Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo review: here’s why “these are one of the best supershoes on the market”

Opening the box containing the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo running shoes, I got sensory overload… and then sensory underload. The bright Flash Red/Black colour scheme was striking and positive, and I liked it a lot.

The Metaspeed Sky Tokyo also come in an even brighter Green Gecko/Black model, which means, to paraphrase Henry Ford, you can have any colour you like, so long as it’s fluoro.

And then, out of the box, the most striking aspect of the shoe is the weight, or lack of it. At an official weight of 129g (4.55oz), they really are barely there. Despite the addition of laces, my kitchen scales recorded a little north of the official weight.

Design and first impressions

But the most striking aspect of all is that these are fast shoes. Standing and walking in them, the spring from the carbon plate is noticeable; running, they’re everything you’d expect from the ASICS Metaspeed range.

I used these for speed intervals and for a run-out at the Exmouth Parkrun where I comfortably over-performed where I thought my fitness was.

No doubt, the Parkrun time (a short 18min and a feeling I could have gone a fair bit faster, when I’d been anticipating a huffing and puffing 19min) was a function of the fact I’d been nailing my intervals, also thanks to the shoes.

Construction and the finer details

That speed comes from the sole construction – bouncy FF LEAP and FF TURBO PLUS cushioning and a 5mm drop contribute to an aggressive energy return and a sense of forward momentum.

The outsole grip was sticky, and my slightly wide feet fit absolutely fine with no chafing from the upper.

The upper itself is virtually transparent, there is so little material, and I’m a huge fan of the serrated laces, which never slip and mean that my recurring anxiety dreams about undone laces in races don’t happen in real life.

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Run feel

Though the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo are springy, there’s no sense of sogginess: they’re a hard enough ride to give the feeling that energy is going forwards, not being soaked up by the shoe.

However, a note of caution. I was interested to see how the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo would perform as a marathon shoe for me. On one hand, this model should suit my style.

I’m a strider, rather than a cadence runner – my slower training runs average in the low 160s/minute, and even in a 5k, I’ll be around 175spm.

I increase speed by increasing cadence, which is what these shoes are designed to fit, and at speed, over short distances, I could reap the benefits.

However, I’m also a heel striker, and I think the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo are more suited to forefoot and midfoot strikers.

Overall verdict

In the York Marathon, my legs felt battered from surprisingly early on, and I think over the longer distance, the cumulative effect of thousands of heel strikes sapped my strength and I would definitely recommend the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo to heel strikers beyond a 10k.

But overall these are one of the best supershoes on the market, and possibly my favourites over a shorter distance. They’re light, aggressive, comfortable, springy and fast.

Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo specs

Price	$270/£240
Sizes	UK2.5-UK/US 3.5-15
Drop	5mm
Midsole	FF LEAP and FF TURBO PLUS, carbon plate
Weight	127g/4.55oz