Asics MetaRacer Running Shoe Review

Josh reviews the carbon-plated Asics MetaRacer road racing shoes and unveils the speed-driven technologies that make this propulsive ride a natural choice when it comes to leading the pack.

It’s engineered specifically for midfoot and forefoot runners seeking the responsive feel of a traditional racing flat from the ground up - allowing you to tackle fast-paced tempo runs, training and competition.

The MetaRacer has an ultra-light weight without compromise to durability. Hard-wearing AHAR rubber in high-wear zones translates to a race day shoe that can withstand repetitive impacts and clock up mileage on road surfaces without wearing down prematurely.

The Asics MetaRacer puts faster finishing times in your future. It boasts a free-feeling engineered mesh upper, FlyteFoam midsole for snappy cushioning and three-quarter carbon plate to conserve energy and crush your race from starting blocks to finish line.

Check out the review with full transcript below.

Hey guys, Josh here from Sportitude. It's fast shoe review time and it's going to be on the Asics MetaRacer. It comes in unisex colours and designs, but they’ve obviously called out the width specifics with D in men’s and B in ladies’.

This shoe is Asics crack at this carbon plate phenomenon that’s taking the racing world by storm. Every brand has their own unique point of difference. I'm going to call out everything Asics have done inside this shoe in comparison to the other carbon plate models out there.

Let's see if it could be a shoe that you can add to your race day collection. Without further ado let's get stuck in.

Like all my shoe reviews we'll talk all things outsole, touch on the midsole and discuss the upper. We’ll give you the insights you need at home to potentially make a purchase and add it to your race day collection.

Outsole

First things first, let's talk about what Asics have done with the outsole. They have their AHAR rubber that is usually placed in high impact areas with all their mileage running shoes. What they specifically do more often than not is place it in the heel of the shoe and then potentially come up to the midfoot if you're talking about a traditional mileage shoe.

This is a race day shoe. We're going to be talking about the runner that's up on that forefoot for an entry point and potentially coming back to midfoot. Therefore, from this little flex groove at the rearfoot to this little flex groove in the forefoot it is AHAR rubber. It is very durable and designed to wear very well on those high abrasive surfaces like your bitumen and road surfaces which is what this shoe is going to be tackling.

Midsole

The reason it is hard-wearing is purely and simply because it must protect the asset of this shoe, which is the midsole. The reason being is Asics introduced their carbon plate into this shoe. It is not like the other carbon plates on the market in the sense that it isn’t heel to forefoot like the full-length carbon plates from your Nike, Brooks, New Balance and Sauconys of the world.

It is a three-quarter carbon plate and it does dip down to the forefoot so it's a little bit closer to the ground. Asics have done that potentially to reduce the weight but to really target that forefoot to midfoot runner.

Early feedback is from athlete’s using this shoe and myself included after a couple of tempo runs is that it’s by no means the most cushioned carbon plate shoe that's on offer right now. If you’re wanting a cushioned carbon plate shoe I would say maybe don’t consider the Asics MetaRacer.

However, if you're a runner that enjoys the feeling of a traditional racing flat with a responsive feel underneath the foot but you’re lacking that propulsive feel – this would be one you could certainly consider.

The foam itself being FlyteFoam does have an element of impact dampening. It has some cushioning underneath your foot but it's not as soft as ZoomX foams from Nike, your foam from the New Balance FuelCell TC and the Saucony Endorphin Pro. They're a bit softer underneath the foot.

Asics understand where they sit in the whole scheme of things and have seen there's an opportunity for them to target runners that like that traditional feeling racing flat with the carbon plate. Kudos to Asics for finding that opportunity.

The stack height for the Asics MetaRacer is a 24mm heel height and 15mm forefoot height, so we're talking about a heel-to-toe offset of 9mm. This is interesting because we're seeing a lot of these carbon-plated shoes in and around that 8-10mm drop so it’s not far off.

Upper

Coming through to the upper of this shoe, it is a simple one-piece engineered mesh. There's nothing on top of this shoe that's designed to really lock the foot down because you want that lightweight, free-feeling shoe when you're talking about race day.

Keep in mind that there's no additional heel counter support. They have tightened the weave regarding the mesh at the back, so you get an element of lockdown and support. However, there's no additional internal heel counter or plastic wedge at the back.

As you come through to the forefoot it is nice and breathable with a strong upper. I really like what they've done in executing the feel of this upper. I think it complements what this shoe is all about underneath.

It is a very responsive shoe and you get an element of support up top without the additional weight of overlays which we've seen in the past with brands doing it to lock that foot down.

Widths and Sizing

In terms of the widths we're talking D for men’s and B for ladies’. If I must give a little feedback about the sizing it'd be to consider running half a size up. I have a pair of these in a size 9 and I've done a few gallops around. It was OK, but I'd potentially be entertaining a 9.5 if I was going to throw this into my race day collection. Just keep that in mind.

Obviously, if you have the luxury of going to a store and trying one on please do and potentially try half a size bigger, whether you're looking at men's or women's sizing.

As we touched on before, I want to make sure that you're aware that it’s not a full-length carbon plate, it’s a three-quarter carbon plate. It’s really looking at that forefoot to midfoot runner.

If you're a heel striker there might be too much of a disconnect between your impact area and your midfoot transition regarding where that carbon plate starts and where it finishes. If you're a heel striker I'd push this one to the side. There are other shoes out there on the market that you could be considering for race day.

If you’re a forefoot runner or midfoot runner wanting that responsive, familiar racing flat feel with that carbon plate propulsion, this is a shoe you could consider.

If you haven't subscribed to the Sportitude YouTube channel please do so. If you have any questions about the Asics MetaRacer please contact our Sportitude shoe experts. If you've been lucky enough to run in a pair please let us know what your thoughts are.

Until next time happy running and hopefully races are around the corner. We'll see you soon, take care.

FEATURES

• Support: Neutral, Lightweight
• Upper: Mesh
• Midsole: Asics FlyteFoam

• Heel Height: 24mm
• Forefoot Height: 15mm
• Offset / Drop: 9mm

Men

• Weight: 190g / 6.7oz
• Width: D (standard)

Women

• Weight: 155g / 5.5oz
• Width: B (standard)