Article by Sally Reiley and Michael Ellenberger
ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo ($270)
Introduction
Sally: ASICS has revamped their pinnacle racing shoe lineup with a trio of elite super shoes: the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo, and the Metaspeed Ray Tokyo. The biggest change is a new upgraded A-TPU superfoam called FF LEAP. (For anyone else curious as to what A-TPU means, I looked it up:: “Aliphatic Thermoplastic Polyurethane”) and is similar to Puma latest Nitro foam
I have been testing the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, designed for “stride” runners who lengthen their stride as they speed up. Its sibling, the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is designed for “cadence” runners who increase their step frequency rather than their stride length as they speed up.
The Sky encourages a bouncy and propulsive ride resulting in lift off of the ground to extend stride length, whereas the Edge encourages a firmer, more controlled and closer to the ground propulsion for quicker turnover.
The final sibling is the Metaspeed Ray Tokyo; it is even lighter than these other two shoes and is with a midsole that is composed entirely of the new FF Leap foam.
The midsole of the Sky features a layered construction, with a substantial amount of the A-TPU FF LEAP foam (white colored below) below the carbon plate, and a thinner layer of the original, firmer FF Turbo Plus foam (cream colored below) above it and directly under the foot.
FF LEAP is lighter, softer, and bouncier than the original Turbo+ foam. To quantify this observation, according to Asics, the FF LEAP™ bottom layer of non-compression molded superfoam is 15% lighter, 13.7% more responsive, and 30% softer than FF TURBO™ PLUS.
The carbon plate on the Sky sits higher in the midsole and, with a flatter curvature, it offers more vertical propulsion. Overall ASICS claims the Sky Tokyo is 18.8% more energy efficient than the Sky Paris.
Contrast that to the Metaspeed Edge, where the carbon plate is curved and angled forward more and positioned lower under your forefoot, an advantage for higher cadence runners. Again you have two layers of superfoam sandwiching the carbon plate, but the Edge reverses the Sky’s setup and uses a thick layer of the soft new FF LEAP foam on top of the plate and the firmer FF TURBO PLUS underneath. ASICS claims the Edge Tokyo is 21.4% more energy efficient than the Edge Paris.
.Pros:
Super light and far lighter than Sky Paris: Jeff/Sally/Michael
More stable than Sky Paris: Michael/Jeff
Very fast and responsive: Jeff V/Sally
Secure upper especially for how minimal: Jeff V/Sally/Michael
Bouncy, fun and propulsive ride: Sally/Michael
Great traction for a super shoe: Sally
Fits my narrowish foot like a custom glove: Sally
Cons:
Heel lift (though employing the extra eyelet solved that): Jeff V /Sally
Testers:
Sally is a 3 time 2nd place in her W60 age group at the NYC Marathon and 3:24:02 all time PR at age 63. Michael has 2:20:41 marathon PR from the 2025 Houston Marathon. Full Run Bios at the end of the article.
Stats
Approx. Weight: men's 5.85 oz / 166g US9 // women’s 5.0 oz / 142 g US W8 / M6.5
Sample Weights:
men’s 6.1 oz / 174g US 10 (Sky Paris: 6.75 oz / 193 g US 10)
women’s 5.0 oz / 142 g US 6.5 W8
Stack Height:
Sky Tokyo: 39.5 mm heel / 34.5 mm forefoot ( 5mm drop spec)
Sky Paris: 39.5 mm heel / 34.5 mm forefoot ( 5mm drop spec)
Platform Width:
Tokyo: 70 mm heel / 60 mm midfoot / 95 mm forefoot US W8
Paris: 71 mm heel / 63 mm midfoot / 107 mm forefoot US M8.5
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Sally: I have had the privilege of running in many of the popular marathon race day shoes and enjoy putting these high tech super shoes through the paces. Fast is fun! The shoe technology has exploded in recent years and it is cool to see so many awesome race day options become available to both the elite and the everyday runner.
I was thrilled to receive the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo recently for testing. What a beauty! I missed out on the Metaspeed Paris last year, sidelined with a hamstring injury, but I had run in the MetaSpeed Sky + and the original Metaspeed Sky (which also said Tokyo on its side). Asics is clearly confusing many runners by not naming its shoes with version numbers - that would be too easy - but instead naming them for race locations. The Paris models in 2024 referred to the Paris Olympics; these new Tokyo models in late 2025 refer to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
This latest Metaspeed Sky Tokyo looks aesthetically very similar to last year’s Paris version, but with different color stripes on the midsole. And this version looks fast - it is super lightweight (only 5.0 oz for my US W8!) and very sleek in appearance.
