Road Racing

ASICS Metaspeed Ray

Name: ASICS Metaspeed Ray
Brand: ASICS
Price: 300.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 8.0 (6 reviews)

A hyper-light, exceptionally soft racer that excels at 5K and 10K but divides testers on marathon viability; some flag instability at longer distances, though others report it feels more stable in practice than expected.

"almost hypnotizes you into overstriding" — EDDBUD

Physical blueprint

Where this shoe sits

Weight 130 g

Heel stack 43.0 mm

Drop 5.0 mm

Cushioning Maximal

Best for

5K / 10K RacingMarathon Racing

Suits Forefoot, Midfoot strikers

Pronation Neutral

Surface Road

Lifespan low mi

Specifications

Weight (M9)

130g (4.6 oz)

Stack (Heel)

43.0 mm

Stack (Forefoot)

38.0 mm

Drop

5.0 mm

Midsole

FF LEAP (supercritical PEBA)

Plate

Carbon (Full-length carbon fiber plate)

Outsole

ASICSGRIP rubber

Upper

Matryx upper

Lacing

Traditional

Fit Profile

Length

True To Size

Midfoot Width

Narrow

Heel Width

Average

Lockdown

Good

Toe Box

Average

Sizing

True To Size

Ride Characteristics

Cushioning

Maximal

Stability

Neutral

Durability

Expected Miles

low

Outsole

Poor

Expert reviews · 2 reviewers · grouped per channel

EDDBUD Youtube ↑

EDDBUD's #1 shoe of 2025. Minimal outsole, angel-wing upper, super-squashy bouncy midsole with tons of impact protection. Paid ~£220 on discount and the joy was worth every penny.

Best for: Pure racing nirvana

source

+3 earlier reviews from EDDBUD

EDDBUD's #1 race shoe of 2025. Super cushioned, very soft, feels from the future. Lightest racer in his collection. FF Leap durability surprisingly good. Used across parkruns, 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathon pace. Don't use on leaves/mud.

source

The best race shoe for the money right now. EDDBUD ran 20:22 at an Exmouth parkrun off poor 5K-specific prep while ill, which convinced him he doesn't need the £450 Pro Evo 2 — he could buy two pairs of Rays for the price of one Pro Evo 2.

Best for: Runners who want a completely transparent race-day shoe that reveals their true fitness without being embellished — for 5K through marathon distances.

source

A forgiving, bouncy short-range racer best suited to stronger runners at 5K/10K pace; too soft and narrow to trust over longer distances.

Best for: Stronger runners racing 5K to 10K on smooth even surfaces

source

The Run Testers Youtube ↑

A genuinely exciting hyper-light racer — softer, bouncier, more fun than the Pro Evo 2, and a fraction cheaper. Stability is the only reservation for longer races.

Best for: Runners who want a very fun, fast, super-light racer for 5K–half marathon, with potential for marathon use if you can handle the softness.

source

+1 earlier review from The Run Testers

Nick found it a fantastic aggressive racer at shorter distances, preferring it to the Metaspeed Edge, but too punchy and unstable for longer racing.

Best for: 5K and 10K racing at full effort

28 miles tested · source

Where it sits among similar shoes

Compared to other road racing in the same lane.

Weight · lower = lighter Men's size 9

ASICS Metaspeed Ray

130g

Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure

139g

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2

130g

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4

170g

Heel stack · higher = more cushioning mm

ASICS Metaspeed Ray

43.0mm

Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure

33.0mm

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2

39.0mm

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4

38.0mm

Drop · higher = more heel-leaning mm

ASICS Metaspeed Ray

5.0mm

Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure

3.5mm

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2

3.0mm

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4

8.0mm

Continue reading

Foam guide

How PEBA / Pebax foam works

Read the explainer

Similar shoes

Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure

139g · 3.5mm drop

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2

130g · 3.0mm drop

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4

170g · 8.0mm drop

Altra Vanish Carbon 2

215g · 0.0mm drop

Methodology. Specs come from manufacturer data and authoritative third-party catalogs. Reviewer verdicts are summarized from named, linked sources — never copied verbatim. We weight clinical and lab-tested sources more heavily than community commentary, but the specific weights stay internal. Never sponsored, never paid placement.

Last updated 2026-05-05