycled polyester. Asics has called this upper Motion Wrap, and it’s designed to offer a more secure foothold and provide breathable surroundings for your feet.
We found it to be true to size in our testing though we did on occasion feel a little rubbing on our small toe on the left side of the shoe, which seemed to go away longer into our testing time. Overall this upper offers a good amount of space in the toe box along with a good hold at the midfoot and heel.
That overall weight is further reduced with a thin tongue that will sit securely on the top of the foot once you’ve tied the skinny laces that accompany it. These are different laces to the ones used on the last Metaspeed shoes, but still do make sure you get a strong locked-down fit.
There’s 16% more of Asics’ nylon-based FF Blast Turbo midsole foam compared to the Edge, with a curved sole design and a carbon plate that sits lower in the shoe compared to the one featured in the Sky+. If you buy into the cadence and stride runners concept, this design difference should help to stabilize and push the foot forward and better support that cadence-influenced running style.
Asics has stuck to the same 8mm heel-to-toe drop as the first Edge compared to the 5mm drop you get on the Sky+ and that’s 33mm at the heel and 25mm at the forefoot, so there will be some similarities in terms of how this shoe feels to run in.
The outsole uses the same AsicsGrip rubber that’s built to deliver a strong grip on both wet and dry roads and handle twisty courses and routes with ease. Unlike the Sky+, Asics appears to offer a little extra protection of that exposed foam at the heel, but it’s by no means a wholesale change.
The Edge+ is made for racing and that’s where you’ll reap the benefits of the type of shoe Asics has built here. We’ve raced in it at 10k distance and used it for quicker marathon training and interval track sessions and the overall feeling is that when you want to go fast that’s where this shoe excels. If you’re hoping this is a shoe you can amble around in, that’s simply not what it’s designed for.
In our 10k race test on a flat, quick course in albeit in toasty conditions, the Edge+ felt at home at that shorter race distance. We’ve raced the same distance in the Sky+ and like the Sky+, it’s a shoe that feels nice and stable to run in. There’s a nice snappiness in the forefoot and while you’re not fully compressing that midsole foam, you get a good bounce in that ride and legs feel like they are turning over in a fast fashion. It was a similar story in our track testing where the lungs may have been busting, but our legs felt great tackling those quick track laps.
When you turn to it for logging longer distances, the Edge+ feels like a shoe where you need to get a few good runs in to really get a good feel of that FF Blast Turbo midsole foam that does feel a touch firmer than it does in the Sky+. It is a shoe that can work when you need to up that mileage and maintain that speed over longer distances. You now have that added protection here as well with thanks to that increase in midsole foam. It also feels more accommodating when you need to reign that speed in compared to the Sky+, as the Sky+ can be a tough shoe to run in if you have to slow things down in a marathon.
The traction you get from the outsole is great and is well suited to sticking to long stretches of road and pavement. We used it predominantly in hot, dry conditions, and it was fine, but like the Sky+, it’s going to be fine in those wet racing conditions too. Asics has added a little more rubber at the heel of the shoe to combat wear and it certainly hasn’t worn in the same way that the Sky+ has done at the heel. There’s still a good amount of exposed foam there though, so it still feels like one you’re not going to want to use for every training session.
Whether you buy into the whole stride versus cadence runners thing, our experience suggests the Edge+ feels more at home on 5k to half marathon distances while the Sky+ feels like the marathon shoe of the two. It does feel like the Edge+ can handle that marathon distance, but that feeling underfoot tells us it’s one to reach for racing below that distance. It’s an expensive shoe, but if you want a serious racing shoe, this is one of the best right now.
