Not since the Roman god Mercury swept across the sky on wing-embellished shoes thousands of years ago has there been this much excitement about athletic shoes, which is why we had to sleuth out a pair of the ASICS MetaRun Shoes— just to find out what everyone from Singapore mega-runner Derek Li to today's leading footwear scientists are raving about.

We expected innovation from this serious new entry into an already-crowded athletic shoe market, but frankly, this footwear goes above and beyond for myriad reasons. You may agree with us once you learn about the unprecedented engineering that went into these shoes—even before you try them on!

The MetaRun's New Technology

• If shoe weight has always been problematic for you, expect to be won over by the FlyteFoam midsole that's 55-percent lighter than the industry standard; so light, you may understand how Mercury felt!
• These shoes are infused with organic fibers to enhance cushioning and bounce-back, so if you've yet to experience the ultimate in a luxe sole designed for comfort, you could fall in love.
• The two-piece AdaptTruss feature is carbon-reinforced for stability. Thanks to sloped DUOMAX construction, the rear foot delivers 28-percent more stability—and midfoot stability increases by 15-percent—for smooth transitions on the fly.
• Because cushioning is provided by an X-GEL hybrid material, rear foot cushioning gets an 18-percent boost, so this alone could factor into improved run times and sustained long races if you're hoping for better results at the finish line.
• There's nothing shabby about the fit: the MetaClutch heel counter with memory-foam lining literally and figuratively embraces the foot like a glove, an important benefit if you have experienced fit issues, regardless of brand and size.
• The single layer of Jacquard Mesh has the capability of improving static fit (44% in lateral and 26% in medial) and dynamic fit (12% in lateral and 15% in medial); the fabric is so light, you may worry about the shoe holding up over the long haul. Don't!

What This Means For You

Given the aforementioned litany of new and improved features considered to be groundbreaking by anyone's standards, we were impressed that it took four new patents and several years for ASICS Institute of Sport Science researchers to invent, test and bring this shoe to market under the corporate mission of producing the best ASICS long-distance running shoe on the planet.

Scientists working on this shoe's design were given carte blanche by the manufacturer to take all of time and resources necessary to make sure this shoe has no competition. In my opinion, they succeeded on all fronts: weight, stability, fit and comfort.

Runner's Boon

• Have you ever owned a limited edition running shoe? I have! Buy this shoe and claim bragging rights because only 60,000 pairs of the MetaRun running shoe were crafted. Given shoe size breakdowns, you could easily become the owner of a shoe that not only performs well, but it could become a collector's item!
• An amalgam of engineering, time and forethought combine to produce this shoe, considered by many to be the future of running shoes, and you can count on them to perform like crazy for many years to come.
• The brand stands behind its imaginative concept shoe so you not only get all of this company's fastidious engineering, history and precision manufacturing methods, but you also get the prestige of wearing this much talked-about shoe.
• Aesthetically, this is a no-frills model made in a conservative color palette—save the flashy gold FlyteFoam sole that has reflective properties—so this sleek, sexy shoe could even help you avoid injury if you run when it's dark or rainy.

Runner's Bane

• Regardless of an impressive pedigree, if you have issues running on a high volume heel—no matter how comfy and plush it might be—all of the other features that come with this shoe may not matter to you.
• Only available in two dour colors (which makes that gold sole stand out even more), if you simply dislike a dark shoe, you may not wish to spend the big bucks it takes to acquire a pair of these pricey kicks.
• Heel slippage could prove to be a little problem but I'm able to adjust the lace tension to fix it.
• The S$399 retail price point can be a turn off for runners on a budget, and even though budget is not a concern for you, there are only approximately 40 pairs available in Singapore. That stated, this is a lot to pay for a shoe without trying it on first, so shop in person at the ASICS Suntec City Store (#02-476; Suntec City Mall), try them on and if they are still available!

Does Limited Production Matters?

We're curious about the limited production run of these shoes and pose this question to you: Does the fact that only 60,000 pair of these MetaRun shoes were manufactured by ASICS make you more or less likely to want to own a pair? Why or why not?