ASICS - Magic Speed 5

I picked up the ASICS Magic Speed 5. They’re light and cheaper; under 7oz I think. Probably not as much energy return as other racers, but they definitely feel more stable than the high end racers and also should be more durable for daily training. I haven’t used them enough to confirm the durability yet. Got mine for $160. Might be tough for heel strikers though. I’ve heard good things about the Endorphin 4 for heel strikers, but I don’t know that they’re really for short speed work.

Hi all I am new to running and overall fitness. In 2025 I had started my fitness journey and lost 21kg. I am 187cm, 96kg male and plan to loose 5 to 10kg this year. My times are pretty slow...10k: 59min and i did my first half marathon in 2.20. This year I am focusing on more weight loss and preparation for a full marathon next year...I am taking it slow and I avoid injuries etc. I am running 30 to 50km a week depends where I am in training. I am also doing 2 to 3 metcon and strenght session and swap some runs accordingly to avoid strains etc. This year I plan to run few 5k, 10k and 2 halfs with maybe 30km long run at the end of the year. My current shoe rotation is asics only as I love how they work for me: Superblast 2...my staple base and long run shoe Nimbus 27... easy and recovery Metaspeed edge tokyo...my recent purchase for 5k race and intervals.. My marathon pace is 6.30 min/km My threshold is around 5.20min/km. I run and track all with Garmin Fenix 8. Metaspeeds are a bit harsh..feel narrow but when running they are ok..and I had few runs in them...usually long threshold runs from garmin daily suggested workouts..like [email protected]/km pace with 10 min warmup and cool down at 6.30/km. Legs are trashed after that but metaspeeds edge tokyo feel fast..demanding but boy they quick. I don't want to trash my racer shoes and I am looking for dedicated shoe to handle such threshold or tempo Workouts. Going below 6min/km in Superblast 2 feels like super hard work vs Metaspeed. I was considering: - megablast - sonicblast - magic speed 5. What would be your take? I am preferring asics.

Thank you all for the input. I ordered Magic Speed 5 in same size as Metaspeed and Superblast 2. My rotation would be: - easy and recovery: Nimbus 27 - base and long with marathon pace: Superblast 2 - threshold and speed: Magic Speed 5 - races up to 10km: Metaspeed Edge Tokyo. I will keep loosing weight. Target is 90kg and low body fat...I am doing Metcon/strenght on top keep in mind. I am awaiting for Superblast 3 to come up. Probably would instantly buy them as my SB2 have almost 500km and I catched 1cm glass into them my last run on the heel..so they will be retired when SB3 would come up.

I have the ASICS Novablast 5 and Superblast 2 and wa really excited to try the Sonicblast. When I went in store it just didn’t feel right. I agree with someone else who said it felt block and didn’t move the way I would have expected. The store recommended the speed 5 and within 20 seconds I was sold. Definitely would recommend the speed 5

I feel they are faster than the Superblast. Definitely less bounce and cushion, but the speed 5 feels more responsive and easier to turn over. I do most of my long runs in the superblast and speed work/ races in the speed 5

I had both. The sonicblast is very blocky, the Speed 5 is more smooth. Both are excellent, it depends what you are looking for. 95% of the reviews out there favour the Speed 5 (as do I).

At pace it feels great. It doesn't have the ultra smooth roll through that you get with the Speed 5 or Hokas or the others. It's pretty firm. The plate is stiff. It's not a bad shoe at all, it's just that the Speed 5 is better. As I am not a shoe reviewer I find it hard to explain exactly why... there are a few YouTube videos that I recently watched which compare these two shoes, head-to-head.

Speed 5 for me was ultra comfy and the flexible sock like upper makes it really easy to get a good fit. No hot spots. I have a neutral gait. Yes, it feels propulsive - not like a carbon racer (ie the endorphin pro 4), but great for speed work.

I have the Novablast 5 and I went for the Magic Speed 5 for tempo runs too!

Magic Speed was only delivered just yesterday. Definitely no regrets, I was training solely with one pair of Novablast 5 for the past year and it has been fine (total mileage about 550kms). Decided to go with a 3-shoe rotation this year. Now having tried on the Magic Speed, it really fits that race day/tempo training days, plus, it's priced so competitively compared to the premium metaspeeds. I also bought the Superblast 3 for longer runs.

