ASICS announces not one but two high-performance running shoes that take the power of human-centric design to the next level.
In an industry first, METASPEED™ Sky and METASPEED™ Edge have each been scientifically designed with a distinct type of running style in mind. The new racing shoes help elite athletes to reach the top of their game, because they don’t have to adjust their running style to fit the shoe anymore; instead, ASICS is giving them high-performance shoes that support their running style.
The shoes were unveiled at ASICS’ Innovation Summit 2021 – the brand’s annual showcase of the very pinnacle of new performance sportswear. This year ASICS hosted its first ever, fully personalised experience, taking guests on an interactive virtual reality journey through the past, present and future of the ASICS story and its longstanding commitment to human-centric design. The experience culminated in the grand reveal of its ground-breaking METASPEED™ innovation – the latest era-defining moment in this journey.
METASPEED™: Taking human-centric design to the next level
METASPEED™ Sky and METASPEED™ Edge see ASICS set the standard for human-centric design in 2021.
The unique design story behind the two new shoes centers on a crucial insight by scientists at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS). They recognised that the type of shoes powering the world’s fastest were only favouring one type of runner – STRIDE runners – those with a long-loping gait with large periods spent airborne who increase their speed by extending their stride length.
ASICS research however showed that these shoes do not fully support elite athletes who prefer the second major running style – CADENCE, which features smaller steps made while hovering over the ground with minimal up and down motion. Crucially, these runners increase their speed by both extending their stride length and increasing the number of steps they take per minute.
The sports scientists at the ISS were able to measure that athletes perform better when running in shoes that are optimised for their running style. Addressing the challenge, ASICS has created the METASPEED™ Sky for STRIDE runners and METASPEED™ Edge for those with a CADENCE style – both specially optimised and proven to improve runner’s performance for each of the two major running styles (*Based on research conducted by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in January 2021 which proved that STRIDE runners perform better in METASPEED™ Sky and Cadence runners in METASPEED™ Edge).
The launch of METASPEED™ Sky and METASPEED™ Edge means that runners will no longer having to adjust their running style to suit the shoe they’re wearing. With initial tests from ASICS already showing the METASPEED™ innovation could help reduce the number of steps for a runner to finish a marathon by over 1.2% (*Based research conducted by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in January 2021. Calculation is based on the average number of steps taken by Stride runners when wearing the METASPEED™ Sky shoe over the course of a marathon compared to ASICS’ previous pinnacle racing shoe, METARACER™.), it will give all elite runners the opportunity to reach peak performance.
Kenichi Harano, Executive Officer and Senior General Manager at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science said: “The METASPEED™ journey began with the simple insight that athletes run faster in shoes that are specially tailored for them. From here – we got to work. Following a lengthy, meticulous research and development process, METASPEED™ Sky and METASPEED™ Edge were born. Optimised for the two most prevalent running styles in elite runners, they are both at the very pinnacle of running innovation. Our initial tests are already showing them to have an impact on the times of the elite runners’ we’ve been working with. That’s why we’re so excited to be unveiling them to the world today.”
President & Chief Operating Officer of ASICS, Yasuhito Hirota said: “At ASICS we are driven by our founding principle: we want to help everyone achieve a sound mind in a sound body through sport. At the heart of this philosophy is an unwavering belief in the power of human-centric design to create products that deliver the perfect balance of peak performance and protection for every kind of athlete. With the pandemic placing huge restrictions on competitive sport across the globe, this longstanding obsession of ours has become supercharged for 2021. This year’s Innovation Summit and launch of METASPEED™ stands as a symbol of our continued commitment to help elite athletes achieve their potential, while cementing ASICS’ status as a pioneer of innovation in the running sector.”
The METASPEED™ Sky will be available in Malaysia via the ASICS website from April 2, 2021 and selected specialty retail stores from April 7, 2021. The METASPEED™ Edge will be available from June onwards. The METASPEED™ Sky will retail for RM 899.
ASICS is also inviting people around the world to experience the new shoes up close and personal like never before – in a virtual innovation lab, complete with a diagnostic tool to understand the type of runner they are. This is available as a web experience at www.asics.com/my/en-my/speed.
