The Nike Vaporfly 3 and Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris are both impressive, lightweight carbon plate racing shoes that are great for events of any distance. Mike, Kieran and Nick have racked up the miles and raced in both shoes, and give their verdict on which you should get here.
Check out our reviews of both shoes:
Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris Review:
Nike Vaporfly 3 Multi-Tester Review:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:16 – Design & Key Stats
02:25 – How’s The Fit
05:56 – The Run Test
17:55 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to run testers my Name's Nick and in this video we're Going to be comparing the aex metas Speed Sky Paris and the Nike vaporfly [Music] 3 Bly 3 and Sky Paris are both carbon Plate racing shoes two of the better Carbon plate racing shoes on the market I would say both have pretty high price Dayses as you expect for carbon shoes The Meta speed is £220 or $255 fa F2 £35 Or $250 I think some of the newer colors Are coming in at £240 as well the metas Speed Sky Paris is the lighter shoe they Are both very light though the meta Speed is 188 G or 6.6 o the v f is 206 G Or 7.3 o both of those are in my UK size 9 got a 5 mm drop in the metas speed and An 8mm drop in the Nike the aex has an FF turbo plus midsole which is Lightweight soft and bouncy foam it's Lighter softer and bouncier than the FF Turbo that was used in past versions of The shoe got a wider carbon plate than With previous models as well you've got A very lightweight motion wrap 2.0 upper There's really not much to it at all as You'd expect in a racing shoe that Weighs such a small amount little bit of Padding around the heel but in general Just keep it strip back hold the foot in Place without adding any extra weight You've got a minimal rubber out soole With reasonable 4ot coverage there's a
Lot of holes there and then sections of Rubber that stretch not quite to the Back of the shoe so you do have a little Bit of exposed foam at the heel and if You are a heel Striker you will rough That up a little bit I found the Nike You got a fly in it mesh upper really Open very lightweight again you've got a Strip of padding around the back of the Shoe which I'm not always a big fan of We'll talk more about that in the fit Section but again just a very Lightweight racing upper that's designed To keep the shoe you feeling very light On the foot you've got a zoomx foam Midsole Nike's peber based foam with a Full length carbon plate running through The shoe as well cutouts in the shoe to Try and reduce the weight it's actually Quite interesting that aex hasn't done That given that the shoe is so Lightweight you've got pretty good Rubber coverage on the for foot of the Outsole two strips of rubber at the back A lot of exposed foam there and you have Seen durability issues with the bely 3 With it kind of tearing up around the Strips at the back and Tom actually Ripped one of those strips right off so Neither are going to be the most durable Shoes when it comes to the outsole both Quite minimal designs but that is one of The reasons they are so lightweight Quick note here is that atex obviously
Has the metas speak Edge Paris as well Which in the past has been viewed as the More vaporfly like shoe of the sky and The edge we haven't tested the edge Paris yet so it be interesting to see How these two shoes compare as it might Give some insights into how the sky will Compare to the [Music] Edge so when it comes to fit then I ran In the UK and a in both of these shoes That would be my regular running shoe Size in a Nike and in an aex and when it Comes to teasing out the differences in Fit the things I would highlight here I Think the Nike VAP F expent 3 a little Looser in the heel it's not quite so Much security the aex metas speed Sky Paris heel colors hold a bit better and My heel is held in place much more Firmly there's a bit of looseness in the Vapor fly expent 3 then when you move Down into that midfoot area I would say That the vapor flight 3 are actually a Little bit more comfortable across the Top of the foot the metas speed Sky Paris At the back of the toes there's a little Bit of tightness and it you know I mean You could call it security but it's Bordering on a little bit tight both of Them I think have reasonably good Lockdown I don't I'd say that the Nike v X 3 just feels a little bit more
Flexible and I kind of like that kind of Roominess a little bit if you like it Really snug and dar you might prefer the Paris and then that kind of carries on Into the toe box where I think those Hugely sort of perforated uppers that You've got on the vapl X sort of make For a much sort of roomier feel in the Toe boox there's a bit more wiggle room A bit more flexed they just feel a bit More Airy I think the other thing to Note with the VAP fly 3es is the tongues Sit quite High they're not particularly Rigid so it doesn't cause too much of a Problem they do sit higher than the Met Speed sky 3 could potentially cause some Irritation but overall I would recommend Going true to size in both of these Shoes so in terms of I've had both of These shoes in a UK size eight that is My typical running shoe size and you Know I've got pretty skinny narrow feet So generally fitting into these kind of More lowprofile racing shoes isn't Normally a problem for me and I would Say on both these shoes it's been very Very good I think most people would Probably be happy they'll be fine going True to size in both of these shoes I Think in terms of space up front of the Toes very happy in terms of that I Definitely think both of these uppers Are pretty you know breathable first and Foremost I think there's a good amount
