The Magic Speed is a impartial working shoe that Asics says is made for racing and a go-to for coaching runs. Unlike the Asics Metaspeed Sky and Edge, the Speed is a extra reasonably priced choice that grabs a few of the traits from these pricier efficiency sneakers and nonetheless provides you that fast, snappy feeling.
Asics makes use of its FF Blast midsole foam to supply a responsive and light-weight cushioning, with a half size carbon fibre plate and curved Guidesole rocker design to supply that ahead propulsion feeling with out feeling taxing on the legs.
The engineered mesh higher has a ventilated design to maintain issues breathable, with flat laces, a skinny tongue and a minimal heel collar holding the general weight of the shoe down. Underfoot, the outsole is created from two forms of rubber to ensure it’s sturdy and is constructed to excel in each moist and dry roads.
It’s a shoe that feels nicest at faster paces, and whereas cushioning is slightly on the agency aspect, it’s properly responsive and it nonetheless seems like a managed and secure shoe to run in too.
Combine that with a lightweight, skinny higher that delivers a locked down match, and it’s a effectively priced shoe that holds up effectively in opposition to different fast every day trainers just like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 and the Puma Velocity Nitro.
Review pattern offered by SportShoes.
The Asics MagicSpeed was launched in March 2021m and prices £145 / $150 / AU$250 from Asics.
The Magic Speed see Asics proceed its love-in with a dawn crimson and white colorway that began on the Metaracer, and now we have zero complaints about it sticking round for the Speed. This is one other nice looker that feels made for racing.
Aside from its eye-catching look and curved silhouette, it’s a pleasingly mild shoe as effectively, weighing in at 187g for the ladies’s shoe and round 230g for the lads’s choice. It’s not fairly as mild because the Metaspeed Sky, nevertheless it’s across the identical weight as equally priced sneakers like Saucony’s Endorphin Speed 2.
A number of that's right down to the mesh higher, which is skinny and perforated to maintain issues ventilated and breathable. There are flat laces to get a superb locked-down match, and there’s little or no to the tongue, which after some small enjoying round sits snugly in opposition to the highest of the foot. Asics has gone minimal on the heel collar too, however look contained in the shoe and you may see there's just a bit padding to stop that skinny collar from rubbing into the again of the heel.
The match undoubtedly veers extra on the slim aspect, so some with wider ft may discover it comfortable. Our UK dimension 8 was effective with our slim ft, with sufficient room up within the toe field, nevertheless it’s undeniably a shoe that you simply may need to discover your dimension choices with.
Specs-wise, it has a 5mm drop just like the Metaspeed Sky, with a barely increased 29mm stack top within the forefoot and 34mm stack top on the heel. Asics’ EVA-based Flytefoam Blast cushioning is planted within the midsole, holding the load of the shoe down but in addition ensures it is sturdy. This is a shoe constructed to face up to common pounding.
There’s a carbon plate right here too, nevertheless it’s not a full size one. Instead, it covers the curved forefoot to present you that ahead propulsion feeling that carbon will help to ship.
In the outsole, Asics is utilizing a mix of rubbers to supply sturdy abrasion resistance to ensure it doesn’t rapidly put on down and supply lots in the best way of traction. It doesn’t totally cowl the outsole, with some foam uncovered on the heel, however the grooved design within the forefoot follows that curved sole design to make it a nimble shoe whenever you’re twisting and turning round trickier routes and programs.
The Magic Speed runs very in a different way to the Metaspeed Sky, however that’s not an enormous shock when that shoe is admittedly Asics’ reply to Nike's Vaporfly and Alphafly sneakers. There are additionally some noticeable variations within the higher, cushioning and the distances they appear to excel at.
In a 10k race, the general feeling was that whenever you need to run rapidly on this shoe, you’re rewarded. Asics’ Flytefoam Blast midsole foam feels firmer than the Flytefoam Blast Turbo foam used on the Metaspeed Sky and foams utilized in rival sneakers like Saucony’s Endorphin Speed 2. It’s responsive at pace although, and that half-length carbon plate and Guidesole rocker imply it provides a noticeable ahead push with out being aggressive.
It was an identical story for tempo runs and interval observe periods. When you decide up the tempo, this shoe feels snappy and pleasant to run in, however by no means provides you that unstable really feel like you may get on some excessive stacked, full size carbon plate sneakers.
On longer coaching runs, it’s an general snug shoe, and one that may lend itself to these greater stints. When you drop the pace although, and even stroll, it merely does not really feel like a superb match for these gradual, straightforward paces.
While that higher is pleasingly mild, snug and goes minimal with the heel collar, the strategically positioned padding inside means it is secure to run in, too. The rubber outsole provides satisfying grip on dry and moist roads, and feels extra sturdy than the Metaspeed Sky.
When we ventured off highway the sensation underfoot wasn’t nice, so it’s one to undoubtedly keep on with highway and observe working if you'd like it to go the space on the sturdiness entrance.
If you examine the Magic Speed to what else you may get in at round this value, you’re trying on the likes of the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2, the Hoka One One Carbon X2 and even the cheaper Puma Velocity Nitro.
The Speed 2 and Velocity Nitro undoubtedly feels extra versatile by way of working at a spread of paces, whereas the X2 has extra spacious, accommodating higher and plusher cushioning too. The Magic Speed is in good firm right here although and is general a shoe that’s been pleasant to run rapidly in.
You need a speedy every day shoe
If you’re searching for one thing for tempo and interval periods, that’s the place the MagicSpeed actually excels.
You need a mild, supportive higher
Asics has saved the load down, however does supply help in the proper locations to supply a secure and managed journey.
You need a softer journey
The cushioning on the MagicSpeed is slightly on the agency aspect, which gained’t be for everybody.
You need one thing for simple miles
The clue is within the identify. This is one which’s constructed for pace and isn’t actually a do-it all shoe.
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