Discontinued · trail · Trail / Tempo · $100
Minimal, flexible trail speed shoe.
Built for trail, tempo, at a target pace of 8:00–11:00 /mi on trail.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Asics Fuji Speed 3.
Asics tuned this midsole firm (2/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 22 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A low 4 mm drop encourages a midfoot landing and keeps the ankle working through a fuller range. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.33 per mile at $100.
For the foams and plates Asics uses across its line, read the Asics brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
220 g / 7.8 oz
55 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
22 mm
14 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
4 mm
2 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$100
60 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
2 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~300 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Asics line it is lighter than the brand's median (268 g / 9.5 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (38 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Hoka Evo Jawz 2
210 g / 7.4 oz · 22 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $150
Sticky, aggressive short-course trail racer with huge grip.
New Balance MT10
204 g / 7.2 oz · 14 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $120
New Balance MT10: 14 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 200 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Asics Fuji Lite 5
250 g / 8.8 oz · 30 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $120
Low, flexible and natural — a light trail shoe for feel over protection.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 Matryx
200 g / 7.1 oz · 25 mm · 6 mm drop · Rock · $220
Featherweight Matryx racer for vertical and short technical racing.