Article by Michael Ellenberger
ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris ($250)
Introduction
With the Paris editions of the Metaspeed Edge and Sky, ASICS brings to the Edge and Sky a new FF Turbo + foam that is 8% lighter, has 8.2% greater energy return and is 6% softer. This new foam is said by ASICS to increase the volume of foam that can return energy by 12% in the Sky and 20% in the Edge with the Edge getting 3mm more forefoot cushion than the earlier plus version.
The approach of a higher placed (and now wider) carbon plate for “stride” runners in the Sky and a lower more “cadence” or rolling stride for the Edge is unchanged although the Sky gets a wider plate than before..
Metaspeed Paris
Top; Edge Bottom: Sky
Both racers are now 39.5mm heel 34.5 mm forefoot in stack height. They weigh a much lower approx. 6.5 oz / 185 g US9 for the Edge (-25g) and 6.2 oz / 176g for the Sky, so the Sky comes in below the weight of the Vaporfly 3 and the Edge at its weight, with both having 3mm more front cushion than the Nike.
Race on? Let’s find out as Michael Ellenberger a 2:21 marathoner puts the Sky Paris to the test also comparing them to the Edge Paris in his video first impressions review HERE
Pros:
Hyper light: Michael
Bouncy and fun: Michael
Upper is everything it needs to be: Michael
Traction and durability extremely promising: Michael
Basically no drawbacks compared to the competition: Michael
Cons:
Division of shoes between identical looking and nearly the same riding Edge and Sky creates more confusion than benefit: Michael
Tongue weirdness: Michael
I personally would prefer a 8mm drop : Michael
3 Most Comparable Shoes
Michael:
Nike Vaporfly 3
ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris
ASICS Adios Pro 3
Please find the tester’s full run bios at the end of the article after Comparisons.
Stats
Approx. Weight: men's 6.2 oz / 176g (US9)
Samples: men’s 6.0 oz / 171 g US 8.5
Stack Height: men’s 39.5 mm heel / 34.5 mm forefoot ( 5mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 71 mm heel / 63 mm midfoot / 107 mm forefoot
$250. Available March 2024
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Michael: I was fortunate enough to get both the Metaspeed Edge Paris and Sky Paris from ASICS, and have spent many miles (and many hours) trying to wrap my head around this ASICS-induced matrix: Which shoe? For which runner? At which distance?
Before we get to that - which will, truthfully, have a lot of “it depends'' attached to it - let me come out and say that yes, the new Metaspeed Paris series from ASICS is awesome, really awesome, and the Sky Paris especially feels like a true “next generation” super shoe. In the buildup to these launches, I’ve seen a lot of distaste towards the Metaspeed + series (ostensibly the Metaspeed 2, after the initial line) and I can’t say I agree - I reviewed the Sky+ back in summer 2022, and while it wasn’t perfect (and had a quite annoying upper!), it was a shoe I genuinely enjoyed coming back to for critical workouts in the leadup to my ‘22 Chicago Marathon.
Naturally, I was excited to test the new Paris series and, as I’ll try to describe below, the Sky Paris is a terrific racer that could stand alone as ASICS’s flagship (if they’d let it).
Quickly, on sizing - my usual 8.5 works well enough, and width and comfort are absolutely top notch (the upper here is sublime; it’s reminiscent of the original ASICS Metaracer, but even lighter!) but if you’re in-between sizes, I’d recommend you go up. I took some nasty toenail blistering after 13 miles one day, and continuing my testing was just adding insult to injury!
Also, I noticed the tongue bunched weirdly (on both shoes, they're functionally identical) when lacing it up - even when not that tight - but it never presented issues when running. Comparatively, the way-way-way-too-long Vaporfly 3 tongue is a much bigger culprit.
Midsole & Platform
Michael: The biggest difference between the Sky Paris and the Edge Paris is the plate and geometry, so let’s start there.
