Asics METASPEED Edge

[RunTommy!]

Until Asics released their comparisons of the types of runners that would benefit from the Metaspeed Sky vs the Metaspeed Edge, I never really had heard of any other company's research into this topic. I went back and looked at my own regular runs and races on Garmin. Usually I was around 1.25 meters per stride at 180 spm at around 7:30-7:40 pace regular runs. In a recent 5k, I was 1.5 meters per stride and 188 spm. I wonder if Running Warehouse or Asics could plug in numbers and tell you which shoe they think would benefit you more? I would be very interested in that information. I don't have a marathon on the schedule until January, but definitely would take that type of advice when deciding between the two Asics shoes.

Adding: in my most recent Marathon in Atlanta, 2020. My average stride was 1.36 meters with a 179 spm. Ended with a 2:54. So if my average daily run is around 180 with a stride of 1.25 meters or so, I guess I would fall into the "Sky" mold where I'm increasing my speed by just taking longer strides? Honestly, I thought I would be the other way around. I definitely run at a higher cadence in 5ks, maybe not as much in a marathon.

 

[RW Admin]

Until Asics released their comparisons of the types of runners that would benefit from the Metaspeed Sky vs the Metaspeed Edge, I never really had heard of any other company's research into this topic. I went back and looked at my own regular runs and races on Garmin. Usually I was around 1.25 meters per stride at 180 spm at around 7:30-7:40 pace regular runs. In a recent 5k, I was 1.5 meters per stride and 188 spm. I wonder if Running Warehouse or Asics could plug in numbers and tell you which shoe they think would benefit you more? I would be very interested in that information. I don't have a marathon on the schedule until January, but definitely would take that type of advice when deciding between the two Asics shoes.

Adding: in my most recent Marathon in Atlanta, 2020. My average stride was 1.36 meters with a 179 spm. Ended with a 2:54. So if my average daily run is around 180 with a stride of 1.25 meters or so, I guess I would fall into the "Sky" mold where I'm increasing my speed by just taking longer strides? Honestly, I thought I would be the other way around. I definitely run at a higher cadence in 5ks, maybe not as much in a marathon.

Hi @RunTommy!,

Thanks for the question! This is really interesting. I passed the question along to one of the experts we work with at ASICS to inquire. If I'm understanding the information correctly, it seems you'd benefit from the Sky (based on the Marathon data). However, the 5k data does suggest the Edge might be a solid choice. I'm curious to see if there is a different recommendation based on the length of the race.
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

 

[PEG]

I am curious for the Edge to arrive so we can see the differences between it and the Sky more clearly. While I love the scientific research they’ve done in creating these shoes I do have a feeling that it will end up being more about personal preference and comfort rather than pure numerical data. There are just too many variables that I’ve been thinking about. For example, just based on rough data I also seem to fall more into the “stride” category. However, when I start to fatigue on long runs/races I’ve definitely noticed that the first thing to go is my cadence. I usually can feel that start to decrease and have to make a mental effort to keep my cadence up. I’ve really enjoyed the fact that shoes like the Vaporfly 4%/Endorphin Pro do help me to keep up my cadence easier with their quick roll and bounce. All that to say... numbers would say I’m a stride runner but a shoe that assists with cadence would probably have a bigger impact for me on longer races.
I think it will be interesting to see how the designs differ exactly.

 

[RW Admin]

Until Asics released their comparisons of the types of runners that would benefit from the Metaspeed Sky vs the Metaspeed Edge, I never really had heard of any other company's research into this topic. I went back and looked at my own regular runs and races on Garmin. Usually I was around 1.25 meters per stride at 180 spm at around 7:30-7:40 pace regular runs. In a recent 5k, I was 1.5 meters per stride and 188 spm. I wonder if Running Warehouse or Asics could plug in numbers and tell you which shoe they think would benefit you more? I would be very interested in that information. I don't have a marathon on the schedule until January, but definitely would take that type of advice when deciding between the two Asics shoes.

Adding: in my most recent Marathon in Atlanta, 2020. My average stride was 1.36 meters with a 179 spm. Ended with a 2:54. So if my average daily run is around 180 with a stride of 1.25 meters or so, I guess I would fall into the "Sky" mold where I'm increasing my speed by just taking longer strides? Honestly, I thought I would be the other way around. I definitely run at a higher cadence in 5ks, maybe not as much in a marathon.

Hi @RunTommy!,

Bob from ASICS was kind enough to lend some expertise for this. Below is his reply:

"The commenter is in an interesting spot and love their analysis- they landed on the right pick. I do think they'd enjoy EDGE for shorter races and it would still perform better than a lot of other flats on the market, but with a focus on Marathon training and their stride metrics, I'd tell them to utilize the SKY.

Stride runners do see a slight increase in cadence, as he noted, but the greater lengthening of the stride is what we want to focus on. He'd fall on the left below for a rough illustration, with his cadence (blue line)slightly increasing, but stride (orange line) increasing more.:"
​

We hope that helps!
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

 

[RunTommy!]

Hi @RunTommy!,

Bob from ASICS was kind enough to lend some expertise for this. Below is his reply:

"The commenter is in an interesting spot and love their analysis- they landed on the right pick. I do think they'd enjoy EDGE for shorter races and it would still perform better than a lot of other flats on the market, but with a focus on Marathon training and their stride metrics, I'd tell them to utilize the SKY.

