Article by Phil Royer
ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo ($270)
Introduction
The ASICS Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is one of three models of top-of-the-line road super shoe that ASICS is releasing all at once in July 2025. The three models are the Edge Tokyo (for higher cadence racing), the Sky Tokyo (for longer stride racing), and the Ray Tokyo (for the “as light as possible” crowd). This review is specifically for the Edge Tokyo, which is the cadence-focused version.
So what does it mean to be “cadence-focused”, and does that make the Edge the right shoe for you? I can help with the first question, but you will need to put on your thinking cap for the second one.
There are two ways to think of this “cadence-focused” approach. One would be that regardless of your current stride frequency, the Edge might help you turn over faster. The other way to think of it, is that your stride frequency basically is what it is, but if you have a high one, the Edge will help you go faster with it. To answer this question, I compared my cadence on my Garmin from two different mile repeats that were exactly the same pace, one wearing my trusty Saucony Endorphin Elite 1s, and another wearing these new Asics. The results show that my cadence was a good bit higher, jumping from 190 to 194. Sampling a few other repeats showed a similar 2 to 4 steps per minute more in the Asics. So perhaps the answer is both: this shoe convinces your legs to turn over faster, and it helps you along while you are doing so.
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Pros:
Aggressive forward lean
Comfortable heel lock
Light as a feather (but not as light as a Ray!)
Plenty of outsole grip from the outsole
Great for uphill racing if you are into that sort of thing
Cons:
Soggy when wet
Some foot discomfort when first wearing
Most comparable shoes
Saucony Endorphin Elite 1 (Phil)
Stats
Approx. Weight: men's 5.6 oz / 159g
Sample Weight:
6.03 oz / 171g for both left and right US M10
Stack Height: 39.5 mm heel / 34.5 mm forefoot
Platform Width: 76 mm heel / 69 mm midfoot / 104 mm forefoot US M10
Tester Profile
Philip Royer (5’11”, 150lbs) is a trail and mountain runner who still mixes it up with some road racing now and then. He ran for Dartmouth College back in 2010 to 2013, and has slowly transitioned to longer road races, then trail and mountain as he learns to appreciate the finer things in life. He snuck in a win at the USATF 50k Trail Championships in 2023, but just missed the Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier with a 2:19 in 2024. The dream is to get under the standard next time, and find a way to get one of those Team USA trail jerseys mailed to his place in Boston, because he is sick of hearing them get sent out to places like Boulder and Bozeman. His dog Bekele is the fastest runner he knows, with PRs of 3:11 in the mile and 12:33 in the 5000m
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Besides the shockingly loud color scheme, there were no surprises when unboxing these and putting them on for the first time. The fit feels true to form, and the upper cinches nicely up and down the foot without being too uncomfortable unless you really crank on the laces.
That mesh upper feels comfy and breathable, particularly considering the lightweight. When testing in muggy summer conditions, there were no issues with water absorption in the upper, but see below for a point of concern with soggy foam in the midsole.
Overall, the fit was exactly what you would expect from a top-of-the-line super shoe.
Midsole & Platform
The difference between the Edge and the other Metaspeed Tokyo and Ray is that the carbon plate on the Edge is lower down in the midsole beneath a thicker foam layer, leaving less foam below the plate to stay within the 40mm legal limit. There is also a more aggressive forward angle to the plate, hence the increased focus on cadence, because a shorter stride is required to run the same speed at a higher cadence.
There are two foams in play here, whiter shade FF Leap above the carbon plate (more in the front, less in the back) and FF Turbo Plus (more in the back, less in the front) below the plate.
The FF Leap foam is a bit softer and lighter, allowing you to really feel the angle of the plate in the middle of your foot. The FF Turbo Plus foam, on the other hand, is a bit more firm, allowing you to stay stable when cornering on the roads and otherwise.
One tricky aspect of these is what happens when it rains or is unseasonably warm on race day. Water (including sweat) has a way of absorbing into the foam and causing them to get a little heavier and make an unpleasant sloshing noise while running. In normal road marathon conditions this shouldn’t be an issue, but it could weigh you down just a little more if things get wet. This doesn’t seem to be an issue with the upper, because the water appears to be in the foam itself, and it wasn’t clear which of the two foams was more of an issue.
Outsole
Unlike some super shoes that have grip problems on wet roads or wet tracks, these have enough traction to prevent you from slipping. This one or two millimeters is absolutely worth it in my opinion, because backsliding during a track workout is not a nice feeling. I would not take them anywhere near mountain trails, but of course that is not what they are made for but on roads this is a very solid outsole
I first raced in these at a wet uphill road race called the Ascutney Mountain Race. As far as road races go, this was a tough test for traction, because the roads were slick and the climb was steep, putting me mostly on the front of the sole. But the Tokyos did the job nicely, with no detectable backsliding.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Overall, the Asics Metaspeed Edge Tokyo is an exciting addition to the lineup, with a light and poppy ride. The ability to choose from a cadence-focused (Edge) or stride-length-focused (Sky and Ray) shoe is certainly a great option, and I look forward to a world where racing shoes are more differentiated to different types of runners. The data appear to be showing that different runners respond better to different types of super shoes, so I think other companies need to follow Asics’ lead if they want to make shoes that work for more runners.
For me, these were a great match because I think I am a fairly high-cadence runner. They felt poppy and efficient at paces from marathon down to 800m. With the heat and the hills it is a bit tricky to tell what kind of efficiency I was getting from these, but it felt comparable if not a little bit better than other shoes in this class as the Adidas Adios Pro 3.
When gearing up for a road race, these would be an excellent choice if you happen to have a higher-than-normal cadence, or if you think you might benefit from a shoe that gives you a little boost in that area. I wore them for two uphill road races this summer, Ascutney Mountain Race (2nd) and the Mt. Washington Auto Road Race (9th). They were a great choice for those events, because you are already leaning considerably farther forward on climbs, so the plate angle felt very natural. The light weight was also much appreciated!
Phil Score’s: 9.45 /10
Ride: 9.5 Fit: 10 Value: 8 Style: 10
2 Comparisons
Saucony Endorphin Elite 1 (RTR Review)
For the last year and a half my favorite marathon shoe has been the Saucony Endorphin Elite 1. They are comfortable, light, but most importantly, they feel very efficient at speeds from 10k to marathon. However, I am not convinced an older model like that will be my best bet at California International Marathon in December of 2025. The times, they are a’ changing. So in my hunt for the new best thing, I think the Edge Tokyos are a possible choice. They are just as comfortable as the Saucony’s but they are lighter and the foam might just be a little bit poppier. The biggest difference is the more forward-leaned plate on the Edge, which seems to be causing a slightly increased cadence. I will need more data, but so far I think the Edge have just a little bit of an edge on the Endorphin Elite 1s, and I am excited to bring them into the fall marathon season.
Adidas Adios Pro 3 (RTR Review)
The Adios Pro 1, 2, and 3 were my first three super shoes, so they are near and dear to my heart. However, I have slowly moved away from the series due to the discomfort of the heel and the interest in trying the latest and greatest from other brands to find the fastest ones for me. I don’t have the measurements to back it up, but my gut feeling is that the Asics Edge Tokyo are a bit faster than the Adios Pro 3. They are certainly a whole lot lighter! And the Asics have none of the heel issues that persisted across multiple editions of the Adidas, so I can safely say I would take the Edge Tokyos over the older Adios Pros any day. I have not tried the Adios Pro 4.
ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo Multi Tester Review 5 Comparisons
ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris Review 6 Comparisons
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