Both shoes have a 5mm drop now (the Edge+ had 8mm), and the same 39.5 mm heel and 34.5 mm stack height but the plates are different - the Sky Paris is designed for what ASICS calls “STRIDE” runners: those with a longer gait and longer time spent airborne, and specifically those who increase their speed by extending their stride length (rather than increasing cadence). I suspect this is most elite runners (we see the Sky being used primarily by elites, and there’s science that supports that most top runners maintain a cadence of 180 spm at myriad paces).
Like the Edge, the Sky has a full-length carbon plate, which is slotted closer to the foot than in the Edge and is markedly wider in the forefoot to increase the bounce from the foam.
Metaspeed Paris
Top; Edge Bottom: Sky
Visually, you can see from the midsole markings that the plate sits higher - further from the pavement - relative to the edge.
Sky Paris Edge Paris
That’s mumbo jumbo you could read online, so I’ll try to cut to it - the Sky Paris is really bouncy and, testing it second, after the Edge (RTR Review) noticeably lighter feelinng than the Edge, even though the weight difference is a minimal 0.3 oz / 8g with my Sky coming in at 6.0 / 170g US8.5.
It really feels like a nimble, quick racer - not that the Edge doesn’t, it’s just really obvious here how light this shoe is. It’s reminiscent of what I believe to be its most direct competitor, the Nike Vaporfly 3 (RTR Review).
The new FF Turbo+ foam - PEBA based and really springy - is welcome here. I don’t have a pair of the Sky+ on hand to do an A/B test, but my impression is that the Sky Paris is noticeably softer than its predecessor with ASICS claiming it is 6% softer and 8% lighter than their prior Turbo foam. The lightness of the foam also allows ASICS to add 12% more energy returnable volume to the shoe. There’s a line between soft and aggressive (many feel that, for example, the NB RC Elite 2 fell on the wrong over-soft side of that line), but ASICS has nailed it here.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the hips of this shoe - seriously, the forefoot is so wide, it reminds me of a race car! Both the Edge and Sky Paris are wide (speaking of platform - the fit is TTS) but man, the Sky is wide.
Outsole
Michael: We got a question on my initial Youtube comparison review about this, and I'll reiterate - the outsole here is sneaky good! It’s a tacky, relatively thinly-laid upper, and I didn’t have any issues in traction.
What’s more, I think the durability is actually quite good. The rubber ASICSGrip - I don’t know what sort of rubber blend it technically is - but it’s placed well enough that I am not noticing any wear after 40ish miles of pure road running in the Sky.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Michael: The Sky Paris is a surefire winner - it looks sharp, it takes all of ASICS latest and greatest midsole foam, geometr and plate tech (and then some!) and bundles it up, and it builds on a platform that was already proven to be successful and tweaks it where necessary (noticeably, the upper). I don’t know how many years I have to say this before everyone is fully tired of it, but we’re past the “Nike is the only true supershoe” era (which lasted, what, 2016-2020? ish?) and into the “you really need to find which platform works best for you” era.
Undoubtedly, ASICS will win a lot of users that way - but I also need to mentionthat, unlike Nike and their Vapor/Alpha-fly split, the Edge Paris and Sky Paris are way more similar than different. I know runners who hate the Alpha and love the Vapor; I think the most disparate you’ll get here is “love the one, and really like the other.” They just aren’t that different, and having both clouds opinions a little.
To quote Reddit user /u/gheilweil, “The problem for me is that I can never choose between the Sky and the Edge so I end up not getting either and going with the Vaporfly instead.” I think that was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the point stands - even though you can’t go wrong, you still need to make a decision! (For the record - that this is not meant to be a Sky vs. Edge review, but instead Sky objectively) - I think the Sky is better, and I did not expect to think that after finishing my Edge testing. The weight on the Sky matters way more than I expected).
But, judging the Sky Paris as its own shoe, against external competition, ASICS has done great here. We’ve dealt with heavy super shoes for a while now, and they’ve been fine - the Alphafly 2 is something like 8.6 oz in my size vs 6.0 oz for the Sky, and I have not once complained about its bulk underfoot or thought I was running slower because of it. Curiously, weight was the factor in racing flats, but has functionally become a non-factor in plated racers. Until lately. The Vaporfly 3 is 6.3 oz / 179g (US8.5) and got many’s attention, and the Sky Paris is even more noticeable for its (lack of) heft. The plate, geometry, and upgraded midsole make this fast and springy, and the upper is top-of-class.
