Asics MetaFuji Trail Review: Risk Equals Reward

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Asics MetaFuji Trail

TAYLOR: Back in the dawn of the super shoe era, when the trail world was still a few years behind, I found myself dreaming of the possibilities. This was right around the time when the Believe in the Run team ran the Ekiden Challenge with Asics. We all got a pair of the original Asics Metaspeed for our leg of the event, and, as the trail guy, I was ecstatic to try on something that felt revolutionary. In 2021, it was a mind-blowing experience, but we’ve come so much further now that we’re in 2024.

Sure, at the time, we already had the first plated trail shoe, The North Face’s Flight Vectiv. It had some super-ness to it, with an aggressive rocker and stiff plate, but it lacked that foam compression and sweet release of energy upon toe-off. The Metaspeed Sky, on the other hand, had those things. It felt so good that I had to sign a mental pact with myself not to take it offroad. As much as I wanted to ramble the trails, the only direction I could go in that shoe was straight — like it was designed for.

Soon after, Asics blessed us with shoes like the Fuji Lite 2 and Trabuco Max 2. Both were surprise hits, building my anticipation for the day Asics would one day enter the trail racing realm. Well, that day has come at long last. Here we are with the first trail-ready Asics super shoe, one based on the very same Metaspeed line that brought me so much excitement back in the day.

I’ll admit that I’m somewhat surprised this shoe ever made it to market, and, in some ways, I’ll try to keep that element of surprise throughout the course of this review. Here’s why…

REESE: Asics certainly knows how to make an impression. When I first opened the box, I felt a mix of uncertainty, skepticism, excitement, and at least a little bit of curiosity about how the MetaFuji Trail would work. It’s neon, it has a massive midsole, and it looks almost like I’d been sent a road shoe by mistake. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the tread, which indeed had “trail running” written all over it.

My first actual experience in the shoe was when I slipped it on for a dog walk, which, honestly, was overkill. I’m not quite at the stage where I need the energy return of a super foam and a carbon fiber plate for a walk with the dogs, but maybe I’ll get there one day. In the meantime, I really want to like — or at least embrace — super shoes. I want something that makes me faster, stronger, and maybe even a little taller, but I’ve been let down so far.

Still, I went into the MetaFuji Trail with high hopes. Asics packed a ton of technology into this one shoe, and there had to be something good to come from it, right?

SAM: The Asics Metafuji Trail is actually insane. I feel like Taylor and Reese danced around this point a little in their intros, and I just want to make sure that it’s stated clearly upfront before we dive into why insanity may (or may not be) good. This shoe is wild, and I’m a little surprised you can actually buy it in the Year of Our Lord 2024.

It features a full length forked carbon fiber plate sandwiched between Asics’ premiere foams (FF Blast Turbo and FF Blast Plus) with a total (and totally bonkers) stack height of 44 mm in the heel and 39 mm in the forefoot. Plus, it has Asics’ respected Motion Wrap TR upper, almost matching the Metaspeed series. That extra TR moniker means there’s some extra reinforcement at play, which is a good thing, cause the rest of this shoe screams danger.

You’ll see a lot of comparisons to the Asics Metaspeed Sky and Edge throughout this review. That’s because this shoe looks and feels suspiciously like Asics’ vaunted road racers. In fact, the MetaFuji Trail came about because Asics professional ultrarunner Andreu Simon got a cobbler to put a trail outsole on a Metaspeed for a European race. Asics got wind of that, and started production on what eventually became this shoe. In its most primordial form, the Metafuji Trail was just a Metaspeed for trails.

If I can allow myself a little bit of a spoiler, the Asics Metafuji Trail is mostly the good type of insane. It’s Tara Dower’s Appalachian Trail FKT insane, or maybe the specific type of insane that Travis Pastrana’s Nitro Circus flaunts in viral YouTube videos. This is a shoe that scares and excites you at the same time, but what we all really want to know is: does the excitement outweigh the fear?

What we like about the Asics MetaFuji Trail

TAYLOR: When the gettin’ is good for the Metafuji Trail, the going is great! I’m just throwing that blanket over this section. This is the type of shoe that absolutely shines in a specific scenario, even if it’s not obvious from Asics’ description. If you’ve got a gravel road or a light trail, you’re in for a treat.

Overall, it feels like a super shoe. The MetaFuji Trail is snappier than a crab being chased by a seagull. On the right terrain, there was nothing (besides my own fitness) to keep me from churning my legs quickly and efficiently. I’d even go so far as to say it’s the zippiest of the trail super shoes you can buy. It reminds me of a cross between the Adidas Terrex Agravic Ultra and the Saucony Endorphin Edge — the density is similar to the first, and the liveliness matches the second. And hey, all three of those shoes have aggressive rockers to maximize the effectiveness of their foams and plates, it’s like having three of a kind.

