The Asics Metaspeed Ray is the lightest carbon plate racing shoe from Asics yet, and sits above the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and Edge Tokyo in the brand’s range. It’s a phenomenal racer, and certainly one of the best carbon plate running shoes available, but it’s also highly unstable and lacks durability, and won’t suit every runner.

Design & Key Stats

  • Price: £265/$300
  • Weight: 136g/4.8oz (men’s UK 9 / US 10)
  • Drop: 5mm
  • Stack height: 39.5mm heel, 34.5mm forefoot
  • Upper: Matryx upper
  • Midsole: FF Leap foam with teardrop carbon plate
  • Outsole: AsicsGrip rubber, minimal coverage

Asics Metaspeed Ray review

How’s The Fit

Nick, Mike and Kieran tested the Asics Metaspeed Ray for our review and we’d suggest sticking to your normal running shoe size, but be aware the Ray has a tight and quite narrow fit with minimal padding, as is often the case with racing shoes.

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The Run Test: Likes

The Asics Metaspeed Ray is the lightest racing shoe we’ve ever tested, and that lack of weight is always a plus in a shoe designed for fast running. Even on tired legs it’s easy to pick up your feet, and while durability is going to be a concern with such a minimal design, it feels amazing to run fast in a featherweight like this.

It’s also an incredibly soft and springy shoe. The FF Leap foam in the midsole delivers a huge amount of bounce and even though your foot sinks deep into the foam at the heel, where there is no carbon plate, it quickly springs back up so you don’t lose any pace.

We found the Metaspeed Ray particularly enjoyable for cruising through workouts at half marathon and marathon race paces, but it does also feel good for shorter, faster reps. The instability is more pronounced at those paces, though, whereas it feels a bit more controlled at marathon pace in particular, when you can harness the bounce in the Ray without wobbling as much.

The Run Test: Dislikes

The very soft midsole foam and lack of a full-length plate mean that the Metaspeed Ray is one of the most unstable racers we’ve tried, and that will be off-putting to lots of runners. Even other carbon racers have more stability thanks to their full-length plates.

It’s also not a durable shoe, and you will see wear on exposed foam on the outsole after just a few runs. If you do opt for the Ray, then use it sparingly to ensure it’s still in good condition on race day.

Verdict And Alternatives

For some runners, the Asics Metaspeed Ray will be one of the best running shoes they’ve ever tried. It’s unbelievably soft and springy, and very fun to run fast in. It’s also highly effective and efficient, and there’s no doubt that the Ray is one of the standout racers on the market for longer events in particular.

However, it’s unstable, lacks durability and some will prefer the more reliable setup of a carbon shoe with a full-length plate, including the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and Edge Tokyo, or the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, which are all very light as well.

None of those shoes are as soft and bouncy as the Metaspeed Ray, but they are top racers and might help you hold your form longer during events like the marathon, and be more supportive in the last few miles as well.

The Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 is another notably soft and bouncy shoe which does have a full-length plate, and while its foam is not quite as energetic as the FF Leap in the Ray, it’s a good alternative for those worried about the durability of the Asics.