The upper is made using no-sew construction of Motion Wrap 3.0, a lightweight technical engineered woven material that is very breathable.
It is intended to have a performance fit, but I find it fits my narrower foot like a custom glove with plenty of room in the toe box both in width to splay the toes and with enough height to allow room at the front of the toes.
It is not as constricting as some other race day shoes, and I find it perhaps the most comfortable fitting performance shoe yet (for me).
There is no fancy stitching or overlays, but there is a band in the mesh that stretches across the forefoot, perhaps adding some support. I find it adds to the visual appeal as well.
The non-gusseted tongue is minimal but of adequate length and I did not experience any lace bite or tongue slippage.
The lacing system is traditional with my favorite serrated laces. The laces are a bit long, but some runners may need the extra length to use a runners knot to perfect the heel lockdown (was not a problem for me once I got my lacing tweaked to my satisfaction).
There is a nominal amount of padding in the heel cup which almost looks like an afterthought add-on, but it is just enough padding to add to the supreme comfort of this upper for me. I recall wishing I could size up in the earlier versions of the Metaspeed Sky because my toes were bumping up against the front of the shoe on long runs, but this version fits comfortably true-to-size with plenty of room for your toes. (Of note: I have been doing all my miles in this shoe just after losing my big toe nail - a Boston Marathon casualty - and so I have been especially sensitive to pressure on that tender toe bed; all has been fine.)
The feel of this shoe right out of the box is immediately comfortable, but more strikingly very soft and bouncy, softest at the heel and firmer at the forefoot. Let’s run!
Michael: First of all, I’ll just say - you kind of need to see (and/or hold!) this shoe to believe it. The upper here is really, really cool - the whole shoe feels like a Metaspeed from the future - and ASICS has absolutely crushed the upper here. The upper is made from ASICS’ Motion Wrap 3.0, a woven material that strikes an excellent balance of breathability and support.
To cut to the point - it’s one of the best uppers I’ve tested in a super shoe: incredibly light, unstructured but still secure, and roomy enough in the forefoot to avoid the common pressure issues that plague race-day shoes. It’s hard to tell exactly how a shoe breathes when the weather turns hot, but on an extremely muggy 70+ degree early morning, I can attest that I had no issues with these and, in fact, felt good.
I didn’t experience any lace pressure or tongue slippage, and the minimal padding at the heel cup is just enough to aid comfort without compromising lockdown. The non-gusseted tongue is thin but stayed in place, and the traditional lacing system - paired with ASICS' serrated laces - makes it easy to dial in the fit. For reference, I wore my usual size (M8.5) and had no issues with length or volume. It’s a race fit, to be clear, but a forgiving one - very track spike-esque.
Midsole & Platform
Sally:The big update in the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo is the introduction of their new upgraded A-TPU superfoam, I looked it up:: “Aliphatic Thermoplastic Polyurethane”) called FF LEAP™, which makes up the bottom layer of the midsole. This is a non-compression molded superfoam that's 15% lighter, 14% more responsive, and 30% softer than the original FF TURBO™ PLUS, which is used below the carbon plate.
The plate is a flatter design that now sits higher in the midsole and closer to the foot with a late rocker geometry in the forefoot. The result is a very soft and trampoline-like bouncy feel under the heel and a firmer propulsive forefoot spring.
There is so much of this soft, bouncy, compliant foam under the heel that one might think it would be unstable, but there is enough structure and a broadened heel platform with some sole flare to provide rear foot stability and restrict too much lateral and medial movement. I felt a bit of heel instability on sharp corners due to the softness, but not much.
The shoe feels amazingly stable given the 39.5 mm heel stack that is mostly this FF LEAP soft foam.
Michael: We say this every time. “The midsole is where the magic happens.” In this case a thin layer of last year’s top foam FF Turbo + under the foot with below the plate a giant slab of the new FF Leap foam… it might actually be magic.
ASICS claims FF LEAP is 15% lighter, 14% more responsive, and 30% softer than Turbo+, and that checks out in feel: it’s soft, springy, and energetic underfoot without being mushy or unstable - and, in a fact that I wasn’t sure I really cared about, they are crazy light. My complaint with modern day plated racers has never been heft but, man, when you feel how light these things are, you may find it hard to go back.
The plate itself has been repositioned - higher in the midsole and flatter than what you'll find in the Edge. That geometry, paired with the foam layering, gives the Sky Tokyo a really distinct feel: soft and absorbing in the rear, snappy and propulsive in the forefoot. It’s a shoe that wants you to go fast and rewards you when you do.
