Just last week, I noticed ASICS Singapore has released another new pair of running shoes – the Evoride Speed. Upon first look, the design profile of the new Evoride Speed is similar to the Magic Speed 2. Being an owner of the Magic Speed 2, I had to look deeper. The Magic Speed 2 was an excellent pair of trainer and race day shoes for me but it took awhile to break the midsole in. Additionally, I had an issue with the heel counter on my right feet. Could the Evoride Speed be the Non-plated Magic Speed 2?
Introduction & Specification
Comparing the two paper specifications of these running shoes can help us to understand better where the similarities and differences are. Key differences between the two pairs stem from the midsole, outsole, the existence of plate, and the price.
Link –> ASICS Evoride Speed
| Item | Magic Speed 2 | Evoride Speed |
| Description | The MAGIC SPEED™ 2 shoe offers the energy you need to move towards a new personal best. We updated the fit and tooling to make the shoe more versatile for both tempo runs and races. | The EVORIDE™ SPEED shoe is a lightweight trainer that’s designed to provide more energy savings. This trainer’s updates focus on stability, a smooth forward roll, and grip |
| Upper | Engineered Mesh Upper | Jacquard Mesh Upper |
| Midsole | FF Blast+ / Flytefoam | Flytefoam Blast |
| Outsole | ASICSGRIP rubber | AHAR rubber |
| Weight (standard size) | 238g / 8.4oz | 236g/ 8.32oz |
| Plate Technology | TPU plate | No plate |
| Stack Height (Heel/Forefoot) | 31mm/24mm | Unknown |
| Price | S$239 | S$199 |
I have tried the Evoride Speed on foot and here are some of my key takeaways:
- The width of the midfoot section is wider in the Evoride Speed than Magic Speed 2.
- The full FF Blast midsole in Evoride Speed provides a compressive feel on foot yet stable.
- No need to size up in the Evoride Speed compared to Magic Speed 2.
- Aggressive and early rocker in the Evoride Speed, similar to the Magic Speed 2.
- Comfort upper with gusseted tongue in the Evoride Speed, comfort is better than Magic Speed.
- Aside from the plate feel, the Evoride Speed midsole felt similar to my current 200KM+ Magic Speed 2 dual midsole in terms of compression.
Questions about Evoride Speed
After understanding and trying out the Evoride Speed on foot, there are a few questions which came to my mind. In terms of use cases for the Evoride Speed, it would fall nicely into a non-plated, light weight trainer. Given its FF Blast midsole, Evoride Speed should be able to provide a good amount of cushion to handle even long runs. Additionally, the early rocker will make it a more efficient trainer to help maintain target pace during runs. I believe the Evoride Speed could also serve runners who do not want a plated running shoes for race day or as their training companion to the Metaspeed series.
In terms of the price point of the Evoride Speed, it puts it squarely at the same price as ASICS Novablast 3 which features a full length FF Blast+. The Novablast 3 has now taken a position in many runners’ mind as the new ASICS’s Daily Trainer. Thus, making me wonder what position it can take, does runners need another pair before the plated options? In my opinion, with the difference in the midsole, the Evoride Speed does seems to be position towards speedier runs. However, only after testing will it be more accurate to assess the position of the Evoride Speed.
Opinions on Evoride Speed
The name of this pair makes me a little worried if this is just another testing project from ASICS which we shall see. We are all aware about the Evoride and Glideride which both made it into the third iteration. This new pair of running shoes clearly took the Evoride & Magic Speed into it naming. Will we be seeing a Glideride Speed? I personally hope not as it could make the product line-up a little confusing. Is ASICS looking to clean up their product portfolio and pull these two more closer towards its Magic Speed 2 and Metaspeed Sky+/Edge+? I believe this is highly possible and a welcomed move. If we look into ASICS “Ride” & “Speed” series, we do see . Lining up from lowest price to highest.
“Ride” & “Speed”:
Hyperspeed (S$129) –> Evoride (S$179) –> Glideride / Magic Speed (S$239) –> Metaspeed Sky+/Edge+ (S$349)
“Ride” & “Speed” (After Evoride Speed):
*Assuming ASICS remove Evoride series
Hyperspeed (S$129) –> Evoride Speed (S$199) –> Glideride / Magic Speed (S$239) –> Metaspeed Sky+/Edge+ (S$349)
Conclusion
Will I consider picking up the Evoride Speed for testing? Maybe. I have been considering Glideride 3 for awhile as it technically does not have a plate per se in the midsole. Yet at the same time, I feel the Evoride Speed will be use in similar scenarios as I will use the Magic Speed 2. Although the Evoride Speed definitely has a more comfortable upper and feel. Perhaps, the Evoride Speed is the non-plated training companion for my Magic Speed 2 given its highly similar design and running profile.
If you like to find out more about the Magic Speed 2, head over to my initial and final review of the ASICS Magic Speed 2.
Link –> ASICS Magic Speed 2
Full Review of ASICS Magic Speed 2
Initial Review of ASICS Magic Speed 2