Yes, as someone who overpronates, this has been one of the most stable fast shoes I've worn

The Megablast is like a stable Metaspeed, but honestly for NSM a Novablast and the upcoming Magic Speed 5 would probably be a perfect trainer rotation.

\*\*Context:\*\* Male, 1.85m (6'1"), \~84.5kg (\~186 lb). 10K PB 43:50, HM PB 1:42:11, marathon target pace 7:45/mi (4:49/km) Size US men's 11, true to size (TTS) \*\*Current Mileage:\*\* 22.8mi (36.7km) \*\*Usage:\*\* Speed workouts, including short intervals, medium intervals and tempo. \*\*Fit:\*\* Fits true to size for me. Feet feel secure and snug without even a hint of constriction. Tongue feels padded just enough to prevent any lace bite. Absolutely no lace bite whatsoever. The tongue feels kind of cheap compared to other ASICS shoes like the Superblast, Megablast, Sonicblast, Novablast, or Metaspeed Edge and Sky, but in terms of performance, it is the best tongue in the ASICS lineup. The taper of the toe box can be a bit aggressive, particularly at the pinky toe, but for me that hasn't been an issue even on runs just shy of 10mi (15+km). Just something I notice, but it doesn’t feel bad. \*\*Ride:\*\* Very efficient ride. It feels like it adapts to you. If you prefer the Metaspeed Edge over the Sky, it’ll remind you of the Edge, but if you prefer the Sky, it’ll remind you of the Sky. It’s as if they made a shoe where you don’t have to figure out which one fits you better. Quick turnover, feels nimble and fast. The first warmup mile felt a bit stiff, but as I continued that first run, the shoe started feeling more accommodating. Once I got to my speed reps, that’s when the shoe really started to shine and absolutely wowed me. \*\*Midsole:\*\* A top layer of FF Leap, which is A-TPU, and a bottom layer of FF Blast+, which is a blend of EVA and olefin block copolymers (OBC). A carbon fiber plate is sandwiched between the two. The carbon plate appears to be positioned as an average between the Metaspeed Edge and Sky. It’s not as high up as the Sky, and it doesn’t scoop as aggressively as the Edge. The FF Leap feels softer than FF Turbo², which is also A-TPU, but it doesn’t feel marshmallowy at all, even at slower paces. \*\*Outsole:\*\* Very grippy. Ran in wet conditions and felt very secure. No complaints so far. \*\*Stability:\*\* I’d say this is a very stable shoe for its category. It’s not a stability shoe by any means, but I suspect the lower stack compared to the Metaspeed shoes, combined with the durometer of the bottom foam, contributes to a bit more stability for a speed shoe. \*\*Durability Projections:\*\* I can’t comment on actual durability yet. However, on paper this should be on the durable side. A-TPU generally maintains its peak performance for much longer than PEBA. As such, I’d expect the top foam, which is the portion that contributes most to the pop, to last. The bottom foam acts more as a carrier foam and is there primarily to add stability. The blend of EVA and OBC is similar to the foam on the Novablast 4, which proved to be very dirable and stable. Hence why I suspect the Magicspeed will prove to be a very durable shoe for its category. With that said, this is a projection that is obviously subject to huge margins of error. Meaning, jurry is still out. \*\*Recommended Usage:\*\* I would recommend this shoe as a speed workout shoe and/or a race shoe. I think this can easily be an excellent race option up to the Half Marathon distance for most people, and maybe even a Marathon shoe for those who welcome a bit more ground feel over longer distances. \*\*Misc:\*\* When the first pictures of these surfaced, some thought they would be a Boston killer, but I don’t think the two shoes are comparable. The Boston is much more daily trainer oriented, perhaps even a super daily trainer. The Sonicblast is far more comparable to the Adidas Adizero Boston. I’d say the Magicspeed bridges the gap between shoes like the Takumi Sen and Streakfly, and the Boston. It’s a speed shoe, but it doesn’t give off that spike-for-the-road vibe. What you give up in terms of track feel, you gain in versatility and distance. Whereas shoes like the Takumi Sen, Adios 9, and Streakfly are primarily up to 10K shoes and maybe a Half Marathon, the Magicspeed feels more like an up-to-Half Marathon shoe and possibly even a full Marathon option. \*\*Overall:\*\* I absolutely loved my first miles in these shoes and I’m really looking forward to adding more. My only gripe is that I need to make sure my toenails are trimmed, otherwise the taper around the pinky toe could become an issue. When they’re trimmed, they’re perfectly fine. The second toe is fine though, so this could also just be the shape of my foot. Performance-wise, they’re incredible. Whenever I see a tough speed workout coming up in my plan, knowing I can use the Magicspeed helps me respect the workout without feeling intimidated by it. The shoe has delivered every fast pace I’ve asked of it without ever feeling like I’m fighting it to go faster.