Despite the generous heel stack (39.5 mm), I found the platform surprisingly stable - especially on straightaways and during faster running. On tight corners, there’s a bit of softness that could challenge heel-strikers, but it never felt out of control.
Outsole:
Sally: The outsole is made of matching flash red color ASICSGRIP rubber that provides a strategic web of coverage for confident traction. There is a cutout at the forefoot of the outsole on the lateral side, theoretically to reduce weight. I find the grip nice and tacky and secure even on wet roads. The outsole is solid with no gravel-catching nooks and crannies. The ride is pleasantly soft and quiet underfoot, and there are no signs of wear on my pair after 35 plus miles.
Michael: We’ve got “ASICSGrip” rubber in a strategic layout that provides great traction in dry and wet conditions alike (though my testing in wet was limited to a single run). The look and feel of the outsole is very similar to previous versions, so if you’ve had success there, you know what you’re getting. There’s a forefoot cutout on the lateral side for weight reduction, but coverage is still strong enough to give you confidence at race paces.
Importantly (or not?), I wholly agree with Sally that this is one of the quieter race shoes out there. No harsh slap - just a smooth, dampened ride that adds to the polished feel.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Sally: As a forefoot striker, running in the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo feels like taking flight. I haven’t had this much fun in a shoe since the original Adidas Prime X Strung—it was wild, bouncy, and fast, though perhaps a bit too wild. The Sky offers that same trampoline-like bounce but with noticeably more control.
The heel is extremely soft, which might not suit heel strikers and does not feel good at slower paces and warm-ups when you're landing farther back.
The geometry of the flatter carbon plate sandwiched between two foams—lots of the softer, bouncier FFLEAP foam under the plate in the rear, and the firmer FF TURBO PLUS foam up front—paired with a pronounced forefoot rocker make for a smooth, snappy toe-off. The shoe loves to pick up the pace, and I found my mile splits easily faster than the perceived energy output.
The cushioning underfoot is bouncy but incredibly responsive, launching you somewhat effortlessly higher so that you can lengthen your stride and thereby increase your speed.
My legs felt refreshingly fresh after double digits of fast miles, and the upper fits my foot comfortably and securely. This shoe simply works for my running style - I guess I am a stride runner? I have a busy race schedule for the coming year with several major marathons, and am most excited to be running the Tokyo Marathon next March; I just might have found my ideal race day shoe!
Sally’s score: 9.9/10.0
Ride (50%): 9.9 Fit (30%): 10.0 Value (15%): 9.8 Style (5%): 10.0
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Michael: Long story, very short: The Sky Tokyo is so good. If you're a stride-style runner looking for a race day shoe, it’s hard not to recommend these (or at least suggest you try on a pair). They’re shockingly light, responsive, and just plain fun to run in. For me, it strikes that ideal balance between softness and propulsion - it gives you a trampoline-like bounce without sacrificing control or precision.
It’s not perfect for every runner. ASICS builds two models with the Edge Tokyo (RTR Review soon) joining the Sky (plus the forthcoming all Leap foam Metaspeed Ray, not to mention the slightly-down-market Magic Speed 4).
The extremely soft heel might not suit heel strikers, and the ride at slower paces feels less engaging. But once you’re into race rhythm, the shoe just flows. I found myself ticking off fast miles with less effort and ending long runs fresher than expected. Even sprinting (running strides) feels in control and quick.
I’ve said it before, but it feels like ASICS has wholly and firmly established itself in the upper echelon of racers. I get more questions about “how is the new ASICS racer?” or “would you choose the Metaspeed over the Vaporfly?” perhaps more than any other. The answer here is pretty easy. The Sky Tokyo is easily amongst the best marathon shoes I’ve tested, and a no-brainer recommendation.
Score: 9.9/10
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5 Comparisons
ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris (RTR Review)
Michael: The Sky Paris perhaps shouldn’t have been, but was a big surprise favorite of mine. Whether I had just overlooked the line for a generation too long, or was set in my Nike-or-nothing snobbery, I don’t know - but I was taken aback by how genuinely awesome the Sky Paris was.
The Sky Tokyo is that, and more. Most importantly, the Sky Tokyo feels almost like a revolution, rather than an evolution - something we really never see amongst top-rung super shoes beyond maybe the super pricey and super light Adios Pro EVO 2, although I haven't tested it. Sure, ASICS has its Metaspeed Ray coming soon (I haven’t tested) but it’s hard for me to imagine how it will be materially better than this, beyond its considerably lighter weight. The Sky Tokyo is the real deal, and makes the (extremely good) Sky Paris look thoroughly “last generation.”