There’s a piece of me that thinks that with an 8mm drop, this could be a better shoe. There are times when I wish it was just a hint more aggressive to truly match the Vaporfly 3 at all distances, and I suspect - but don’t know - that a lower forefoot might solve that. Maybe Sky 4 (Sky LA? Sky Hollywood?) will take note - but truthfully, this is a shoe that doesn’t need many upgrades.
Please watch my Sky Paris to Edge Paris Comparative Video Review (7:12)
9 Comparisons
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE Roadtrailrun
ASICS Metaspeed Sky + (RTR Review)
7.23 oz / 205g (men US9)
Michael: The Sky+ had its flaws - namely, a bit of heft, and a bunchy upper that caused at least some irritation for nearly everyone I talked to - but.. I came away a big fan. An ASICS super shoe that can really compete with the big boys! As I wrote above, nearly everything that made Sky+ great is maintained here, and the changes are basically all improvements. Sure, a deeply discounted Sky+ will still get you a tremendous performer, but for those out looking, I’d undoubtedly take the Sky Paris.
Metaspeed Edge Paris (RTR Review)
6.3 oz / 179g US8.5
Michael: This is the question de jour, eh? One option to solve this dilemma is to follow ASICS’s guidance, and determine if you increase your speed by increasing cadence or increasing stride length. There are a whole host of mechanisms to do that - something like Stryd could tell you, and most modern Garmin and Coros models have at least a proxy (if not a downright calculator) for stride length. Run a few workouts at a few paces, check what’s changing, and… boom. Right?
Option two is to try them both on and (ideally) get a run in each and decide. Even with ASICS’ guidance, nothing beats really seeing which feels best on your foot - I was surprised here by how much I liked the Edge, and then again by how much I liked the Sky. So having both was in fact beneficial. As I describe in the full review, the springiness and light weight of the Sky Paris make it feel more fun and usable across the spectrum - the Edge feels like a more specialized tool.
If you’re unable to try either on, and you don’t know whether you’re a stride-type or cadence-type runner, I would recommend the Sky Paris. Both options are great - and really, not that different - but I did find the lightness of the
ASICS Metaspeed Edge + (RTR Review)
7.03 oz / 199g US8.5
Michael: Basically everything I said about the old Sky+ rings true here; I will note that the old Edge+ had an 8mm drop, which I appreciated very much, but isn’t enough (in my mind) to make the Edge+ worth picking up compared to the new Paris series.
Nike Vaporfly 3 (RTR Review)
6.3 oz / 179g (US8.5)
Michael: This is certainty what I consider the closest competitor to the Sky Paris. Both are lightweight, nimble, and versatile racers - shoes you can pull out for a road 5K and a marathon without any real sacrifice. My biggest knock against either, coincidentally, is the tongue, which is annoying on both but way more annoying on the Vaporfly (seriously, I don’t know who okayed that!). And yet… this is a really hard call.
The Vaporfly 3 is a touch heavier, though it doesn’t feel it, and I think that ZoomX is a bit more propulsive, but at the cost of feeling a hint firmer underfoot than the FF Turbo+. If you love a soft shoe, then the Sky Paris is a better call. Between the two, though, I just get a slightly quicker feel in the Vaporfly, and I don’t know exactly what it is - plate? Geometry? It’s slight, and I am sure that you’re not leaving any time on the table choosing between one or the other. I’d wear the ASICS for 26.2, and the VF3 for everything else… but it’s close!
Adios Pro 3 (RTR Review)
7.63 oz / 216 g US8.5
Michael: The Adidas Adios Pro 3 remains an absolute top-tier racer, despite its (relative) hierarchical defeat by the Adios Pro Evo 1 (which I’m yet to wear but as recently as yesterday was the top shoe in the Tokyo Marathon). But, don’t let internal competition distract you - the Adios Pro is a crazy, bouncy, extremely sharp racer which I almost love, but find just a hint to unstable for shorter, faster running (or anything with a large number of turns). The Sky Paris, by comparison, does not feel quite as springy (though it’s not far off), and you don’t reach the same “effortless pace” sensation, but the low weight and more in-control feeling of the ASICS go a long way. For a marathon (provided it’s not filled with switchbacks), I’d take the Adios Pro - for everything else, I prefer the Sky.