Of volume on the top of the of your foot As well too in terms of what you'll get From these uppers as well too when you Work down to the midfoot I think they Both kind of narrow in and give you that Kind of nice lock down feel that you Want from racing in terms of getting a Good lock down I think there similar Laces across both of these shoes the T T Are really skinny as well too I found I've had to work a little bit harder to Get a good lock down on the Met speed Sky Paris and I have had a little bit of Kind of slipping around at the hill but Once I've kind of played around with it It's been absolutely fine on the night There hasn't been those kind of issues Though you know as said the makeup the Laces and the tongue are very similar The heel padding obviously in the Nik It's internally um so you are getting Some support there some comfort out the Heel whereas it's kind of on the um yeah More traditional on the aex um shoe Which as I said apart from the kind of Lockdown issues um that I've had times Generally it's been fine I've had no Kind of issues of heel rub uh so I would Say you know based on my experience Going true to size most people should be Fine doing that when it comes to fit of The two shoes I have my normal size for Both which is a uk9 which is a us10 with Both Nike and aex I'd say it's the same
Size I have across all their range it's Probably a little bit more dialed in Than the cushion shoes in their ranges So if you got very tight fit in Something like the Invincible or the GEL Nimbus veratics then maybe you could Look at sizing up in these cuz they're Racing shoes they have a slightly D more Dialed in fit but I like that in a Racing shoe and I had a really good fit In the toe box midfoot all good no Slipping there heel on the aex is very Good hold your foot in place without any Irritation did find this little strip of Foam on the VAP light irritates my Achilles I don't really like that design Theyve had it on a few vaporfly Generations now and yeah it just rubs me A little up a little bit the wrong way But it's not a huge problem I've run a Marathon in the shoe and you know it's Not a big problem I just don't like it As much as the ax [Music] Design so I've done a lot of running in Both of these shoes I've done about 170k In the Bly now including a 233 at the London marathon and an allout 4.8k in a Relay and with the aex done about 125k Run a half marathon in the shoe and my Park run PB so I've done lot of racing a Lot of workouts in the shoes I really Like both of them I think they are you Know right up there with the top tier of
Carbon plate racing shoes and they Probably operate in a similar sphere but Both being quite lightweight compared to The really cushioned carbon shoes like The alphafly or the hokus cell X1 so I Think the VAP is almost the Forgotten Shoe at the moment cuz it hasn't come Out this year obviously I took it out Again for a training run last week Running 16k alternating 325 and 355 just To remind myself of the feel of the shoe Just because we've had all these great New shoes come out this year and it's Getting a bit forgotten and it it's Still a very very much an amazing shoe Like it's really lightweight lots of Bounce a little bit softer than past Vaporflies you get a slightly more Cushioned feel I think for something Like the marathon which I did in the Shoe last year but you still get a Really propulsive aggressive ride it's Still an amazing shoe like I think it's The best vapl yeah I know lot of people Prefer the bapl 2 cuz it's got that Slightly firmer feel but I think this is Is really nice good balance of Cushioning and speed and lightweightness Like I said I've done a 4.8k run in the Shoe which I running pretty much at my 5K PB Pace really went all out and you Can still do that in the shoe it's a Brilliant short distance racer just a Slight touch more cushion now I think
For longer distance events a atics has a Few similarities actually to the VAP I Think and I talked about this in the Review because it is a lightweight shoe With that Nimble feel but nice bouncy Feel as well I think with the metas Speed Sky what you get compared to the V Is a slightly firmer feeling under the Forefoot cuz the way the plat it's a bit Higher in the foam gives you a slightly More Punchy feel off the toe I'd say and You know there's going to be a lot of Discussion about the Paris versus The Edge and how the edge is more like the Vapefly and I guess what that amounts to Is the fact that the VAP has that Slightly more scoot plate in the Forefoot so you get a softer feel under The forefoot which maybe I don't know AIDS a bit more in a fast transition or Gives you that just a softer feel there Which some people might like but I like The slightly more propulsive feel you Get from the edge in the forfoot cuz It's not harsh at all it's just a bit Poppier a bit punchier and I think it Works really well did a run in both Shoes at the same time and that really Showed off this difference in the fourth In particular I think they feel quite Similar around both lightweight shoes Both fast transition easy to pick your Feet up in both slightly firmer feeling The for foot of the aex Met speed Sky