Nike Alphafly 3 (RTR Review)
Sally: (US W8 in both) The AF3 has been my marathon race day shoe of choice for the past three majors and has worked well for me in terms of performance (pleased with finish times, but serious toe bang in the most recent Boston resulting in the recent loss of my big toe nail, ouch). The AF3 is similarly a bouncy ride for me, which I like. AF3 is considerably heavier at 176g vs 142 g and has a wider platform. And the AF3 is obnoxiously loud.
The main difference I see is that the ride in the AF3 is much more mechanical and forced than that of the Metaspeed Sky. The Sky feels much more natural and smoother on the run with even more energetic bounce. I am presently betting on the Sky Tokyo for my upcoming Berlin, New York, and yes, Tokyo Marathons.
Michael: Like Sally, I’m a huge fan of the Alphafly line (especially v3) and have raced in it often. And, like Sally, I find the Alphafly to be mechanical (in a way that really works). The Sky Tokyo is a pretty distinct break from that - it feels more natural and non-intrusive. Whether that’s ultimately “faster” may depend some on your footstrike and some on the race distance, but I do think the ASICS feels like a more accessible, runner-friendly super shoe than the fairly intimidating Alphafly. Both are great, but the ASICS might just be better.
Nike Vaporfly 3 (RTR Review)
Sally: (USW8 in Metaspeed Sky, US W8.5 in Vaporfly) From 2018 -2022 I referred to the Vaporfly as my “Magic Slippers.” Reserved for race day, I considered them my secret to fast marathon times. If that was all in my head, then let’s say the placebo effect is real, which is okay. The Vaporfly was the OG supershoe, the innovator and the king of the road racing world and it has been credited with many record race times. I loved wearing them and the Vaporfly 2 and 3 both worked well for me. But now there are many other supershoe options and the technology keeps advancing with lighter and more responsive foams and improved uppers. The Metaspeed Sky Tokyo is just that: lighter and even more energetic with a great fitting upper. I am choosing the Sky Tokyo for sure!
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 (RTR Review)
Sally: (W8 in both) The Saucony Elite 2 is fun and fast and bouncy but definitely a bit unstable. My W8 weighs 182 g vs 142g for the Sky Tokyo.The sock-like construction of the Elite 2 upper caused fit problems for my narrow foot as the fabric bunched up painfully under the laces, whereas the Sky Tokyo fits my foot perfectly with no hot spots whatsoever. The Sky is a more natural, smoother and controlled ride with more sustainable energy, so hands down the Sky Tokyo for me.
Adidas Adios Pro 4 (RTR Review)
Michael: I ran my marathon PR in the Adios Pro 4 and am quite a big fan. With this update, ASICS has brought the Sky Tokyo more into the realm of the Adidas - softer, bouncier - but I think the ASICS does a good job maintaining a more stable platform. The Adidas feels like an iteration on the extremely successful Adios Pro line, and if you’ve been a fan in the past, it’s the best one yet. If you want something similar, but a little more accessible (without any real sacrifice on enjoyment), I wouldn’t hesitate to try the Sky Tokyo.
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE
The Metaspeed Sky and Edge Tokyo will be available July 25
Tester Profiles
Sally is a lifelong runner and mother of five who agreed against her better judgment to run her first marathon at age 54; she has since run the past eleven Boston Marathons, three NYC Marathons, two Chicagos, and one London with the WMM Six Star Medal now in her sights (Berlin in 2025). With a Boston PR of 3:25:55 in 2022 (9th place in AG) and three consecutive 2nd place in Age Group awards in NYC, she has competed in several Abbott WMM Age Group World Championships and placed 6th in the world in W 60-64 when she ran an all-time PR of 3:24:02 at age 63 at the 2022 London Marathon. She also competes in USATF races of all distances with the Greater Lowell Road Runners team. To add meaning to her Boston Marathon races she runs with Team Eye and Ear and has raised over $320,000 for Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital. Sally stands tall at 5’2’’ and 105 pounds, and lives in Marblehead, MA where she trains outdoors year round. She blames her love of skiing out West for any and all Boston Marathon training challenges.
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 2:20:41 marathon PR at the 2025 Houston Marathon. Michael continues to race on the roads, and is chasing a sub-2:20 marathon and potential OTQ in the future.
Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. No compensation was provided by brands for writing this article. RoadTrail Run does have affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'.
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