ASICS launches two new shoes

ASICS has launched two high-performance running shoes that take the power of human-centric design to the next level. 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 unique design story behind the two new shoes centers on a crucial insight by scientists at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS). They recognized that the type of shoes powering the world’s fastest were only favoring 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 optimized 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 optimized and proven to improve runner performance for each of the two major running styles. The METASPEED Sky will be available globally this April at ASICS Bonifacio High Street via the ASICS website and is already available at selected specialty retail stores. The METASPEED Edge will be available from June 4. Both shoes will retail for P13,890.