The UTMB-Winning ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 is Nothing Like its Predecessor, And That’s a Good Thing

Tim’s been intrigued by the Metafuji Trail 2 ever since Tom Evans won UTMB in a prototype of the shoe. Especially because he kinda hated the original. After an exclusive first look he’s run exclusively in it for weeks. So, do you need it for your next ultra?

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Carbon-plated trail runners are no longer new. In 2021 I reviewed one of the first trail runners to feature it, The North Face Flight VECTIV and though they were fast as hell, I did a number on my ankles in them.

Since then trail shoes made for racing that feature a ‘super shoe’ style carbon plate have done all kinds of things. Dual plates, X-shaped plates, or even stacked plates like the VECTIV Pro 3 (also from TNF).

Then ASICS entered the chat with a shoe that can best be described as a road racing shoe with some grip slapped on the bottom. Sure, it was fast, but multiple people I knew shelved them after a particularly bad ankle roll. They were an outrageous 44mm high, narrow, and featured a solid carbon plate that allowed for almost no torsional flex, making them very unforgiving. Even on predictable fire trail they felt a bit sketchy and made my calves hurt.

I think this photo captures just how weird this shoe was, the upper bulges over the foam!

It’s not like they misunderstood trail running completely, the Trabuco Max 4 reviewed favourably. I just couldn’t work out what kind of trails it was for, especially in Australia.

So I was pretty surprised when, seemingly out of nowhere, male ASICS runners came first and second in the 174km UTMB race in Chamonix – the most competitive trail running race in the world.

On their feet was a prototype of the shoe I’m reviewing today, the Metafuji Trail 2, and it seems that it hasn’t been watered down too much from that proto. In fact, I’m surprised ASICS bothered to keep the heritage of the ‘Metafuji’ name because it’s an entirely new shoe – and it’s way better. For 400 Australian dollarydoos you’d bloody hope so – but assuming you are – I’m here to tell you if they’re worth it.

Why should I do this review?

I’ve been called a lot of things, but mostly ‘gear nerd’ and ‘shoe nerd’ while my friends give me a noogie at the trailhead. I’ve been trail running for nearly 10 years, reviewed dozens of trail running shoes and charted their evolution.

As a runner I have a soft spot for shorter, faster trail races (like a half marathon) but recently I joined the world of long ultras, running UTA100 in the Blue Mountains in 15:35. I run on technical local trails in Sydney and I’m passionate about shoes that genuinely suit Australian trails through stability and durability.

In this video I’m running one of my less technical local trails while I get a feel for whether I can trust the Metafuji Trail 2s to be stable.

 

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Quick Specifications

3mm lower front and back, and 5mm wider in the forefoot

Weight: 255g (US 9 – down 5g on version one)
Heel to toe drop: 5mm
Stack height: 41.5mm heel, 36.5mm toe (3mm lower than version one)
Midsole: FF Leap / FF Blast Plus
Plate: X-shaped and full length 
Sole: Asicsgrip with 3.5mm lugs
Colours: Illuminate Yellow/Dark Aubergine (all white pictured here harder to find)
Price: $400 RRP

Buy Now

Performance

Stability

Let’s start with the biggest criticism of the first Metafuji Trail – the lack of stability. The Metafuji Trail 2 has made significant improvements here. The forefoot is at least 5mm wider and 3mm lower – giving your toes a much more stable platform. 

The rear, surprisingly, is only maybe 1mm wider, but the waist of the shoe (the narrowest part) is already 5mm wider.

The heel is the only part that retains the original narrowness, but it’s more planted when hell striking downhill

There’s just a way more appropriate amount of shoe underfoot and it’s the right shape to support it too. Coupled with the X-shaped carbon plate, which can actually flex side to side, it’s a much more forgiving ride. 

It still definitely lets you know when you’ve put your foot a bit wrong, but the discomfort reminds you to pay attention instead of dumping your foot sideways.

Most importantly, I was able to run my local, fairly technical trails without any concerns. So it’s a big tick from me.