I particularly like the layer of FF Blast Turbo directly underfoot. It’s Asics’ top-end super foam that’s lightweight and highly responsive. You get a mix of that responsiveness but also plenty of comfort as the layer your foot sits on. I wouldn’t call it squishy, but it’s enough to keep you from feeling that carbon fiber plate. Below that, FF Blast Plus provides a more stable yet still cushioned base. It’s the same recipe found in the Superblast line, and it really works well for going fast on light terrain.

Both foams are separated (and enhanced) by a stiff forked plate. The one Asics chose makes for a unique ride on the trail, one that actually became softer and snappier as I added up the miles. So long as I landed on my midfoot or forefoot, the MetaFuji Trail felt neutral and even somewhat stable at times. For a 44 mm stack, that’s no joke.

Thankfully, Asics constructed an upper that balances out the underfoot nicely. It’s mostly a highly-technical engineered TPE material with Pebax yarn to bridge the foot. I’d say it reminds me of something like the Nike Ultrafly, which is a good thing. Asics did exactly what it needed to because a shoe like this needs a structured and supportive yet light and breathable upper. I don’t even think there’s much of a need for overlays on the MetaFuji Trail, but there are a couple of them spread across the toebox, which certainly add to its durability — well, those and the PEBAX yarn that runs through the upper to create a seamless structure and assist with lockdown.

I’ve always known that I can trust an Asics heel counter, and the MetaFuji Trail keeps that up. It has a moderately cushioned heel cup that’s sturdy but stout, lending just enough comfort. Considering the fact that I often worry about heel construction come race day, I’d say Asics once again made a smart call. The laces are another wise decision, as Asics brought its serrated strands over from the road side. They stayed tied without issue, and the jagged little teeth sat in place while the miles clicked off.

Oh, and AsicsGrip will always get a shout from me. It’s tacky and durable and took on any terrain that I fed to it without issue — well, except for a few steps in some sand.

REESE: Up first, the good — there’s so much to love about this shoe, and I’ll start with the simple things. Taylor is right, these laces rule. They’re serrated, and they don’t freakin’ move during the run. If you’re racing, you don’t want to stop every two miles to retire your shoe, and Asics knows that. The laces allowed me to find a tight fit, yet I never had to cinch down so far that I created hotspots. The volume of the upper was perfect, too — slightly roomy to allow for foot swelling, yet snug enough to keep me from drifting.

Honestly, Asics thought through every material it selected for this shoe. I love the Motion Wrap TR upper, which is made of at least 50% recycled material. Not only does it feel good on foot, but it feels good to know that the MetaFuji Trail is at least halfway environmentally aware. The material is so lightweight that it’s almost see-through, yet it’s fairly robust and resilient thanks to the PEBAX threading. And, of course, a see-through upper always earns points for breathability.

Up next is the midsole. Oh, the midsole. It’s the star of the show on the MetaFuji Trail, and I have a love-hate relationship with it. Let’s start with the love, though. I’ve never been one for max-cushion shoes, but they’re slowly winning me over. Not all of them, but I do have a soft spot for a mix of a rocker, a carbon plate, and an incredibly springy foam. Check, check, and check.

As Taylor said, Asics nailed the dual-foam midsole setup. The FF Turbo shines when placed right under my foot, yet the FF Blast Plus keeps me feeling a bit more stable without dampening the bounce. It’s plush, lively, and almost like it belongs in a road shoe. Then, you add the carbon fiber full-length plate, shaped and positioned to provide disciplined propulsion, and you’re on another level. Each stride feels efficient and powerful.

The first time I ran in this shoe (post dog walk), I was attempting to stay at a slow recovery pace, but the shoe basically forced me to pick it up. The roll-through and push-off are chef’s kiss (or kisses) — so smooth, so effortless. It genuinely feels like I’ve got a little extra help pushing me forward faster.

I know I’ve probably made it sound like this shoe is built for the road more than the trails, but the outsole will put that concern to rest. The AsicsGrip rubber is incredibly grippy. I tried to push it to its limits, testing if it would slip up, but it held its ground every time. It felt like taking an overly lifted truck with rugged tires off-roading, trying to get it stuck on rocky terrain — but I never did. I was able to hop from one off-camber rock to the next with ease, never losing traction. This leads me to my next section…

SAM: I was a little terrified of the Asics MetaFuji Trail when I first slipped it on. As I said above, it feels and looks suspiciously like the Metaspeed series when worn casually, and the towering 44 mm stack of squishy, wobbly FF Blast Turbo in the heel seems to constantly suggest a twisted ankle. All my instincts told me that taking off down a trail with a lightly modified Metaspeed strapped to my feet was, by all accounts, insane.