Paris I would say whereas the VAP play Has that softer feeling under the Forefoot you know still aggressive still Firm still punches you off your toes and Some people prefer the way it rolls Through but I do think it's pretty Similar across the board I slightly Throw the way the atics feels myself With that extra firmness there which I Do like myself just to keep aiding a High turnover of my legs which is Obviously what the scoop plate is meant To do in The Vape flying in the edge but I think we can get a bit hung up on what The brand says these shoes are for only When you're running them it really come Across how good they feel for you as a Runner and the way it works for you so Yeah I really like the way the Met guy Feels really like the way the vfly feels You got that difference there in the 4 Foot we've got the slightly firmer feel In the ax which uh I think makes it very Easy for me to load the play even though In theory I'd probably be better suited To the VAP fly or the edge as a high Cadence runner though I do love the VAP As well both of the shoes and the run Test have a slight durability question Mark see the VAP fly just ripped up Around the back of the shoe there on the Same this is my right shoe so I'm a Slightly more pronounced heel Striker on My left foot so I think I've had a bit
More rough edge up on both of these Shoes with my left shoe but nothing too Bad yet it's actually going to affect Performance or anything like that looks Bit ugly at the back as all certainly if You are a heel Striker you can have a Little bit of a concern with both of These shoes they haven't really gone all Out to put a lot of rubber at the back Of the shoe a lot of rubber there in General they're very lightweight and one Of the reasons for that is quite minimal Outso so you might have to look out for A bit of durability there and I wouldn't Be taking these on to kind of rough Paths in any way I'd very much stick to Tarmac with these so then in testing I've logged many many miles trained Raced and Marathon tested both of these Shoes the par I've done more recently Than the vaporfly 3 but I've given them The same treatment in my tests now the Minute I laced up the Paris it gave me Some of the vaporfly 2 Vibes and I kind Of immediately thought that this is Almost the shoe that I think the Vaporfly 3 should have been I wasn't the Biggest fan of the vaporfly 3 it's not That it's a bad shoe far from it I could Happily Race fast in it I have done but I think the softer midsole here Definitely sort of took some of the way The sort of top end of that shoe and for Me there's just something missing in the
Way the kind of midsole sinks the Opposite really is true of the metas Speed Paris I did a solo Marathon test In it that you can find on the channel And there's a thrusting kind of Immediacy to the midsole here that's More punch in instant a bit like the old Vaporfly 2 now this is a shoe the Paris That almost dares or even demands that You run fast and to really tease out the Differences between these two shoes I Also did my usual side-by-side Mile with One shoe on each foot and here's what I Found so I've just done a side-by-side Mile I've got the vaporfly 3 on the left Foot I've got the Paris on the right Foot the big difference here is is just How Punchy they feel with the foam the Minute you put them on the Nike midsole Foam as they've kind of tuned it to be Softer in this sort of version of the Vaporfly it just squishes it's a lot More soft it's a lot more malleable you Can feel it underfoot the moment you're Walking in it the Paris it has it feels Like it has more volume underf foot even Though actually the stack Heights sort Of vary there's more in the 4 foot under The Paris but Le Less in the hill even Though it feels like there's more across The whole foot but what you get from the Paris is you can feel that foam it Doesn't sink so deep it responds almost Immediately even when you're walking and
That sort of follows through into the Run but there's just a lot more kind of Punchy immediacy I think from the mid Soul foam in the Paris then you're going To get in the vfly expent 3 the V fly Exp 3 it was my big cut of criticism From generation 2 to Generation 3 was I Just think they tuned it a little bit Too soft and it lost some of that kind Of firmness and stiffness and punchiness And raciness that you had from the next Percent 2 made it a bit more democratic Made it a bit more accessible made it Probably more comfortable to shoot or Run in if you were sort of running not So well at the end of a marathon you Know it was a little bit more sort of Balanced in that sense whereas the VAP 2 Was kind of pretty much you had to be Running quite well and all out to get The best out of it but I think that's Taken something really important away From the next per3 and that is something That the aex metas speed Sky Paris Actually has and I think it has quite a Lot of it it's very very Punchy there is A stiffness there is an immediacy to the Foam that when you're kind of running Sort of side by side on this you can Feel the energy that's just punch ing Back far quicker now there is a little Bit of a caveat to that that is just Depending on how you're going to use These shoes and whether or not you need
A little bit more stability I think the VAP nex3 because it sort of offers a Slightly flatter Landing has more Stability than the slightly narrower Platform of the aex meta speed Sky Paris Or narrower than a lot of carbon shoes Anyway that Paris and deeper into runs Where you might not be running with fine Form I don't think the Paris is going to Look after you as much as the me as the Nike VAP fly next 3 might the other Thing that I do sense here it feels like There's sort of more foam under the kind Of medial side of the Paris and that Almost sort of rolls you slightly to the Right even when you're just walking here Whereas the next percent it's a much Kind of flatter overall sort of base and What that means I think in practice if You're going to run a marathon where You're not sure what you're going to get Towards the end of it and you want Something that's going to be a little Bit more forgiving then I think you'll Get that more with the vaporfly 3 I Think it might be a risk to go for the Metas speed Sky Paris I think the Paris Is definitely a shoe like the v x to That you're going to be want to Basically be pretty confident you're Going to be running in your finest form Right the way from start to finish so in Terms of that run tests now I have raced In both of these shoes obviously these
