ASICS METAFUJI Trail 2 Review

• FF LEAP superfoam top layer for a more energised ride
• Lower stack and wider base geometries in the midfoot and heel
• New ankle collar construction and speed laces with lace pocket

The METAFUJI 2 absolutely feels super. For as tall as it is, it’s remarkably lightweight. It feels airy underfoot, like the foam and rocker shape naturally combine for easy energy and pace changes on tap. At easy paces, you can feel that potential, and it continues to come alive at faster tempo paces. That max stack of foam and X-shaped plate combination gave us top notch protection against tree roots and sharp rocks.

While this shoe excels on sections where the terrain isn’t too technical, the shoe is still nimble enough for some technical rocky stretches. It may seem unusual for a shoe with more than 40 mm of a stack to be called “nimble,” but it feels like the METAFUJI Trail 2 strikes the right balance of firm and lightweight.

Across stretches where the trail opened up, the shoe showed off that it had good “pop,” and ASICS' FF Leap superfoam shone across those comfortable rolling sections. On the flip side, ASICS' FF BLAST+ foam was tough enough to keep us safe from the elements. It’s a nice balance of foam for protection and foam for performance, with the carbon plate providing an extra dash of stability on the trails.

We are all happy with the improved lug depth and more aggressive lug shapes, offering extra bite that gave us more confidence on the trails.

And for another vote of confidence, we'll remind everyone that the METAFUJI Trail 2 prototypes made appearances on the biggest ultra stage in the world last year, and this shoe proved that it takes performance seriously with a 1st and 2nd place finish at UTMB, 2025.

“It’s the athlete and not the shoe,” one might say. But the shoes clearly work for athletes at that elite level.

Michael’s testing surfaces ranged from a gravel road to test the shoe’s all-out speed (which passed with flying colors) to a mountainous adventure where he got caught in a spontaneous summer thunderstorm. He dove straight into slick rocks and muddy inclines and hazards galore, but the outsole never slipped an inch. Despite the sloppy conditions, the shoe reacted perfectly to each step and got him up and down some especially technical trails with PACE, which is a huge testament to its trustworthiness.

Loucas kept to his usual technical terrain for this testing period, all on pretty dry surfaces. The amount of stack and rigidity in the METAFUJI doesn’t quite fit his typical preferences for quick-footed agility, and he did get a few outward-rolling ankle checks to make sure he didn’t lose his focus on the trails. However, none of these checks led to an actual ankle roll or a fall. He feels the sidewalls on v2 are a step in the right direction, though he wouldn't mind taking it a bit further.

While this thin, no-nonsense upper doesn’t scream “creature comforts,” it’s undeniably comfortable enough for trail performance. The Motion Wrap system secured our ankles without any chafing, and the bootie construction did its job of keeping debris out. The main mesh upper material is pretty rigid, with a tiny bit of flex that keeps it from feeling too starchy. We imagine that most people will find the upper and lace system to fit well, though we may caution those with the widest of feet.

The ankle collar is flexible and lightly padded, and that same thin padding lines the interior of the heel cup very nicely. The tongue is soft and stretchy, plus it has a thin central channel of padding for a bit of protection from the skinny speed laces. The new lace garage was handy and well-positioned to secure the laces out of sight.

Flex-wise, this puppy is RIGID, both longitudinally and torsionally. While this is great for stability, some of us would not mind a more flexible plate. Loucas also noted that, if he had to make any tweaks, he would add a bit more padding to the tongue area.

For underfoot cushioning, we’re quite happy with the balanced softness from the top layer of FF LEAP foam. It’s a great upgrade that gives the shoe an energetic ride and is complemented well by the stable bottom layer of FF BLAST+. We had no issues with rocks pocking through the ample foam barrier. The feeling was soft enough that even some road running felt good in this updated shoe. Any softer and the shoes’ performance may have suffered in the places where it’s meant to thrive.

Overall, these really took care of our feet, and we would feel comfortable and well-protected from impact over a 100-miler. But even for shorter, 11-12 kilometre bursts across our local stomping grounds, the shoes stayed approachable enough for our feet to feel satisfied.

The METAFUJI Trail 2 fits true to size and length with plenty of space in the toe box. The heel cup and sock-fit gaiter are excellent—our heels felt suctioned in securely. There is just enough padding around the heel to help it feel comfortable but not so much that it rubs wrong. We are happy to report that none of us experienced any hotspots.

The quick lace system did its job well and gave us a secure lockdown, even for some of us who are still getting used to using this kind of lacing system. The upper’s material was just tough enough to prevent the hard laces from chomping down on the tops of our feet, which is sometimes a problem when thin quick-laces are paired with fabric uppers. There was a little extra padding where the tongue would usually be to further help prevent hotspots and rubbing with the laces.

For Loucas’ narrow C-width foot, he loved having roomy toes and a secure heel, but had too much room around his metatarsal heads and midfoot, with some mild bagginess alongside his arches. He was able to address this by cinching the laces as tight as they would go, more tightly than he would have preferred in order to get the right fit. Since he had to cinch the laces so tightly, the hint of extra padding in the tongue area really came in handy to protect from lacebite.

Overall, this is a generous, adaptive fit. For the most part, the bootie construction hugged our feet well, with the heel and midfoot feeling secure yet flexible enough to react to uneven trails with confidence. There may be extra adjustment needed to accommodate narrow feet, but most other foot types shouldn’t experience any issues.

"The Cascadia Elite sets a high bar for 'total package' for sure. The Brooks foam feels slightly softer and more flexible, though both are nicely balanced. I prefer the Brooks base, specifically its broader heel, for debatably better defense against ankle rolls. I’m able to get an easier, more natural lockdown in the Brooks, as it’s tighter across the met heads. The underfoot propulsion and rocker profiles feel quite equal." -Loucas

"The Cascadia Elite has been my favorite trail shoe for 2026. Good weight, nice balance of cushion and propulsion found in the foam and plate combination. Very smooth running flat out and able to handle technical trails. The Metafuji Trail 2 is now a competitor to the top spot. It really is a toss-up between these two shoes for my overall favorite. Metafuji Trail 2 is a touch lighter. Cascadia Elite is a few dollars cheaper. I’d say it comes down to which shoe fits your feet best." -Erik

"Wow, another high bar with the Cloudultra Pro as one of my all-time favorites. It’s one of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever tried. The On feels ever-so-slightly more connected to the ground under the forefoot than the ASICS. The On is less rockered as well, which also helps me feel slightly more confident in trickier terrain. All that said, they feel pretty equal in underfoot bounce, but the ASICS feels like it has a slight ‘Hey, let’s open up and go a little faster’ edge on flatter, smoother stuff." -Loucas

"Coming out in 2025, the Cloudultra Pro was one of the first trail super shoes that I felt elevated the category to super levels. This shoe continues to be a solid entry with the weight, price, and feel under foot. I did find some upper durability issues as the mileage piled on, but it was minimal." -Erik

"While 38/30 is still PLENTY of stack for my taste, it’s the lowest of this group. At 10.8 oz, it’s also a tank. Given its ‘lower’ stack, burly outsole, and stable base, I’d feel most confident in my foot placement in the TT, plus it’s bargain-priced compared to the others, but I generally didn’t enjoy its firm and dense ride." -Loucas

"The weight of the Agravic TT has become more of a hinderance as additional models of super shoes for the trails have come out in 2026. This shoe needs to be under 10 oz so it can be part of the choices in the market for someone wanting a trail super shoe. It’s a comfortable shoe and a little more affordable for those who are price sensitive." -Erik