Speed & Responsiveness

The Metafuji Trail 2 is made for racing and running fast. The way Tom Evans ran 174km in it to win UTMB probably reflects how I might run a trail half marathon.

The plate is definitely noticeable, especially on the climbs where it helps the shoe not flex too intensely off the toes. When you pick up the pace on the flats it has that responsive and snappy plated feel, which is aided by a retained rocker from the previous shoe that levers you forward in your stride.

Quick foot turnover is aided by being a featherweight 255g. I can’t find a comparable trail shoe that’s this light! This is partly thanks to the use of super lightweight foams.

FF Leap foam sits in thso two cutouts front and back, the bulk of the midsole is more stable FF Blast Plus

The FF Leap foam is used sparingly between the foot and the carbon plate, which is probably wise as it’s a super soft foam used for road racing – the lightest and bounciest ASICS has on offer. This usage is very different to the first Metafuji Trail that had a huge bulbous piece of light yet firm FF Turbo beneath the forefoot.

Between the sole and the carbon plate is a much more substantial piece of FF Blast Plus. Like the famous Superblast 3 road shoe, this foam isn’t as soft as what’s above it and adds a bit of stability and support while still being a genuine performance foam.

There’s a real Goldilocks feel going on with this setup. I ran progressive intervals around Narrabeen lagoon recently, a route that mixes easy gravel and straight up concrete footpath and found both super enjoyable to run on – as a shoe reviewer I’ve gotta say that’s pretty rare. I reckon it’s the combo of quality foams and an X-shaped carbon plate that gives them structure.

Durability

Resistance to wear on the trail is a key part of what distinguishes a trail running shoe from one built for the road. I’m pleased to say that the Metafuji Trail 2 doesn’t seem to cut corners here to save weight, perhaps a result of extensive testing with 23 athletes.

The Motionwrap TR upper carries across from the previous model and I find it has a tough scratchy feel that inspires confidence. The stitching all has an air of being over-engineered, especially on the lace eyelets that anchor directly into the upper. There’s no tongue, meaning the Nexkin material comes up incredibly high – most trail shoes transition to a less durable material as they get further from the sole.

The tough Motionwrap upper is consistent up to the laces and mega breathable

Speaking of, the 3.5mm lugs haven’t shown any abnormally fast wear. I’d love to see 4 or 4.5mm become more standard, simply because it lasts longer, but for a race shoe it’s fairly normal.

Grip

I’ve become impressed by the Asicsgrip compound – it’s yet to let me down. I’d probably argue that generally the lug pattern is more important in a trail shoe, compared to a hiking or climbing shoe where you really get time to lean into that friction.

The Metafuji Trail 2 tread is more aggressive and angular, which is good and you can feel it dig into light mud or sandy gravel. I’m not quite sure why the pattern is shaped the way it is and there are some large gaps down the centre, but it does seem to work.

I love the more angular lugs, though they could shed mud better (look at my soles in the reel shared above)

Design

Credit where it’s due, this shoe is gorgeous. I hope they release this white colourway here because as nice as the yellow-and-eggplant one is, they’re cooking with the white.

Yes, white will get dirty, no, I’m not worried about that. But I do love the orange and green highlights, particularly the ‘Fujitrail’ logo which is a stylised Mt Fuji. This appears in a different place on the other colourway, but the grey mountains down each side of the foot have been retained.

Easily one of the best looking running shoes I’ve seen

It’s cool to see ASICS heroing the Fujitrail brand on its own a bit more, it’s promising for their investment in trail running.

Ankle Collar

Controversy swirls around ankle collars and gaiters. The hosts of my favourite running podcast (Some Work All Play) hate them, but me? I’m a fan. I loved it on the HOKA Tekton X3 and the new Offtrail Ultra from The North Face also sports one.

The ankle collar is subtle and functional, hard to find a downside

On the Metafuji Trail 2 the ankle collar is micro. It’s easier to get on and not as sock-like, but still minimises the space for stones and dirt to get in.

The only thing missing is a heel loop. I’ll admit, the shoe looks beautiful without it, but it definitely would be easier to pull on with a little loop of fabric on the back there.