Stride runners do see a slight increase in cadence, as he noted, but the greater lengthening of the stride is what we want to focus on. He'd fall on the left below for a rough illustration, with his cadence (blue line)slightly increasing, but stride (orange line) increasing more.:"
View attachment 82​

We hope that helps!
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

Absolutely fantastic analysis. Thanks!

 

[WillM]

Hi @RunTommy!,

Bob from ASICS was kind enough to lend some expertise for this. Below is his reply:

"The commenter is in an interesting spot and love their analysis- they landed on the right pick. I do think they'd enjoy EDGE for shorter races and it would still perform better than a lot of other flats on the market, but with a focus on Marathon training and their stride metrics, I'd tell them to utilize the SKY.

Stride runners do see a slight increase in cadence, as he noted, but the greater lengthening of the stride is what we want to focus on. He'd fall on the left below for a rough illustration, with his cadence (blue line)slightly increasing, but stride (orange line) increasing more.:"
View attachment 82​

We hope that helps!
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

Hi Justin! It’s June 4th, the previously announced release day . Have you guys gotten an update on when it will be releasing? I see pre-orders are guessing July shipping. Thanks for any insight you can provide!
Cheers,
Will

 

[RW Admin]

Hi Justin! It’s June 4th, the previously announced release day . Have you guys gotten an update on when it will be releasing? I see pre-orders are guessing July shipping. Thanks for any insight you can provide!
Cheers,
Will

Hi @WillM,

I'll check-in with our buying team to see if they have any more information than what is in the system (which is what you are seeing via the pre-order page). My guess is they won't have much more. There has been some significant issues with shipping globally that have negatively impacted launch dates for most brands.
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

 

[RW Admin]

Hi @WillM,

I'll check-in with our buying team to see if they have any more information than what is in the system (which is what you are seeing via the pre-order page). My guess is they won't have much more. There has been some significant issues with shipping globally that have negatively impacted launch dates for most brands.
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

I sent a note over to the team. Our lead buyer for that product is on vacation at the moment, but he will return Monday. I'll circle back with him then.
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

 

[WillM]

I sent a note over to the team. Our lead buyer for that product is on vacation at the moment, but he will return Monday. I'll circle back with him then.
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

I appreciate that! I’ve just heard they are listed on the ASICS UK site. Not sure if that’s real or they left in automated release date, it would be odd with zero press. Hoping the reviewer embargo is lifted soon!

 

[RW Admin]

I appreciate that! I’ve just heard they are listed on the ASICS UK site. Not sure if that’s real or they left in automated release date, it would be odd with zero press. Hoping the reviewer embargo is lifted soon!

Hi @WillM,

I spoke with our lead ASICS buyer. He says the current time is in the system is the best bet. He is optimistic we could get them a little earlier. However, the supply chain has been so inconsistent that he wanted to err on the side of caution. I hope that helps!
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

 

[WillM]

Hi @WillM,

I spoke with our lead ASICS buyer. He says the current time is in the system is the best bet. He is optimistic we could get them a little earlier. However, the supply chain has been so inconsistent that he wanted to err on the side of caution. I hope that helps!
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

Thank you @RW Admin , I appreciate the update!
Cheers

 

[RW Admin]

Thank you @RW Admin , I appreciate the update!
Cheers

@WillM,

I just saw they checked in the MetaSpeed Edge! Below are the links:

• Men's
• Women's

Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

 

[waldo_215]

Is there an ELI5 difference between the MetaSpeed Edge and the Magic Speed for non-Asics folks? My basic assumption is Magic Speed:Endorphin Speed as Edge: Endorphin Pro. Thanks in advance!

 

[imnothammer]

That sounds about right.

In this analogy, for the Endorphin Pro, there are the MetaSpeed Sky and MetaSpeed Edge. I am still a little murky on the exact distinction between these two shoes, but I believe it is just a difference in outsole geometry to accommodate runners with higher turnover versus runners with longer strides.

The Magic Speed can fit the bill as the Endorphin Speed (rather than the Endorphin Shift) because the Magic Speed is also a carbon plated shoe. The Magic Speed differs from the MetaSpeed Edge/Sky in the foam that they use. The MetaSpeeds Edge/Sky use "FLYTEFOAM Turbo" and the Magic Speeds use "FLYTEFOAM BLAST"

I have used the Novablasts before which I think uses the same FF Blast as the Magic Speeds and its quite squishy. Close but not quite the same as Nike ZoomX. I have not used FF Turbo (or either the Edge or the Sky for that matter) so I can't offer much insight other than saying that at the very least it appears lighter.

TLDR: MetaSpeed Sky/Edge = Endorphin Pro and Magic Speed = Endorphin Speed

Edit: Quick edit for some clarity. The names of these shoes are so similar that my post read a little oddly...

 

[RW Staff 2]

7/13 UPDATE:

If you havent checked it out already, you'll definetely want to take a look at our most recent video with one of the leads in developing the MetaSpeed Sky and Edge. He goes a little bit into the idea of stride vs cadence and gives some very unique insights on the development. Worth a watch if you've been on the fence of trying the shoes out!

Connor
RW Staff

 

[imnothammer]

I think it is so interesting to see how much thought goes into shoe design now-a-days, it is no longer just "make it lighter!" I think his answer, that it like designing a car (where power, weight, and so many other variables will tie in to performance output), is right on the money.

The Sky and Edge are a particularly good example of how complex things have become and it highlights that there really isn't really a one size fits all answer for which shoe is best for which runner.

Great video all around - thanks for sharing.