Asics has announced the release of three new models of shoes: the Metaracer, the Metarise and the Metasprint. The Japanese company had planned to introduce the shoes at an Asics Innovation Summit in Tokyo. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, it has opted instead to produce its first virtual reality product preview. The shoes are now open to view from the Asics Institute of Sport Science in Kobe, Japan.
The Metaracer is Asics’ entry into the carbon-plate midsole class of long-distance running shoes. Designed for distance running, at retailing at about €200, the Metaracer combines Asics’ Guidesole with a carbon plate, no doubt in response to Nike’s Alphafly and Vaporfly Next% shoes, which have dominated the category since last year, when Eliud Kipshoge of Kenya became the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours. The Metaracer’s toe-spring shape supposedly reduces the load on the calf muscle by up about 20 percent.
The Metarise volleyball shoe, also retailing at €200, is designed for high leaps, with a curved heel to support the transition from the court to the air and back. Asics claims the shoe can boost lift by about 3 percent, for gains in height of up to 2 cm.
The Metaspring, finally, has done away with the traditional track spikes for sprinters, substituting a honeycomb carbon fiber outsole for traction and speed. It retails for €300.
Asics closed stores and offices weeks ago in markets affected by the pandemic around the world. It has also granted free access to the Asics Studio home workout app for the pandemic’s duration.
