We’ve got a big head to head for you here. In this vid, we’re putting two of the top-tier carbon racers up against each other. We’ve got the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris – a very popular carbon race shoe among The Run Testers. We’ve run a lot of PBs in this shoe. That’s going up against the newer Adidas Adios Pro 4. Another carbon race shoe that’s had some significant updates for 2025 with new uppers
and a switched up midsole. So which all-out racer might suit you better? Hit play to find out in our battle of the best carbon race shoes: the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris vs Adias Adios Pro 4 review.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:36 – Details: Stack height, drop, weight, price
1:15 – Shoe comparison
3:45 – How’s the fit?
5:35 – The Run Test
10:56 – Verdict
12:17 – Now watch this: ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris review / Adidas Adios Pro 4 review
Hi people welcome to the run test it's Kieran here and we've got a big Head-to-head for you we are putting two Of the top tier carbon Racers up against Each other we've got the asex Met speed Sky Paris a very popular carbon ratio Among the Run testers we've run a lot of PBS in this shoe that is going up Against the newer Adidas Pro 4 Another carbon ratiu that's had some Significant updates for 2025 with new Uppers and a switched up midsole so Which of these shoes is the better Allout racer let's get into it in our Aex metas speed Sky Paris versus Adidas Pro for Review quick details first then starting With the stack kite the Adidas adios Pro 4 is one of the lowest stack carbon Races it packs 39 Ms in the heel 33 Ms In the 4 foot for a 6 mil drop the Met Speed Sky Paris has 39 1/2 Ms in the Hill 34 1/2 Ms in the 4T for a 5 mil Drop on weight the adios Pro 4 comes in At 22 G or 7.1 o in my men's UK 8 and A2 Test shoe that's lighter than the Pro 3 But still a shade heavier than the metas Speed Sky Paris which comes in under 200 G at 187 G or 6.6 o in the same size Price and both shoes land at £220 in the UK or $250 in the US let's give you a quick chew Comparison then starting with the Midsole and the aex metas speed Sky
Paris has a new midsole featuring a big Stack of flight foam turbo plus Pam is a Full length flat carbon plate that sits Higher in the mids salt has been widened In the 4ot region to improve the overall Bounce from the foam during toe off the Adios Pro 4 midsole features a new Light Strike Pro that's tuned differently and Provides a little extra softness Compared to the adios Pro 3 the 4 foot Rocker has also been moved back to boost Efficiency it's now positioned at 60% of The length of the shoe that's the same As you'll find in the Pro Evo one from Adidas the adios Pro 4 also carries the Same carbon energy rods you could just See them poking through here as youve Got in the adios Pro 3 now up top the Aex has a light breathable motion wrap Upper 2.0 that's nicely perforated Throughout to keep things really light And cool it's sort of super comfortable The Adidas uses a brand new light lock Uppers you got this new locking bands That wrap the foot for a snug and secure Fit they provide some additional support Now these oneway stretch woven mesh Uppers also aim to address one of the Biggest gripes with the adios Pro 3 that Was that some Runners found the fit Somewhat fussy the Pro 4 has thin Wrapping tongues that are now stitched In to prevent the moving around they Have a little more lace pinch busting
Padding than you'll get on the Met Speeds which also have a free moving Flimsier tongue here the adios Pro 4 Also has a simplified lacing structure Compared to the three that hopes to make It easier to get a good fit and reduce Some of the pressure points that we got Around the toe Knuckles boosting overall Comfort the Adidas also uses regular Laces while the metas speed Sky Paris Has the really handy lace lock laces Onto the heel colar and the metas speed Has more padding or at at least more Traditional looking padding and a bit More structure in their heel counter Than the adios Pro 4 which keeps things To kind of a racy minimal with internal Pads everything is a bit more flexible Back here on the colors as well if you Flip them over and both shoes have the Usual fairly thin and minimal strategic Rubber out soole for grip to protect the High impact areas the adios Pro 4 uses Light traction outso for the main part With a strategic pad of continent Al Rubber here to boost the grip on that Key Landing Point there's a bit more Rubber covering the key impact zones in The heel too than you'll get on the M Speed Sky Paris so then in testing I ran in a UK 8 A half which is my regular aex size and I found the fit for this shoe spot on It's snug and racy enough the heels hold
