ASICS

ASICS LAUNCHES THE REVOLUTIONARY METASPEED™ EDGE – ENABLING MORE RUNNERS TO STRIVE FOR THEIR BEST TIME WITHOUT ADAPTING THEIR RUNNING STYLE

2021.06.04 PRESS

· METASPEED™ Edge is specially designed for cadence-style runners by helping them extend their stride length and improve their overall efficiency

· The innovation is proven to reduce step count over the course of a marathon, and is already helping elite athletes to new personal bests

· First announced at the ASICS Innovation Summit 2021, METASPEED™ Edge is launching in stores globally from June 4

[June 4 2021 – KOBE, JAPAN] – ASICS is today launching the second of its high-performance running shoes that take the power of human-centric design to a whole new level. The METASPEED Edge is a shoe designed for a specific style of runner – one that has been overlooked in the relentless pursuit of speed in the category to date.

The arrival of METASPEED Edge follows the launch of METASPEED Sky earlier in the year – each scientifically designed with a distinct type of running style in mind. The new racing shoes help elite athletes reach the top of their game, as they no longer have to adjust their running style to fit the shoe anymore; instead, ASICS is giving them high-performance shoes to match their running style. With initial tests from ASICS already showing the METASPEED Edge could help reduce the number of steps for a runner to finish a marathon by around 2.6%1, it will give more elite runners the opportunity to reach peak performance.

The shoes are already proving to have an impact on the performance levels of elite ASICS runners. At the Hokkaido-Sapporo Marathon Festival 2021, German distance runner Katerina Steinruck became the first cadence-style runner to record an official personal best wearing the METASPEED Edge, clocking a time of 1:10:43 in the half-marathon event to take a fourth-place finish.

On the subject of her achievement, Steinruck said “I’m delighted with my time and how I felt during the run itself. I’ve been training in the

METASPEED Edge for a couple of months now and it’s made a huge difference to my psyche going into a race. I now feel like my shoes are working with me, perfectly complementing the way I stride for perhaps the first time in my career. I feel like a better runner in the shoe and they’re giving me added confidence looking ahead to this summer.”

The unique design story behind the new shoe centers on a crucial insight first discovered by scientists at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS). They recognized that the type of shoes powering the world’s fastest were only favoring one type of runner - stride runners - those with a long-loping gait with large periods spent airborne who increase their speed by extending their stride length.

ASICS’ research however showed that these shoes do not fully support elite athletes who prefer the second major running style – cadence, which features smaller steps made while hovering over the ground with minimal up and down motion. Crucially, these runners increase their speed by both extending their stride length and increasing the number of steps they take per minute.

Informed by the finding that athletes perform better when running in shoes that are optimized for their running style, ASICS has created METASPEED Edge for those with a cadence-style1 to help them reach peak performance.

To help runners learn more about their own running style and whether the METASPEED Edge might offer them both added performance and protection, ASICS has released a new online tool as part of its recent ASICS Innovation Summit 2021. To find out your own running style and find the right fit for you, visit the ASICS Innovation Summit.

METASPEED Edge will be available from June 4, 2021. The shoe will retail for $250.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS

METASPEED Edge

The METASPEED Edge racing shoe is designed to help cadence-type runners go faster by extending their stride length while allowing them to control cadence more easily. Cadence-type runners increase both cadence and stride as they run faster. Runners wearing these shoes will experience a fast underfoot feel, thanks to the energetic midsole foam and a propulsive carbon plate. These components allow them to elongate their stride and conserve more energy while controlling their pace.

METASPEED Sky

The METASPEED Sky racing shoe is designed to help runners go faster by extending their stride length considerably. Stride-type runners take a longer stride once they start increasing their speed. Thanks to an energetic midsole foam and a propulsive carbon plate, runners wearing these shoes will be able to conserve more energy while maintaining their pace at the later stages of the race.

To find out more about the products, please visit asics.com.

- ENDS –

NOTES FOR EDITOR

1 Based on research conducted by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in January 2021 which proved that STRIDE runners perform better in METASPEED Sky and Cadence runners in METASPEED Edge.

ABOUT ASICS’ MISSION TO MOVE ONE MILLION MINDS

This year, ASICS is on a mission to move one million minds worldwide. In addition to the launch of METASPEED Edge, ASICS is tailoring all of its events, products and services towards inspiring people everywhere to participate in sport to help them achieve a sound mind in a sound body.

This month, we are challenging runners everywhere to get active alongside thousands of other runners around the world by taking part in the World Uplifting Minds Run, a global free-to-enter event that kicks off on Global Running Day (2nd June) and is live throughout June. In addition to running, ASICS will be holding a series of events across a wide range of other sports to drive widespread participation and prove the power of all sports to uplift the mind. These events will provide the perfect opportunity for participants to see the impact of movement on their mind first-hand with the Mind Uplifter™ tool. Click here to learn more.

Kenichi Harano, Executive Officer and Senior General Manager at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science said: “The METASPEED Edge is the leading example of ASICS’ human-centric approach to innovation. To provide cadence-style runners with a shoe that is optimized for their running style for the first time is our privilege, and we hope the shoe not only spurs cadence-style runners on to new levels of performance but also keeps them better protected.”