ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 review

We believe that the ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 is an excellent shoe for:

• Runners with narrow feet, or those who prefer a tight, race-ready fit.
• Anyone obsessed with grip and looking for an outstanding outsole.
• Road runners seeking a fast, lightweight shoe for gravel roads or light-trail weekend workouts.
• Ultra-endurance competitors looking for plenty of cushioning, speed, and excellent lockdown.

Despite having FF Leap printed on the side, it comes paired with a bottom layer of FF Blast+ that limits energy return. For runners chasing maximum performance, we believe that's a significant drawback. Instead, we recommend the Salomon Aero Glide 4 GRVL or Saucony Xodus Ultra 3.

We also think the price will be a problem for many runners. For a more affordable shoe that can handle many of the same situations, the ASICS Trabuco 14 can probably get the job done at a much lower price.

The ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 is a shock-absorption beast. With 144 SA in the heel and 134 SA in the forefoot, we found that it packs more than enough impact protection for any ultra-distance race while comfortably handling runners of all sizes.

ASICS has updated the foam in the Metafuji Trail 2. The top layer switches from FF Turbo to FF Leap, the same A-TPU foam found in the Metaspeed Ray, a change we expected to see. However, the bottom layer remains FF Blast+, which we believe could be a major disappointment for many runners.

Because of FF Blast+, we found that energy return is good at 64.1% in the forefoot (61.2% in the heel)... but it falls short of what we think a shoe approaching $300 should deliver. In our view, ASICS could have created a much more exciting dual-foam setup with FF Leap on top and FF Blast Max or FF Turbo² in the heel.

The first Metafuji Trail felt like an experiment for ASICS, testing whether such an extreme trail-racing concept could find its place in the market. In that sense, we believe it succeeded, as we're now reviewing its successor. However, the original still needed a few tweaks, including making its towering stack height less extreme.

ASICS has trimmed some foam from the Metafuji Trail 2, bringing the heel stack down to a still-maximalist 40.7 mm. That's less intimidating than the sky-high 44.7 mm we measured in its predecessor.

We also measured the forefoot, and this is where the Metafuji Trail 2 makes its intentions crystal clear. At a massive 33.4 mm, there's plenty of cushioning underfoot for tackling ultra distances.

On the flip side, such a towering forefoot stack can make the shoe less confidence-inspiring on demanding or highly-technical terrain, where a lower stack usually offers better control.

We measured a final drop of 7.3 mm, slightly higher than stated but only by a small margin. And just like with the stack height, we believe this moderate drop is perfectly suited for faster-paced runs on easier terrain.

You can also take the opportunity here to observe the ratio of FF Leap (white) to FF Blast+ (brown), given that the two foams are clearly differentiated. Maybe a bit more of FF Leap would've been cool, right?

The dual-foam setup consists of a softer layer of FF Leap (27.1 AC) on top of a firmer layer of FF Blast+ (32.2 AC). However, both foams clearly sit on the soft side, following ASICS' current plush-foam trend. In our view, that approach could be somewhat divisive in a trail shoe.

After keeping the Metafuji Trail 2 in our freezer for 20 minutes, we found that the midsole became 18% firmer. That's a solid cold-weather result, and with the EVA-based FF Blast+ in the mix, it was somewhat expected.

To fully enjoy the Metafuji Trail 2 and get the most out of it, you need to feel comfortable running in highly-rockered shoes. The midsole features a very pronounced curvature, reinforcing our view that ASICS designed this shoe for easier terrain where fast, road-like speeds are possible.

Going the extra mile when analyzing running shoes is what we love to do, and it's also the only way to fully understand complex designs like this one. We carefully removed the top layer of FF Leap to expose the X-shaped carbon plate, and here it is.

ASICS has fine-tuned the plate by reducing the amount of material in the center compared to the previous design. This helps improve terrain adaptability while adding some much-needed torsional flex, following the trail-specific approach that most brands now use for their plated designs.

It only took us a few seconds to realize that wide-footed runners will have a tough time with the Metafuji Trail 2. It's simply a very tight, narrow-fitting shoe.

However, we still had to verify our impressions in the lab. We started with a 93.2 mm reading at the widest point, which already falls below average.

At 70.9 mm, the toebox width confirms the tight-fitting feel we noticed from the start and makes this shoe a poor option for runners with wide feet.

If that's your case, we recommend taking a look at the Nike ACG Ultrafly Trail instead.

The MOTIONWRAP upper is designed, as its name suggests, to wrap closely around the foot, and that's exactly how it feels at all times. Therefore, we weren't surprised to measure a low 24.3 mm of toebox height.