Well for me no slipping or rubbing I got The midfoot lock down dialed in really Easily had a smidgen of lace pin deeper Into the marathons that I did and on the Longer longer runs but nothing crazy the Toebox feels Airy enough for a Rao and There's good clearance across the top of The shows that's crucial here lengthwise I'd say they're okay too just about Though I did get one bruise toonel after My Marathon test but hold on to that Thought I also ran in my regular Adidas Running shoe size which is also a UK and A half and on the whole I found the fit Much improved on this shoe the Pro 4 over the Pro 3 it's much easier to get Get on and positioned and locked down Than the fider adios Pro 3 the improved Stitched in tongues I think really help And the modified lace eyelets Successfully remove any pinching or Rubbing around the toe Knuckles which I Found a problem in the last year Generally I found the heel hold was Reliable and the midfoot lock down was Secure however I had some bigger issues With the length of the the toe box and The kind of narrowness of the toe box it Does narrow quite sharply and perhaps it Sort of comes up almost like quarter of A size too short I only noticed this Deep into my Marathon test where my big Toenails caught the end of the shoe qu In quite a bad way I ended up some of
The worst bruise toenails that I've had From any shoe for quite some time weeks After they were still a problem on Shorter runs that's not a problem in the Shoe going half a size up may well solve It however I do worry that going half a Size up might create problems elsewhere In the fit of the shoe what I really Want is just a quarter size more room Lengthwise and maybe a bit more Clearance across the top of the toe box Here now I'm not the only Runner who's Reported this problem so I pay close Attention to length When choosing your size in the adios Pro 4 now in testing it's safe to say that I've put many more miles into the meta Speed Sky Paris both in training and in Racing it's a shoe that I used last year To clock PBS at the 5K and Marathon Distance and it was one of my top shoes Of the year I've put in more than 50 Miles in the adios Pro 4 while I'm yet To racing them I have done a solo Marathon test did it around the Streets Of London you can check that video out That's on the channel now we're going to Get into the two shoes and for me the Metas speed Sky Paris is aic's best Carbon plate race shoe yet it's one of If not the best option for chasing fast Times for everything up to the marathon It has all the ingredients you look for In a good carbon ratio it's light racy
Airy uppers that big stack of bouncy Midsole foam and a stiffness from the Carbon plate there that adds some extra Pop I like the stiffness in the midsole Unit along with the just right Cushioning that dampens the road impact Without leaving you feeling completely Disconnected from the road it's like but Cushioned agile and precise in some ways It reminds me a little bit of the Vaporfly Nex perent to going back that Way if you're confident you're in good Racing shape it's a marathon Race shoe Contender for sure now the updates to The adios Pro 4 also work the uppers are A huge Improvement the midsole packs all The punch you look for in a carbon raoe The grippy out soole holds the road with Excellent reliability the shoe feels Durable for a carbon racer this is a Shoe that definitely works best when You're moving fast land mid to 4 foot it Responds better to locked in form and Top speed efforts and I think it's right Up there with a you know very close to The aex Met speed Sky Paris and the Nike Alpha fly next percent 3 as a top race They shoot now I also did a sidebyside Mile with one two on each foot to really Tease out the differences and here's What I found so I've just done my side By side M I've Got The Meta speed Sky Paris on the left foot I've got the Adios Pro 4 on the right foot I did a
Mixture of Paces here so I was doing a Lap of this park here fast kind of Beyond marathon pace a little bit Probably up to sort of between 5K and Marathon pace and then I did a lap where I was moving slowly to test how they are When you kind of rock back and you're Running a bit easier where you're going To need a bit more protection I knew This coming into the test but when you Put them both on your feet you realize Just how equally high energy shoes both Of these are they are really Punchy Really Lively you can feel that foam Really returning it's got a big bounce To it it's got a big energy to it you Can feel the combinations of the plates And the foam working together to really Propel you forward The one thing I will say that I noticed Difference the Adidas adios Pro 4 feels Higher it's only marginally higher in The stack I think but it feels much Higher and particularly almost down the Spine of the shoe down the central core Of the shoe I feel there's more volume Of foam underf foot when I'm running Particularly when I'm landing further Back on my heels that goes away a bit When you're up running mid to four foot Which is kind of how I would really Probably running at my marathon pace I'd Be mid to four fo just engaging that Front section it disappears a little bit