Nike Alphafly 3 (RTR Review)
Michael: Alphafly 3 is a firmer, more engineered feeling ride - quite distinct from the soft-and-light feel of the Sky Paris. They’re just different shoes, and it’s hard to directly compare. I personally really like the “non-stop rolling” sensation of the Alphafly, which seems to keep you moving forward with minimal input. But put a little energy into the Sky Paris, and it does feel like you get more out. If you’re a Vaporfly fan over the Alpha, you should look to the Sky Paris. If you’re always an Alphafly fan, the AF3 is the best version yet.
Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 (RTR Review)
Michael: I really want to love Saucony’s newest racer, which undoubtedly is the best version of the Endorphin Pro we’ve seen. Objectively, it’s a good shoe, but I haven’t yet found a compelling reason to prefer it to the competition. Its platform is a little wider, which helps with stability, but also has some odd narrowness in the toe that bugs me every time I wear it over 10 miles. It’s also just not quite bouncy enough to feel super - like I know I’m getting a performance benefit, but it doesn’t quite have that magic you feel in some of the competitors. I do think it would shine at ultra distances, but I haven’t (quite) convinced myself to do that yet. Pick the Sky.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 (RTR Review)
Michael: The HE4 was a pleasant surprise for me; it looks traditional and relatively unspectacular, but instead I found it energetic and springy at all sorts of paces. Unfortunately I don’t think the Brooks has quite the pop of the Sky Paris, which means I’m not really sure at which (if any) distance I’d recommend it, but if you’re looking for a more friendly or familiar super shoe, the Brooks is plenty capable. With the feather weight especially, there’s just some magic to the ASICS that’s lacking in Brooks.
361° Furious Future (RTR Review)
Michael: Another major recent surprise for me was the Furious Future - 361 has quietly been making good shoes for a while, but none of them have been truly great. I’d say the Furious Future breaks that trend - it isn’t the best racer you can buy, but it is a superb option from a lesser-known brand. Undoubtedly, the 361 feels firmer than the ASICS - it’s a dense foam with some very stiff elements and plating, and is a good bit heavier than the ASICS. As with the Alphafly, it sort of comes down to what you’re looking for. The 361 is very enjoyable for those who want that kinetic, sort of engineered ride with a distinct toe roll off. The ASICS is poppier and more fun, and probably the better choice for most.
Tester Profile
Michael is a patent attorney and graduate of Northwestern University Law School. Prior to law school, he competed collegiately at Washington University in St. Louis (10,000m PR of 30:21). Michael’s PRs include a 67:43 half-marathon (Chicago Half-Marathon) and a 2:21:19 marathon PR at the 2023 Grandma’s Marathon. Michael continues to race on the roads, and is chasing a sub-2:20 marathon and potential OTQ in the future.
3 comments:
I have had the previous versions of the Metaspeed Sky. While I like them for distances up to about 10K, my lower back and quads really feel it. Trying to decide between the Edge and Sky Paris for a half marathon. Which do you think feels the more cushioned for a heel striker? I am seeing some reviews favoring the Edge.
I have always loved ASICS and Metaspeed sky feel great, but the quality has gone down considerably in the past few years. Really got about 3 months out of these before the base fell apart and started to deteriorate. Should not have to shoe glue $232…not worth the price😐
I have the original Metaspeed Sky and have raced 3 marathons in them, most recently at Boston this past week. I went back and looked at both my cadence and stride length at easy pace vs race pace, calculated averages, and looked at several examples including marathon races and easy long runs of 18-20 miles. I found that both my cadence and stride length increase proportionally when at race pace, which leaves me confused as to which Paris model is best for me. My local shop only carries the Sky Paris, so I’m pretty limited in testing. Seems like the general consensus among reviewers is the Sky is best for most, so I may just try that rather than risk spending a lot on an Edge I can’t return.
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