Fortunately, once you have trail underfoot and transition to a running cadence, all that instability basically disappears. What looks and feels suspiciously like a road racer is, in reality, a fine-tuned super shoe specifically for trail use, as Taylor and Reese have elaborated on above. The FF Blast+ and FF Blast Turbo combination really is something else, and the two foams and forked plate work harmoniously to create a lively and quick turnover with stability that belies the massive stack height in the shoe. With a midfoot strike, the foam platform underneath the front half of your foot is firm and wide enough to offer all the confidence you need, and the softer heel hangs around mostly for shock absorption.

With such a high stack, I went into my test miles expecting a go-straight kind of shoe — the kind you reserve for rail trails and softly undulating ridgelines. Shockingly, The Asics Metafuji Trail takes corners like a boss. Tearing down winding switchbacks at speed is an absolute joy, and I wove between root clusters and mud pits (which together make up something like 55% of mid-Atlantic trails) with the kind of nimbleness reserved for shoes with a much lower stack. There was no hint of my ankles wobbling and no suggestion that I was taking the Metafuji Trail somewhere it was not expressly designed to go.

Much of this is due to the upper. I noted above that the upper on this shoe is similar to what’s found on the Metaspeed series, but here, it has some Goldilocks upgrades for trail use. There are plenty of structured overlays for protection, an ideally placed lace garage, a well-built and comfortable heel, and a midfoot wrap that provides security and comfort. Best of all, the whole package is light and extra breathable.

All of this makes for a zippy trail shoe that feels as though it’s constantly nudging you to go faster. Fortunately, those faster speeds are supported by the AsicsGrip outsole, which is just supremely tacky in all terrains and conditions. Sure, the lugs aren’t all that deep, but as you’ll see below, the terrains this shoe is suited best for don’t require excess lug depth anyway.

What we don’t like about the Asics MetaFuji Trail

TAYLOR: The MetaFuji Trail deserves a lot of praise, but it’s still an incredibly terrain-dependent shoe. Many of Asics’ athletes at UTMB only wore the MetaFuji Trail for specific segments of the race, if at all, with most preferring the Fujispeed 3 for the bulk of the miles. That shoe is another carbon-plated option that’s structurally simpler and lower to the ground for high mountain ascents. If you stick to less technical trails with some moderate terrain sprinkled in, you should be fine.

Keep it in its lane, ya hear? Reese will tell you more about this.

My main complaint about the Asics Metafuji Trail was the heel. As I said, it’s nicely structured and comfortable, but my heel got a little lift that was more annoying than functionally detrimental. It mostly happened on steep hills, and I’ve tried a few lacing techniques in order to mitigate the lift. Luckily, each helped a bit. At the end of the day, I’m still on the hunt for the best way to secure the heel without decreasing blood flow to my toes, but it’s getting better.

Unfortunately, I had some heel issues on the descent, too. Be very wary of steeper plummets or slamming on the brakes because instability can happen in an instant. The slimmer heel, softer FF Blast Plus, and minimal plate stability quickly turned a confident, fast run into a brake-checking excursion. Before long, I realized that I simply had to strike further forward, and I’d remain stable. A new mantra kept whispering in the back of my head on downhills, “Just keep leaning forward, you’ll be fine!” Famous last words.

If we haven’t drilled this point in your head enough, this shoe is really terrain-limited for best use.

REESE: I really want to love this shoe. I want to run in it all the time. I want it to be my go-to race shoe. But I also want to avoid breaking my ankles, which is why I haven’t been using it for every run since I unboxed it. Here’s the thing — the combination of the rocker, the plush foam, and the Bosu ball-like stability under the forefoot spells disaster on a trail. On a road or dirt path, sure, it’s totally fine and even enjoyable. But on a trail? Those elements create a perfect storm.

And I’m not even talking about super technical trails — just anything with a bit of undulation that requires you to pay attention to your footing. In my experience, on a short mountain run in the MetaFuji, I was cruising downhill and had a slightly off landing—not unusual in trail running. But with the MetaFuji, that minor misstep turned into a disaster. My ankle snapped to the side, and I heard a popping sound, immediately followed by an involuntary stream of expletives. I’m not exaggerating when I say this: it was the worst ankle sprain I’ve had in a decade — we’re talkin’ Robbe-esque. I hobbled downhill, and by the time I got home, my ankle was the size of a tennis ball. This shoe is as stable as our economy. In other words, it’s not stable at all.

