I ran 35 miles in the Asics Metafuji Trail and it’s one of the fastest trail shoes I’ve tested

The best carbon plate running shoes are now the go-to option for runners seeking PBs on the roads, but they’re yet to prove as emphatic an upgrade on non-plated shoes on the trails.

That’s because the stiff, high-stack shoes that work on the roads can be unstable on uneven trails, and the effect of the plate is muted. The challenge for a shoe like the Asics Metafuji Trail is, therefore, to balance a springy propulsive ride with stability and grip.

It’s a tough balance to achieve and although the Metafuji Trail is among the best trail-running shoes for races on firmer, tamer terrain, it’s one I found a little too wobbly for technical trails and the grip wasn’t great on muddy ground.

In my Asics Metafuji Trail review I’ll explain why I think it’s a shoe that will appeal greatly to certain trail runners, but also why I think it’s a bit niche and unlikely to suit most people.

Asics Metafuji Trail review: price and availability

The Asics Metafuji Trail launched in August 2024 and costs $250 in the U.S. and £220 in the U.K., making it one of the most expensive trail-running shoes I’ve tested, though the price is in line with other off-road carbon plate shoes like the Hoka Tecton X3.

Asics Metafuji Trail review: design and fit

The Asics Metafuji Trail is available in two colors including the Cool Matcha/Black design I tested. I found that the shoe fit me well in my normal running shoe size, which is the same size I use with Asics road shoes.

Standing 45mm tall at the heel and 40mm at the forefoot, the Metafuji Trail is the highest-stack trail shoe I’ve ever tested, and it’s even taller than road racing shoes, which have to abide by World Athletics rules limiting their stack height to 40mm.

Despite that towering stack height, the Metafuji Trail is impressively lightweight for a trail shoe, tipping the scales at 9.7oz in my US men’s size 10. It’s similar in weight to other trail super-shoes I’ve tried, like the Tecton X3 and Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra.

Upper

The Metafuji Trail has a lightweight mesh upper with a thin protective toe bumper and overlays to add more support. There’s a little padding around the collar and an internal heel counter too, but the focus is still on keeping the upper lightweight and breathable in general, which you’d expect in a racing shoe.

I found the upper excellent during my testing, holding my foot securely and comfortably even on twisting trails, and it never felt hot during runs in sunny conditions.

Midsole

There are two layers of foam in the Metafuji Trail’s midsole, with these layers sandwiching the full-length carbon plate.

The top layer is made from the FF Turbo foam used in older Asics road racing shoes like the Metaspeed Sky+ and Edge+, which is a springy material but not as light and bouncy as the FF Turbo+ used in Asics' current top racing shoes, the Metaspeed Sky Paris and Metaspeed Edge Paris.

Underneath the FF Turbo is a layer of FF Blast+ foam, which is a more stable and durable material, but not as bouncy as the FF Turbo foam. This dual-density midsole setup is designed to deliver a springy ride while still being somewhat stable on uneven ground.

Outsole

The Metafuji Trail has shallow and broad lugs on its Asicsgrip rubber outsole, and they are spaced out quite widely. It’s an outsole design that points to the fact it’s a shoe that’s mainly designed to be used on firmer trails, where I found it grips well in both wet and dry conditions.

However, I found that the shoe lacked traction on softer trails when running mainly on mud or grass. Even if you only hit a short patch of mud or boggy grass on your runs, you’ll need to be wary of coming unstuck.

Asics Metafuji Trail review: running performance

I’m a huge fan of Asics’s road racing shoes having run my marathon PR in the Metaspeed Sky Paris, and hoped the Metafuji Trail could deliver a similarly fast and energetic ride for my trail runs.

It does come closer to the feeling of a road super-shoe than previous Asics plated trail shoes I've tested from the Fujispeed line, matching up well with other springy off-road options like the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra in the level of propulsion it provides when you’re on well-groomed trails.

I also found it comfortable to wear for long distances and enjoyed running in it at easy paces as well, which is useful in a shoe you might wear for off-road ultramarathons where you’re mostly moving at slower paces.

On hard-packed forest paths, the shoe ran beautifully and it didn’t feel unstable even when charging downhill. It’s also a good road-to-trail shoe, with the outsole gripping well and being comfortable on the road.

However, once I took the Metafuji Trail onto more testing terrain, such as muddy singletrack paths with lots of slippery roots, the instability became a concern, as did the lack of grip.

I also found when running downhill on uneven ground, where you might catch the edge of a rock on landing, the bounce and high-stack design of the shoe was to its detriment, in that I didn’t feel completely in control and worried about turning an ankle.

More experienced and competent downhill runners might be able to handle the shoe on such terrain, but I’d steer clear of anything technical myself, and I found it even more wobbly than the Hoka Tecton X3, which is also a high-stack shoe with a springy midsole foam.

Should you buy the Asics Metafuji Trail?

In the right circumstances the Asics Metafuji Trail is a dream to run in. On hard-packed or gravel paths, or mixed road-to-trail runs without any terrain that’s too tricky, you can feel the propulsive bounce of the shoe and benefits of the plate.

Once you hit more testing terrain, however, these features become more of a concern than a benefit. I did find the Metafuji Trail more unstable even than other high-stack trail shoes like the Hoka Tecton X3 and Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, which also have impressively bouncy rides and both of which I rate more highly overall as off-road racers than the Asics.

The Nike Ultrafly Trail is a good alternative for those looking for a stable carbon plate trail shoe. Though it’s heavier and lacks the responsive bunce of the Adidas, Hoka and Asics, it’s a more reliable option for long runs in particular I found.

If you’re looking for good racing options without a plate then the Hoka Speedgoat 6 is a good all-rounder for the trails that’s both comfortable and speedy, as well as being more stable than plated shoes.

Ultimately while I enjoyed running in the Metafuji Trail, it’s a shoe that will have niche appeal and it’s also very expensive, so you’ll need to be absolutely convinced it hits your niche to be worth the outlay.