I think its no shock that the first thing I noticed when I took them out of the box was how light they were. Weighing just 190g they are a lot lighter than my normal go to shoe the Gel-Kayano. Next was the colour, I love bright colour runners so the sunrise red is exactly what I would have asked for. They will be noticed on race day and I have no doubt people will stop to look at them. The design is extremely eye catching. When I looked at the sole I was worried that the grip could be an issue however there is no need to be. In some race shoes I have had to go up half a size but the Metaracer was perfect fit and I stuck with my UK 9.5. Even though they are so light they felt supportive and cushioned.
First test
I couldn’t wait to get out in them and with the weather recently it meant running in tough conditions. Not hot and humid like most places, I got to endure wet and windy weather. I set off on my 5k time trial with the wind on my back feeling fast and enjoying the comfort the show offers. If you haven’t run in a shoe with similar GUIDESOLE technology yet it may take a couple of runs to get used to this feel but for me I got into my stride fairly quickly. The ground was wet but my previous worry about what looked like a lack of grip on the sole was answered straight away as there was no slipping and the wet grip rubber definitely did its job. As I turned around at 2.5km I knew there was a slight rise in the road and I was running into the wind. I felt I wasn’t going as fast as I should be and my effort level seemed to be down but then I looked at my watch and found my pace was what I had been planning. So even though conditions on the day shouldn’t have allowed it, my pace out and back were the same yet I didn’t have to work as hard.
The carbon fiber plate in the forefoot and the GUIDESOLE technology definitely helps save energy and was very noticeable throughout my run. I didn’t feel as tired once I finished and was able to get on the bike for 40km feeling that bit fresher.
Specifications
Weight – 190gr
Drop – 9mm
Running style – Midfoot & Forefoot
Pronation type – Neutral
Final thoughts
When races do come back I cannot wait to give these a go and target new PBs at different distances. These are a game changer and even the small details really help with the overall experience. I will use these as my race shoe and in tempo sessions and hopefully I will be turning heads with both the look of the shoe and my results as I cross the line.