Super shoes changed long-distance running for good. Brands paired carbon plates with taller stacks of lighter foam, and the clock started giving way. In April, the first sub-two-hour marathon was run in a record-eligible race. For decades, that number sat out of reach. Now every major brand is chasing that kind of speed.
ASICS is answering with the METASPEED RAY. After the University of Michigan celebrated the official ribbon-cutting of the ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center, a pioneering research effort aimed at advancing human performance and sport science, I immediately hit the track in the elite runner.
ASICS Legacy
ASICS entered the super shoe race in 2021 with the METASPEED SKY and METASPEED EDGE. The line kept evolving, with plus versions in 2022 and Paris models in 2024. In 2025, the Tokyo models arrived alongside something new, the RAY.
It is the lightest METASPEED ever. Its name comes from rei, the Japanese word for zero. The ASICS lineup starts with entry-level shoes for everyday runners and builds to faster models from there. The RAY sits at the very top.
METASPEED RAY
The RAY weighs 4.5 ounces in a men's size 9, and I was able to take it out for a run. It is incredibly light. Everyone likes to call shoes like this bouncy. I want to add a new word to the shoe canon: feedback. Bounce can be good or bad. Feedback is what the shoe tells you every time your foot strikes the ground, and the RAY gives you plenty.
The upper fits like a sock. It conforms around the foot, moves with you, and never feels restrictive. It also lacks the structure of a normal running shoe, and it isn't built for high mileage. I see the RAY as a shoe you save for the race itself.
Performance Technology
The full midsole is FF LEAP, the lightest and softest foam ASICS has ever made. It compresses fast at toe-off and rebounds, creating what ASICS calls a dynamic drop. Inside sits a minimal carbon plate that pushes you forward late in a race when your legs start to fade.
The stack measures 39.5mm at the heel and 34.5mm at the forefoot, a 5mm drop. The upper is MATRYX, a woven textile that keeps weight down while holding the foot in place. An ASICSGRIP outsole adds traction, even on wet roads. ASICS designed the RAY with forefoot strikers in mind.
Shopping Information
The METASPEED RAY is available now at asics.com for $300 in Aquarium/White, the same shade as the brand's Tokyo racers. It also comes in White/Cobalt Burst, Green Gecko/Black and White/Flash Red.
This is a true race day shoe. It is not a trainer, and it is not for everyday wear. The RAY comes out when you are chasing a record.
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