ASICS Magic Speed 5
£150
UK RRP
Midsole to scale · mm · red dashes mark the 40mm road limit
- Weight
- 196 g
- men's US 9
- Stack
- 37.5 / 30.5 mm
- heel / forefoot · drawn above, against the 40mm line
- Drop
- 7 mm
- Plate
- carbon fibre
- Foam
- FF Blast Turbo
- Stability
- stable and forgiving
- Competitive life
- ~500 km
- before the foam stops giving it back
- Built for
- 10K · Half · Marathon
Verdict
The best entry point to carbon. Real plate, real super foam, durable enough to train in, and about half the price of the flagships.
■ Caution
The foam is a tier below FF Turbo+ and you will feel it over 30km. For a first marathon it is more than enough.
Straight answers
- Is the ASICS Magic Speed 5 legal for road racing?
- Yes. The ASICS Magic Speed 5 measures 37.5mm at its highest point, 2.5mm inside the World Athletics 40mm road limit. The limit only binds Applicable Competitions; most club and local races apply no shoe rule at all.
- How much does the ASICS Magic Speed 5 weigh?
- 196g in a men's US 9 (UK 8), by the manufacturer's stated figure. Weight moves roughly 3.5% per UK size step, so a UK 11 weighs materially more than the spec sheet says.
- What is the stack height and drop of the ASICS Magic Speed 5?
- 37.5mm at the heel and 30.5mm at the forefoot — a 7mm drop. A carbon-fibre plate runs through FF Blast Turbo.
- How long does the ASICS Magic Speed 5 last?
- We estimate roughly 500km of competitive life — the point at which the foam has degraded enough that you are no longer getting the benefit you paid £150 for, not the point at which the shoe falls apart. Spread over race cycles, that is what the cost-per-race figure on this page is built from.
- Is the ASICS Magic Speed 5 good for a marathon?
- Yes — the marathon is one of the distances it is built for (10k, half marathon and marathon). The best entry point to carbon. Real plate, real super foam, durable enough to train in, and about half the price of the flagships.
Legality by event
Magic Speed 5 at 37.5mm · every panel drawn to one scale
Road racing
40mm · 2.5 clear
Track events
20mm · 17.5 over
Field events
20mm · 17.5 over
Cross country (spiked shoes)
20mm · 17.5 over
Cross country (non-spiked)
40mm · 2.5 clear
Race walking
40mm · 2.5 clear
Mountain and trail
no limit
Drawn from the manufacturer’s stated stack height, which is not the measurement World Athletics takes — the rule is measured on a men’s US 8.5 sample, and larger sizes may legally exceed it. An indication, not a ruling. Limits bind Applicable Competitions; most club and local races apply no shoe rule at all. What that means in practice.
Reading — what would the Magic Speed 5 save you?
Time bought back
−1:23 – 2:38
Off 3:45:00, that lands you at 3:42:22 on the optimistic end.
- Per race
- £19
- ~7.9 races in the foam
- Per second
- £0.16
- whole-life basis
- Sticker
- £150
- UK recommended retail
Economy gain 2–3.1% v. a traditional flat, adjusted for pace and your current shoes. Full method.
Manufacturer-stated specs unless marked estimated · last reviewed 2026-09-04 · prices are UK RRP; check the retailer for the live figure.