Image: Asics/Canva
The ASICS Metaspeed Ray Tokyo is a very fast, very light and very unforgiving shoe. While it’s a lot of fun to run in and will make any pace feel a breeze, it’s not s shoe for everyone (and I don’t just mean the price tag). It needs good running form and experience to really get the best out of it. We took it out for a spin – here’s how it went.
ASICS Metaspeed Ray Tokyo technical details
Price: £265
Sizes: 3- 12 (unisex sizing)
Weight: 129g
Drop: 5mm
Stack: 39.5 mm heel / 34.5 mm forefoot
Foam: FF LEAP
Special technology: Carbon plate
ASICS Metaspeed Ray Tokyo pros and cons
Pros
Incredibly lightweight
Super fast shoe
Soft, bouncy foam at higher paces
Cons
Less stable than other carbon racers
Durability might be limited
Who and what is this shoe for?
The ASICS Metaspeed Ray is the brand’s boldest attempt yet at creating the ultimate racing shoe. It’s the lightest shoe ASICS has ever made, it has plush new foam (the FF Leap midsole), and a stripped back upper. It is built for one thing: speed.
However, it’s not a shoe designed for the masses. It’s aimed at those looking to improve their race times from 5K to marathon, who want the lightest, most energetic shoe available.
Is it comfortable?
It’s surprisingly comfortable for such a stripped-down racer. The foam underfoot is soft and bouncy, though I found it less comfortable at slower paces. The upper is pretty minimal, so don’t expect any padding from that. But I had no issue with it rubbing or pinching.
How does it fit?
When I first took them out of the box I thought I’d been given the wrong size. Despite that huge sole, the shoe seemed a lot smaller than my feet – or at least the upper did. But once on my foot it was a perfect fit. This is despite the ‘unisex fit’ of the shoe.
If you’re buying it online, be aware that men’s and women’s shoes are sized slightly different so my women’s UK 6 is a men’s UK 5.5 and while it says both sizes on the box, it only has the men’s on the actual shoe.
ASICS Metaspeed Ray Tokyo run test
I’ve taken this shoe out for a couple of runs now and it’s a lot of fun to run it, but at the same time it’s a shoe you want to keep in the box. I definitely felt like I’d need to save this for race day and not go using up all its powers too quickly, because while it’s exceptionally fast, it doesn’t feel that durable.
I’ll start with the upper – it’s stripped back to make it incredibly light. I could even read the L and R of my socks through the mesh of the toe box. And as someone whose big toe regularly wears through the end of socks, I have concerns about my feet doing the same with this shoe.
Out on the run, it’s fast and bouncy. I headed out for an interval session and my first mile warming up felt good, but the shoe felt a little uncomfortable under my arch. However, as soon as I picked up the pace for my first interval, this disappeared. It firmed up a little as my pace increased and this is what it’s designed for.
Those 800m intervals were a lot faster than I was anticipating running them and I felt strong throughout.
The high stack and stripped back upper does feel like you’re sitting in top of the shoe rather than within it, and on bends, I felt a little unstable. But once you’re running fast in a straight line, the shoe is unstoppable.
Having run in a number of ASICS shoes, I’d say this is definitely their fastest yet. If you’re new to carbon plated race shoes, however, I’d give this a swerve as it’s unforgiving and you need to have good running form. Try the Metaspeed Sky instead.
Where can I buy it?
The ASICS Metaspeed Ray Tokyo is available from ASICS and selected retailers.
Looking to give yourself an edge on race day? Here’s our tips for running faster at every race distance.
AloJapan.com