Asics Metarun, the shoe of the future
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by Editorial staff
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Standing in the middle of the track. Heart pounding like a hammer while lungs burn like fire. There was little time to understand. The only option was to go all out, push at full speed to tire oneself as quickly as possible and put the Metarun through their paces. To see, in short, how the latest creation from Asics could keep a runner stable even when the weary legs start acting on their own.
We are at the Athletics track of Brunel University London and Asics has just presented its bet on the future, a sports shoe dedicated to long-distance running that encapsulates all the technology that the Japanese company is capable of. Something for a select few, as only 60,000 pairs will be available worldwide, at a hefty price tag of 250 euros, but will pave the way for a whole new generation of models, each benefiting differently from the technological advances achieved to create them.
I bend forward, exhausted. I am not a sprinter and I feel the impact. And while I struggle not to faint, I cannot help but think that at a very first and superficial test, the Metarun seem to deliver on their promises. Relatively light, they keep you on track. They protect the foot and ankle even though they are low. And they also seem to breathe well. I, however, am out of breath. The biting wind of a suddenly cold English afternoon wakes me up, a long afternoon during which I saw on stage first the CEO of Asics Emea Alistair Cameron, then the scientist in charge of the research center where the Metarun were developed, Tsuyoshi Nishiwaki. During the presentation, Cameron appeared excited: for the shoes, of course, but also because – as he confessed himself – he couldn’t wait to publicly announce that in six months he went from being just an amateur runner to a marathoner. And this was achieved by participating in the New York Marathon. The expression on Nishiwaki San’s face, on the other hand, is different: it’s a mix of pride and relief, that in some way resembles that of an athlete the day after a particularly challenging race. Perhaps because it comes from something very similar: from a very long race lasting three years, a period during which Tsuyoshi and his team of 42 scientists developed a shoe boasting four patents and five new technologies. A race with at least 300 obstacles, as many as the different innovative material blends experimented with before finding the right one. A race without compromises: on one hand, the freedom to act without time or budget constraints, using all the technological, economic, and human resources necessary. On the other, the incredible responsibility to redefine, develop, and relaunch the technological strength and future of Asics, a company at the forefront of the industry for at least 60 years. But Nishiwaki seems to have won his challenge. The three years of work to improve and innovate lightness, stability, fit, and cushioning of the running shoe don’t seem to have been in vain, as evidenced by the FlyteFoam midsole, made by incorporating organic fibers and made 55% lighter than industry standards, or the adaptruss system, which uses a carbon reinforcement to provide greater adaptive stability. Not to mention the optimized upper with an exoskeleton called MetaClutch, or the X-GEL hybrid gel formulation technology, which according to Asics technicians increases cushioning by 18%.
I start to feel cold. The test is over and it’s time to go back. I stand still for a moment to listen to what my body has to say, and I realize that everything aches except for my feet. It’s definitely a good sign. I look down and remember the words of Cameron and Nishiwaki: “We wanted to create the best Asics shoe ever.” I can’t help but notice that the comparison is only with oneself and one’s own limits, not with others. I think it’s very Japanese. And they might be right.
Text by Alessio Jacona