Speed Lace

NOT Quick Lace by the way. Ok now Salomon’s lawyers are gone, this is basically the same thing with maybe slightly thicker lace material. It’s a big departure from the serrated laces on the previous model and a first (?) for ASICS.

This toggle packs away into the lace garage above, super clean!

It works and it’s comfy, especially with the consistency of that Motionwrap upper with its targeted padding.

Lace Garage

I love lace garages, a place to securely tuck away laces so they don’t snag or bounce loose is a no brainer for trail running shoes. No, an ugly elastic on the forefoot doesn’t count. I do question why brands are so scared of doing a regular lace + lace garage combo though.

Anyway this one is particularly easy to use and looks brilliant – keep doing it!

Comfort

The biggest sacrifice in a race shoe is always comfort, even one designed to run 100 miles. The inner sole is super thin and simple, which got me a bit worried considering some of the plush memory foam ones I’m used to seeing, but it seems that comfort is more than handled by that super soft FF Leap foam layer below it.

The fit is on the narrow side, wrapping my lower volume foot nicely, but definitely try it on in store if you have wider feet.

The extra width helps but they’re still an aggressive, somewhat narrow shoe

So far I haven’t had any real issues. It’s definitely not push, but there are no pinch points and the heel collar is genuinely comfortable. There is a slight break in period to the foam and carbon plate and there still isn’t much flex, making them not a great choice for slow, easy running. I haven’t done much of that because every time I put them on I feel like sending it. It’s that kind of shoe.

Sustainability

ASICS are an absolutely huge company with many products well outside of running, therefore the standard I expect for sustainability is quite high.

They have a stated goal to reduce their carbon emissions by 63% by 2030, no small feat. Though this seems to be mostly being done through labelling the emissions on selected shoes – we might need a bit more in the next three and a half years to hit that goal.

Seriously though, there are published sustainability reports on the website which is more than you see from a lot of brands. There are other specific goals too: 100% recycled polyester and 100% renewable energy use by 2030, and net-zero by 2050.

Overall though, ASICS is still scoring an ‘It’s a start’ from consumer sustainability site Goodonyou, so there’s work to be done.

Specific goals and sustainability reports are the two major things I look for when assessing whether a brand is actually serious or just greenwashing. ASICS has developed some technology that reduces emissions too, but in many cases this is more useful for marketing than real change which can be achieved with the tools we already have.

Unfortunately the Metafuji Trail 2 isn’t sporting any recycled fabrics or a CO2 label. Maybe unsurprising for a race shoe but should we be giving out a free pass on this in the name of performance? I’d say no.

Trail runners are generally pretty keen environmentalists, that doesn’t change when they’re racing to win

Price

Yeah so it’s $400 which is a lot of money for a somewhat consumable product like a shoe. For comparison this is the same price as the VECTIV Pro 3 from The North Face, likely $10 more than the upcoming HOKA Tekton X4, and $50 less than the Brooks Cascadia Elite. It’s $90 less than the famous Norda 005 which doesn’t have a plate too.

It’s worth noting that this is the exact same RRP as the top tier ASICS road racing shoes like the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo, which is kind of nice to see.

So it’s in the ballpark for what it is. But is it worth 100 to 150 dollars more than your run of the mill trail runner like the New Balance Hierro V9? You’re shaving off roughly 50g per foot (which you do feel) with the benefit of top end foam, a carbon plate, and the ankle collar and lace garage. I don’t think it’s that outrageous, but I do think it’s on the limit of what people can and should be paying for the best shoe in their quiver.

I took photos before I got them dirty, which in the white colourway you certainly will

Final Thoughts

The ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 completely took me by surprise. There must have been a rousing half-time speech by HQ (or perhaps to HQ) to turn a shoe that didn’t understand trail at all – and was honestly a bit scary – into a world champion that I can’t stop reaching for.

Kudos to ASICS on this one, listening to the athletes has paid off big time

I actually can see the DNA of the original Metafuji Trail in this shoe, it’s just been improved in every single way, keeping the speed and agility, while adding stability, comfort, looks, and little features like that sock liner that help you be your best in the mountains.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta go burn some trails.