How Running’s Blandest Shoe Brand Transformed Into One of Its Boldest

Just a few years ago, Asics was on the outskirts, unfazed by the trends and innovations propelling Nike, Hoka and On toward the front of the pack.

In other words, the brand, seemingly stuck in the early 2000s, was dropped.

But times change, especially in running. And in the race against the hare, the tortoise usually finds its way.

In this story, Asics is Aesop’s fabled reptile, and fueling its newfound place on the podium is what may just be the best all-around shoe lineup in the entire sport.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Catching rays

At the tip of Asics’s spear is an upcoming $300 super shoe called the MetaSpeed Ray, scheduled for release in August.

Weighing a staggeringly light 4.5 ounces for a US men’s size 9, the easiest comp is the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo, originally released in 2023 and recently updated in April. Both versions clock in closer to 4.9 ounces.

Asics

Unlike Adidas’s racer, however, the MetaSpeed Ray boasts a new midsole compound made with aliphatic TPU — the same stuff in Puma’s Fast-R Nitro Elite lineup — which is quickly becoming the go-to foam for topline racers, thanks to unparalleled performance metrics.

Puma

According to Asics, the foam (branded as “FF Leap”) is 15 percent lighter, 13.7 percent bouncier and 30 percent softer than even its own PEBA-based formulas in the exceptionally quick MetaSpeed Sky Paris and MetaSpeed Edge Paris.

What’s more, it supposedly offers an increase of around 20 percent energy return compared to both models.

Asics

At the end of the day, you’ll have to take Asics’s word on the exact percentages. Regardless, they are so high that even a wild miscalculation could still place the MetaSpeed Ray among the top one percent of all shoes … ever.

It’s also starting with a lead: John Korir wore a version of the MetaSpeed Edge Tokyo, its predecessor, on his way to winning the 2025 Boston Marathon in April.

Value and versatility

Of course, super shoes rarely tell the whole story. And while the MetaSpeed series may be Asics’s current crown jewel, it’s the brand’s beloved trainers doing much of the heavy lifting in terms of turning its reputation around in the streets.

Perhaps the most notable of those is Superblast, a shoe so good, so versatile and so popular that it can be a race of its own to acquire a pair.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Runners who do, however, tend to agree: despite its lack of a plate, the workhorse trainer can handle any pace you throw at it. And unlike too many shoes today, it’s a tank in the durability department, justifying its high $200 price tag.

Asics

Asics Superblast 2

• $200 at Asics

Then there’s the Novablast, Asics’s more accessible do-it-all daily trainer — a reputation it’s maintained across five generations since the first one came out in 2020.

Asics

With a slightly softer midsole than the one Asics packs into the Superblast 2, the Novablast 5 excels at easy and long runs, where the pace can be variable but remains relatively tame.

Asics

Asics Novablast 5

• $140 at Asics

Also, at $140, it represents one of the best values on the market; the Hoka Clifton now retails for $150, as does the latest Brooks Ghost.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

These days, it’s hard for a brand to stand out. And whether Asics even wants to remains up for debate. The brand’s marketing efforts pale in comparison to its peers, and its tightly edited athlete roster contains few names that would resonate outside of dedicated running circles.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

However, Asics’s ascension in recent years is further proof that slow and steady tends to win the race. And when it comes to shoes, quality tends to speak for itself.

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