The running shoe industry is constantly evolving, and the Japanese brand ASICS continues to lead the charge. On Friday in Tokyo, the Canadian Running editorial team attended the global launch of ASICS’s latest innovation—the Metaspeed Ray, the lightest and most performance-driven shoe in the brand’s racing lineup.
ASICS’s design philosophy starts with the athlete. The Metaspeed Ray was born out of direct feedback from ASICS-sponsored runners who wanted a super-lightweight racing shoe that would help them feel faster and more confident on race day—and ultimately help them achieve personal bests on the world’s biggest stages.
The specs:
Category: RacingWeight: 129 g Stack: 39.5 mm/34.5 mm Drop: 5 mm Lifespan: 300 km Release: early August 2025Price: US$300
The upper
The most noticeable feature when you first pick up the Metaspeed Ray is its featherweight feel. Its upper is built of Matryx, a thin, track spike-inspired knit made of polyamide and Kevlar yarns. The seamless design is breathable, highly durable and engineered to keep feet dry and cool—even in high-pressure race environments.
The midsole
While the Metaspeed Ray shares a first name with the Metaspeed Sky and Edge series, it diverges significantly in structure. The midsole is 15 per cent lighter than the FF Turbo+ foam used in the Sky and Edge models. Instead of a full-length carbon plate, the Ray features a shortened plate from midfoot to forefoot, designed to optimize energy return for forefoot and midfoot strikers. (Heel strikers may not experience the same level of bounce and stability found in models like the Metaspeed Edge.)
Outsole
Built with speed in mind, the outsole uses a strategically placed, thinner rubber to reduce weight while maintaining durability. ASICS has tested the Metaspeed Ray’s durability to around 300 km, though some athletes using prototype versions have reportedly logged more than 700 km in them.
If you want to get your hands on a pair of the Metaspeed Rays for your fall marathon, you’ll have to wait patiently—the shoe is set to launch on Asics.com and at North American retailers in early August.