We can't really blame ASICS here because, with such a massive stack height, this shoe probably needed extra support from the upper, and we know this close-fitting design is an effective way to provide it. That said, it definitely leaves some runners out.

ASICS has been doing incredible things with traction in recent years, with its ASICSGRIP-equipped road shoes consistently landing near the top of our tests. Therefore, bringing this rubber to its trail lineup makes perfect sense, and the result speaks for itself: an outstanding coefficient of friction of 1.04.

That's an exceptional result, delivering confidence-boosting grip on both wet and dry surfaces. However, as we mentioned earlier, the Metafuji Trail 2 remains terrain-specific and is best suited for gravel roads and easier trails.

The ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 it's far from a Swiss Army knife capable of handling a wide range of terrain. In fact, we found the opposite, as it feels specifically suited for gravel roads, well-maintained paths, and smooth, non-technical trails.

The 3.2 mm lug depth makes those intentions crystal clear, delivering excellent bite on firm and predictable surfaces. However, these shallow lugs become more limiting on loose dirt, deep mud, steep descents, and technical sections with sharp or off-camber turns.

The outsole isn't ready for the tough stuff either. It's clearly designed with weight savings in mind, featuring generous spacing between the lugs and areas of exposed foam.

The X-shaped carbon plate and massive stack height play a major role here, making the ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 a very stiff shoe with a result of 21.3N.

ASICS did a great job keeping the Metafuji Trail 2 impressively light for a trail super shoe. At 9.0 oz (255g), we found it remarkable that such a massive stack height and trail-ready outsole come at such a low weight.

With its massive stack height and soft foam, the ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 isn't a good option for runners seeking a stable ride. This shoe is built with a completely different purpose in mind, and we can't recommend it for runners without a neutral gait or those who train and race on anything other than mostly flat surfaces.

Despite using an X-shaped carbon plate to add some torsional flexibility, the Metafuji Trail 2 can't escape its own geometry. With a towering stack height and a full-length ASICSGRIP outsole, it scored 21.5 Nm in our test, confirming that this is a very rigid trail shoe.

However, ASICS favored a race-focused upper design, which provides less support for heel strikers but allows the heel to move naturally without creating unwanted pressure. We rated its stiffness at 2/5.

The forefoot expands to 122.0 mm, which is exceptionally wide even for a high-stack shoe like this one.

We found that landing in this area feels controlled and secure, especially on gravel or dirt roads.

Another clear sign that ASICS sees this model as a trail super shoe is its narrow heel platform. At just 82.9 mm, it doesn't provide heel strikers with a particularly broad base, while midfoot and forefoot landings feel more natural and secure.

We're off to a strong start with durability, as a 3/5 is already a solid score, but we value it even more here given the razor-thin mesh ASICS uses to keep the shoe's weight as low as possible.

The heel padding performed even better, earning our maximum durability rating of 5/5.

ASICSGRIP rarely disappoints when it comes to either traction or durability, and it once again performed exactly as expected. With just 0.8 mm of wear in our test, we simply can't find anything to criticize here.

We also think that a 1.9 mm outsole thickness makes sense for this shoe. If anything, it might even be slightly excessive considering the massive amount of foam already protecting the foot from the ground.

The midsole is seriously thick, but ASICS balances it with a thinner-than-average insole that measures just 3.2 mm.

The insole is removable, although replacing it can be tricky. The toebox already offers extremely limited space, and swapping in a thicker insole will make the fit even more cramped.

One feature we hoped to find, but unfortunately didn't, is reflective elements for added visibility in low-light conditions.

Fans of elastic laces will love the Metafuji Trail 2, as ASICS moved away from traditional laces and also nailed the execution here. The length is spot on, the elasticity feels nicely balanced, and we loved the tiny lace garage that keeps everything clean and neatly tucked away.

The tongue stays firmly on the minimal side with just 2.0 mm of padding, but that's hardly surprising in a shoe featuring an Alphafly-like upper design.

The excellent fit of the Metafuji Trail 2 comes largely from its sock-like MOTIONWRAP upper, which eliminates tongue shifting while fully blocking debris from entering the shoe. The outsole is outstanding, but in our experience, the upper is the true highlight of the Metafuji Trail 2.

The heel comes without a finger-loop pull tab to make getting into the shoe a bit easier, and we definitely missed having one.

The ASICS Metafuji Trail 2 sits among the highest-priced trail shoes, and at this level, we expect premium materials that can justify the eye-watering price tag.

For the most part, ASICS delivers with a magnificent upper and an outstanding outsole. However, we believe the midsole could be better, and that's what makes us think the Metafuji Trail 2 is slightly overpriced.