Huge step up. I think MagicSpeed 4 was somewhat of a disappointment for some people, but they will find the MagicSpeed 5 quite the shoe.

I prefer saving the miles of my Edge Tokyo for my actual A races, but that’s just me. I’ll use the Edge Tokyo on those race rehearsals in long runs with longer blocks of target MP. For B-races and speed workouts, the MagicSpeed 5 is just a nice fit. Plus it has some similarities with the Tokyo line, which makes, imo, the MagicSpeed a good training partner to the Metaspeed.

They very different shoes, but that’s the one workout where they do intersect. The Sonicblast appears to be a divisive shoe, but, for the sake of argument, let’s assume you’re among the people who like them. I think the Sonicblast would be an amazing candidate for tempo. Comfortable, easy to lock into a pace, and provided you get along with its geometry, you’ll be going a lot faster than your perceived effort. However, the MagicSpeed 5 is a proper racing shoe. Since in tempo you’re going slower than or around 10k effort, but faster than HM, the it’s a really strong option for those tempo days. I surmise the MagicSpeed 5 will be more unanimously liked, too. Still very comfortable and really designed to get out of the way and let you go fast. As far as how I decide between the two, I rotate them for tempo. I’ll judge based on how my legs feel. If they need a bit more pampering, I’ll gravitate towards the higher stack of the Sonicblast. If they’re feeling a bit peppier and less tired, I’ll reach for the MagicSpeed. A good rule of thumb is, for with two quality workouts, say, intervals and tempo, I might go MagicSpeed for intervals and Sonicblast for tempo. On weeks that I have only one quality workout as a tempo run, I’ll more likely reach for the MagicSpeed. I don’t follow this very rigidly, but I think it describes my patterns relatively well. The Sonicblast works really well for me, though. I’m always amazed at how easy it is to run in them. My favorite shoe right now is the Megablast. However, I feel like I run even faster for the same perceived effort with the Sonicblast. Still hard to tell since my mileage with the Sonicblast is still under 100mi, so very low, but that’s my gut feeling.

For the faster side of speed workouts, asics MagicSpeed 5, adidas Takumi Sen and Nike streakfly.

I found the MagicSpeed 5 and Takumi Sen infinitely more stable than the Evo SL. My first impression of the Streakfly is also of more stable than Evo SL, but less than the other two. With that said, I haven’t tested the streakfly enough to form a more reliable opinion. Very aggressive and fast feeling shoe. However, I’ve had bad experiences with Nike shoes with aggressive geometries in the past. Hence why I didn’t pull the trigger on the streakfly. Definitely a “me” problem, not a Nike problem. I do think those three options are significantly better than the Evo SL for speed workouts. I feel like the Evo SL is a daily trainer that’s extremely competent at speed sessions. The three suggestions I’ve given you were built from the ground up primarily for speed workouts.

I understand your loyalty to Asics. Although I rotate other brands, Asics are my daily drivers. Asics just work better for me, every shoe from my bargain Gel Excite 11 to my Superblast 2. If you don't want to branch out that's perfectly ok, but you could get lucky and find a good shoe made by a different company. I'd recommend Magic Speed 5. Asics added FF Leap, lowered the drop, and shaved some weight. It's also available in wide on their website. If you want to skip the plate then Megablast will fill this slot. Just be aware it tapers quicker in the toe box than Superblast.

I’ve really enjoyed the Magic Speed 5. There’s also the Hyperion Max 3, the Endorphin Speed 5. I think most of these snappier shoes are going to be inherently firmer.