ASICS Metaspeed Ray
£250
UK RRP
Midsole to scale · mm · red dashes mark the 40mm road limit
- Weight
- 129 g
- men's US 9
- Stack
- 39.5 / 34.5 mm
- heel / forefoot · drawn above, against the 40mm line
- Drop
- 5 mm
- Plate
- carbon fibre
- Foam
- FF Leap
- Stability
- demanding — rewards good form
- Competitive life
- ~130 km
- before the foam stops giving it back
- Built for
- Half · Marathon
Verdict
ASICS answering the Adios Pro Evo directly. At 129g it is the lightest shoe here, and it feels like almost nothing on the foot.
■ Caution
Stripped-back uppers and minimal outsole buy that weight saving. Expect a short competitive life and treat it as a race-day-only shoe.
Straight answers
- Is the ASICS Metaspeed Ray legal for road racing?
- Yes. The ASICS Metaspeed Ray measures 39.5mm at its highest point, 0.5mm 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 Metaspeed Ray weigh?
- 129g 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 Metaspeed Ray?
- 39.5mm at the heel and 34.5mm at the forefoot — a 5mm drop. A carbon-fibre plate runs through FF Leap.
- How long does the ASICS Metaspeed Ray last?
- We estimate roughly 130km of competitive life — the point at which the foam has degraded enough that you are no longer getting the benefit you paid £250 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 Metaspeed Ray good for a marathon?
- Yes — the marathon is one of the distances it is built for (half marathon and marathon). ASICS answering the Adios Pro Evo directly. At 129g it is the lightest shoe here, and it feels like almost nothing on the foot.
Legality by event
Metaspeed Ray at 39.5mm · every panel drawn to one scale
Road racing
40mm · 0.5 clear
Track events
20mm · 19.5 over
Field events
20mm · 19.5 over
Cross country (spiked shoes)
20mm · 19.5 over
Cross country (non-spiked)
40mm · 0.5 clear
Race walking
40mm · 0.5 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 Metaspeed Ray save you?
Time bought back
−3:19 – 4:40
Off 3:45:00, that lands you at 3:40:20 on the optimistic end.
- Per race
- £122
- ~2.1 races in the foam
- Per second
- £0.51
- whole-life basis
- Sticker
- £250
- UK recommended retail
Economy gain 3.7–4.9% 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.