The ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris offers a supremely light and lively ride for the pacier runner.
The Asics Metaspeed Edge Paris is a running shoe that’s built for speed. It’s made for runners who want a shoe that’s supremely light, bouncy and comes to life whatever distance you’re running.
Like previous iterations of the Metaspeed Edge, the Edge Paris sits alongside the Metaspeed Sky as a shoe made specifically for the one of the two main running styles that runners fall into when picking up the pace. The Edge is for ‘cadence runners’ who increase the frequency of their steps when they pick up the pace.
Like Nike and Adidas racing shoes, you’re going to have to pay big for the Edge Paris, so are they worth it? I’ve been wearing the Edge Paris for faster runs and some racing action to find out if it has the edge on the competition.
Men’s Fitness verdict
A lightweight running shoe for when you want to go faster, but its speedy counterpart the Metaspeed Sky Paris is the better of ASICS’ two racing shoes.- Bouncy, lively feeling at faster paces
- Lightweight design
- Offers good protection
- Outsole may not be the most rugged
- A touch firmer than the Metaspeed Sky Paris
- Slightly unstable when legs tire
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ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris features and fit
The Edge Paris is a shoe designed to disappear on your feet. Its predecessor the Edge+ (green shoe, below middle) weighed in at just over 200g, and the Edge Paris drops to 179g in my UK size 8. That makes it one of the lightest top-tier racing shoes out there, only beaten by ASICS’ other racing shoe, the Metaspeed Sky Paris.
Asics shaves that weight from all areas. It starts at the upper, which moves from version 1.0 to 2.0 of its Motion Wrap material. It’s an engineered mesh upper made half from recycled materials, that’s almost paper-like to touch and manages to both feel roomy and secure. In my size 8, I felt the fit was very good throughout. Though it might be a touch long in the toes for some. That wasn’t a problem during my runs, but it might be a reason for some to go half a size down from usual.
User experience
Those weight reductions continue through to the lacing and skinny tongue. As a combination they take some playing around with to get into the optimal position. But once you nail it, it does stay put. There is some gentle padding around the heel collar to keep things comfortable. I certainly didn’t feel any rubbing around my Achilles.
Below the lightweight upper lies a level of cushioning that matches the Metaspeed Sky in height and includes ASICS’ latest foam. It’s now FF Blast Turbo+, a PEBA-based foam that’s pretty sprightly. It’s why other racing shoes opt for similar foams. That’s combined with a carbon plate to add propulsion to that bounce and create a more efficient running experience. I found it helped keep my legs fresher, particularly over longer distances. The carbon plate design is a scooped one and sits inside a curved sole design to help runners conserve more energy with each step. Hence its suitability for the cadence-style runners ASICS says the Edge Paris is designed for.
At the outsole, Asics focused on keeping rubber coverage to a minimum, with mainly the front and outside areas taking care of the gripping duties. A sizable chunk at the centre of the outsole exposes the now lighter, bouncier foam.
ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris performance
I’ve run and raced in the Metaspeed Edge+ and in previous Metaspeed Sky shoes. While I consider myself a cadence runner, which should mean the Edge should be more suited to my running style, I’ve actually ended up getting on with the Sky more and ran my fastest marathon in it.
I’ve reserved using the Edge Paris for runs at my 5k, 10k, marathon and half marathon race paces. I also took them for a speedy Parkrun outing. On all of those quicker runs I really felt that bounce from the FF Blast Turbo+. I also enjoyed the aggressive rocker sensation that gets your feet quickly turning over. On shorter, sharper runs it reminded me of running in the Nike Vaporfly 3 and that’s definitely a good thing. It’s got that snappy and responsive feel you should feel from a racing shoe.
I found that the previous Edge was more comfortable at anywhere from 5k to half marathon distances, with the scope to go further if you prefer the slightly firmer overall feeling you get compared to the Metaspeed Sky. I still found that on longer runs at my marathon and half marathon paces, the Edge definitely benefits from more of ASICS’ foam, though I’d still prefer the softer edge of the same foam and the flatter carbon plate you do get on the Metaspeed Sky Paris.
Stability and outsole
This is a shoe that wants you to stay speedy, so when you ease off it feels slightly less stable. I found that especially when I tired during longer runs and my running form fell off. On the flip side, my legs didn’t feel beaten up the day after harder sessions in the Edge Paris.
What will get beaten up if you choose to do all your running in them is the outsole. ASICS’ latest foam seems to offer better resilience than previous foams, especially at the heel where most of the exposed foam lies. It’s still one I’d reserve for racing and runs in a training block when you’re running at your target race pace. While there’s not a huge amount of rubber there, the gripping is good for roads and pavements. Just don’t go wandering on trails with them as you’ll quickly regret it.
The Metaspeed Edge Paris is a superb shoe to run quickly in and has all the qualities of a standout modern racing shoe. It’s a great fit to run longer in, though the problem the Edge Paris has is that there’s also the Sky Paris. The slightly softer edge the Sky Paris carries over long distances without losing its speedy edge makes it the ASICS racing shoe to go for most whatever your running style may be.
ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris technical specs
| Materials | Mesh Motion Wrap 2.0 upper, PEBA-based FF Blast Turbo+ foam, ASICSGRIP rubber outsole |
| Weight | 179g / 6.3oz (UK men’s size 8) |
| Colors | Orange / Safety Yellow and Black |
| Sizes | 2.5 – 12 |