The only other gripe I have is small in comparison to the stability. I typically like a shoe with a narrow heel, something like The North Face’s Summit Vectiv Sky, and I thought this shoe had a great fit, but when running uphill, I noticed my heel pulling up and away from the shoe. No matter how I tied the shoe, I couldn’t lock my heel in place on hills. But to my first point, I don’t know if I can truly wear this shoe on trails, so perhaps this is all about trails being the wrong application for this shoe. Am I gaslighting myself?

SAM: Any time I ran up on anything technical — or even just a steeper downhill — in the Asics Metafuji Trail, I’d hear Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry in the back of my head, “You need to ask yourself: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do you, punk?” And you know, I think my biggest problem with this shoe is that I just don’t ever feel that lucky. The stack is so high, and the heel is so narrow that fear shoots up into my throat, and I throw on the brakes to pick my way through the section. Jumping into a technical section of trail at speed in these is like playing Russian roulette with your ankles, and I’m unfortunately not a betting man.

This shoe might not be quite as precarious as the Saucony Endorphin Edge, which seemed like it constantly wanted to buck you off the side of the trail, but it definitely inspires no confidence on anything sketchy or technical. The thing is, I really don’t think it’s even all that bad in the rough. The Asicsgrip rubber is plenty tacky, and there’s enough structure in the upper that, were one willing to put their ankles entirely on the line, the Metafuji trail would probably be willing to service. But I don’t want to do that.

I’m not bouncing over rock fields with more than a trade paperback’s thickness of foam under my foot. I rolled my ankle in this shoe with a misstep on a crack in a parking lot. My ankles are sturdy, and it was minor, but even if this shoe has the stuff, and I had the gumption to throw it at long stretches of really gnarly trail, one distraction, and my day ends like Reese’s did.

Final thoughts on the Asics MetaFuji Trail

TAYLOR: Running in the Asics MetaFuji Trail is like driving a sports car: Some grip and a whole lot of rip. There are definite limits, though. If you can run smoother terrain, gravel roads, or crossover from pavement to light trail scenario, this shoe will literally bring a smile to your face. With that being said, that same smile can be flipped faster than my granddad does a flapjack if you push it too far.

Even though it doesn’t have the same terrain range as The North Face Summit Vectiv Pro 2 or Adidas Terrex Agravic Ultra, it is best in class when on smoother, faster landscapes.

REESE: Sigh, another super shoe that isn’t super. At least not for trail running. I’ve been thinking about this shoe and my love-hate relationship with it, and it brings me back to a game that anyone with a pulse probably played in high school: Kiss, marry, kill. For family-friendly reasons, I’ll modify it from its original name, but the point stands. This shoe is all three.

I want to marry it; I want to be with it forever and do what I can to make it work, even though I know it’s a doomed love. When I realize that it’s a doomed love, I want to kill it and throw it away… either that or it wants to kill me via a broken ankle on the side of a mountain. As for the kiss? Well, that’s when I’ll be kissing my ass goodbye as I fly down the side of the mountain, ignoring the red flags of instability in the name of fun. It whispered sweet nothings into my ear, and I let the looks take me away.

Look, things aren’t stable with the MetaFuji Trail and me right now (pun intended). It’s complicated. We’re taking a break for a little bit until we figure out how we’re going to move forward. If we can move forward, maybe it means we can just see each other on Tuesdays and Thursdays during speed workouts on dirt roads. I’m willing to work on rebuilding our trust and working through this… technical… spot.

But in case other super fish are thinking about swimming my way or if anyone from Asics is reading this, please make this shoe more stable. It’s SO close to being amazing.

SAM: You can consider me surprised by the insanity of the Asics Metafuji Trail. This shoe is fast, poppy, and a blast to rip down winding trails in. It belies its massive stack height with quick and nimble performance that is commensurate with its premium components. I’d still stick to light to medium-duty trails with this one, and it helps out a lot if you can trust your ankles, but I agree with Taylor: the Asics Metafuji Trail is a best-in-class plated trail racer for all distances on trails where you won’t run into anything technical. A narrow use case? Maybe, but you should wind your way through a hairpin switchback in this shoe and see just how worthwhile it is.

You can pick up the Asics MetaFuji Trail for $250 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the buttons below.