Asics Fujispeed 2 trail running shoes review: a stiff-soled shoe for speed days

Asics Fujispeed 2 trail running shoes: first impressions

With the Fujispeed 2, Asics have focused on building a trail running shoe for race days. A full length carbon plate makes for a super stiff sole and is designed to return energy to you with each step and improve your running economy. They’re not the lightest shoes we’ve tested, but they’re as light as you can expect to find with current technology, and we’ve enjoyed a few pretty fast runs in these on forest trails and gravel roads.

Beyond the plate and the sole, these shoes feature a moderate 5 mm drop for more of a neutral feel, enough cushion to wear on a long run without feeling like you’re trotting in trampolines, and lugs that are more than adequate for dry trails, but probably not quite enough for mud and technical terrain. The uppers are very breathable and the braided laces stay secured for hours. Our main gripe is that these shoes feel a little narrow on regular sized feet, and the toe box isn’t roomy enough for us to really spread our toes.

Asics Fujispeed 2 trail running shoes: in the field 

We’re in our second heat wave of the year here in Scotland and I’ve been hitting the trails early and sticking to shaded forest tracks to get my miles in without overheating. For the past 30k, I’ve been running in the Asics Fujispeed 2, which promise to be best for race days.

Here’s how they performed:  

Sizing and fit 

I’m a 3.5 UK and I sized up to a 4 in these, which did leave a little room in the toe box, but due to the shape of the toe box my toes still felt somewhat cramped. I don’t have a wide or narrow foot and despite being standard width, these felt quite narrow to me. On my foot that meant a secure fit but if your foot is wide, these will be too tight. I think I’d recommend going up a full size if you want enough room for your toes.

Comfort and breathability

These shoes have an incredibly stiff sole, and even though the upper is super thin (you can see your toes through it) the material is also quite stiff so when I first put them on, I wondered if I’d need to break them in before I ran in them. As it turns out, I could wear them right out of the box, but I think the stiff sole, snug fit and tapered toe box definitely reduces the comfort for me and I wasn’t devastated to take them off after my run. 

As I wrote about in my article on finding the perfect running shoe, stiff soles are really only appropriate for those with strong feet and good ankle mobility, otherwise you change your gait to compensate for not being able to flex your joints. I think I have enough range of motion to pull these off, but they might be a bit too stiff for my liking, and for other runners.

The breathability is great. As mentioned, it’s been hot here and I’ve had no problems with sweaty feet.

Grip and responsiveness

The lugs are ample for the trails I’ve been on, which aren’t too steep and haven’t been at all muddy, but they’re not enough for muddy and technical trails. 

Though I don’t love how stiff they are and I don’t get enough toe spreading or trail feel to feel super connected to the trail, I have to admit that I run a little faster in these shoes and for the right runner, they definitely make sense for longer races.

Protection 

Because the shoe feels so stiff, I imagined there was more protection than there really is. The heel is really sturdy, but the toe could use a little more protection against rocks and roots, in my opinion.

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