Like that but when you land further back You can really feel a bit more volume of Foam under the middle of the foot the Other sensation I get with the adios Pro 4 that I don't get with the metal speed Sky Paris and it's something I prefer in The sky Paris is the adios Pro 4 there's Just a little less consistency in the Landing I feel a little bit more wobble There's almost a bit of encouragement For my foot to kind of roll to the Outside I don't suffer from over Pronation but I do notice that it's kind Of a slight little lean I don't get that On the metas speed Sky Paris it just Feels more even more balanced I feel More reliable underf foot it's a kind of More consistent platform to run off Regardless of where you land on the Shoes the other thing I've really picked Up though the S6 metp Sky Paris feels a Little bit flatter as a result and I Think that makes the adios Pro 4 feel Bouncier and slightly more energetic These are both fast shoes they both feel Energetic but there's definitely a bit More spring in the adios Pro 4 but it's Not quite as controlled and I actually Think I prefer the control of the speed Sky Paris which I think just makes it Feel like you're using the energy a Little bit more consistently and a Little bit more to your advantage There's just a reliability and a
Consistency I think over and above the Adios Pro 4 the other thing is you can In the uppers when they're on the foot You're running like this you do feel the Shortening in the toe box on the adios Pro for even from just that mile I've Just had them back on my feet for the First time in a while bit more length in The metas speed Sky Paris still not Loads of length towards the end but They're just a bit more roomy in the Toebox overall both have got kind of a Snug race fit but yeah the Met Sky par I Think it's just a little bit more Accommodating so even as I run home here From that mile a very kind of slow pace I think what you really notice there's Just a smoothness to the transitions Maybe that's what I'm getting at the aex Metas speed Sky Paris it's just a little Smoother across the whole transition Through that midsole where there are Some Feelings of like different bits working In different ways under the Pro 4 That goes away when you're really at it Running fast pace moving with real int Tent mid to 4 foot it doesn't affect as Much cuz you're just landing on that Nice uh Mido foam up front that nice Wedge but when you're moving slow like This the SX met speed Sky Parish just Feels like a smoother shoe and the Than the adios Pro 4 which I I think
Overall I kind of like that a bit More verdict then and when it comes to The ride the energy and the allout race Potential I think both of these shoes Are excellent races they're light Lively With a balance of punch and protection It's good for chasing Fast Times on race Day definitely up to the Marathon Distance choosing between them could Come down to a couple of things though The first one for me is fit the toenail Wo of the adios Pro 4 are problematic Not everyone suffers them I did if you Do it's not great a bit more room in the Length of this shoe and it will get Extra marks it's not quite there the aex Was better on that front for me then There's a reliability Under Foot the aex Is more stable and I find the transition Smoother and more natural than the adios Pro 4 particularly Landing further back I think the adios Pro 4 gives More Bounce and energy overall but I like the Controlled energy of the metas speed Sky Power is slightly more it's a bit Smoother would I happily chase a PB in Both shoes well the answer to that is Yes which one would I rather do it in Based on those fine details between two Good shoes I think it would still be the Aex metas speed Sky Paris so there you Have it that's been my head-to-head look At the aex metas speed sky Sky Paris and The new Adidas adios Pro 4 I hope you
Found it useful give us a like if you Did drop us a comment if you've got a Take on either or both of these shoes Maybe hit the Subscribe button if you're Not already subbed and you want to see When other videos land speaking of other Videos if you're interested in detailed Reviews of both of these shoes I'll pop Them on the screen now otherwise thank You very much for stopping by and until Next time happy running people