Are shoes built for racing has been Shorter distances races that I have done So I raced first in the VAP F 3 did a Kind of 5K um race which was just over 20 minutes and then more recently I was Out with aex for festival running event In Paris and they had a kind of evening Kind of 5K race and I did kind of sub20 In this shoes so know these shoes are Absolutely capable of running quicker Their shorter distances and then I've Kind of done I haven't raced longer Distance in these shoes but I have done Longer marathon training runs half Marathon training runs as well too so I Kind of you know I've got a good sense Of what they feel like to run a little Bit longer in as well now what I would Say is first and foremost lovely light Shoes and if you want a really light Shoe these are two of the lightest kind Of carbon Racing shoes that you can pick Up and from that point of view and I Love a light racing shoe these are felt Very very good to wear well they're not Going to disappear you just don't notice Them in the same way that you maybe Notic some other kind of marathon Super Shoes I think what it really boils down To is what you're getting in terms of That mid cell performance and how it Feels and what you're getting from that Ride now what I would say is both are Propulsive both feel explosive to run
Quicker both feel very very good to run Faster in now I am kind a 320 marathon Runner I do kind of 40 minute kind of 10ks kind of just creeping under um sub 20 minute 5 okay to give you a sense of How quick I'm running in it may be Easing off as well too now what I would Say is over those shorter distances I Found that you get that pop you get that Life you get that kind of bounce that You want I think for me I think in the Shter distance I found that maybe the Vaporfly 3 feels in terms what you're Getting for the ZX foam is something That is a little bit bouncier maybe I Don't think there a huge amount in it You absolutely get some balance in the Um met speed Sky par but I think maybe There's just a touch more of that in What you're getting in the the knight's Kind of midsole I think when I've run Longer in these shoes I found that Particularly what you're getting from The mids Sal in the Met speed Sky Paris Is something that I think is a bit more Forgiving particularly those longer Distances now if I Tire a little bit and Obviously these shoes do want you to Keep moving and moving quickly through Those transitions I found that when I've Run longer in the Met speed Sky Paris I Felt more comfortable to do that if I Had to ease off a little bit now not Easing off massively but I do think
Particularly what you're getting in Different With the for foots of these shoes I Think the Met speed Sky pass just feels A little more comfortable um when you Maybe are kind of cruising and maybe not All out running at your hardest um you Know quickest times um and I think That's the biggest thing that I've Noticed with these shoes because I think Ultimately in terms of you know being Aggressive shoes they absolutely are in Terms of being shoes that give you a Level of you a lovely level of Bounce to Make an enjoyable shoe to run fasting Absolutely they can do that as well too I think in terms of the mids Maybe there's a touchable balce in the Um zoomx compared to what you're getting On the Met speed Sky paris's mid soulle Foam but I don't think there's a huge Amount in it but I think the key thing For me is that kind of comfort over Those longer distances where I think When I've run a little bit longer in the Vaporfly 3 I found like I've maybe Wanted a little bit more of that foam a Little bit like you will get probably an Alpha fly through that little bit extra Stack I think maybe while the profiles Are pretty similar I think what you're Getting from from that Mido foam in the M spe Karis just lends itself to running A little bit longer or feeling more
Comfortable to run a bit longer now Terms of the out soes it's pretty Similar in terms of the layouts you know It's very much focused on the foref foot Of both of these shoes the exposed areas Of the foam as well too now I was always Worried or have had issues with the Metas speed Sky previously in terms Particularly the hill where I kind of Drop back on my own Hill Striker and it Is kind of eating in the foam I'm not Seeing that so far and I put a fair Amount of mileage in the Met speed Sky Paris too um vfly 3 you know generally I Think it's the same story here you don't Want to overuse these shoes and I do Think you know it is really about saving For racing maybe saving for those faster Kind of training days I think if you do That you're going to get a good amount Of life I have to say I'm surprised by What I'm getting from the Met speed Sky Par so far particularly compared to the Previous years but I think outso Durability and you know General grip as Well is going to feel similar maybe you Know getting a little bit more in terms Of that traction on The Meta speed Sky Paris but I think I don't think there's A huge amount in it so yeah for me two Lovely shoes to run quick in I think Definitely there's some positives on the Met speed Sky PR that maybe just gives It a little bit of an edge over the VAP
3 but I think it's just you know vice Versa I think there a similar story with Vaporfly 3 I think in certain scenarios Where I think it can Excel and maybe Feel a little bit nicer compared to the Met be Sky [Music] Paris so my ver on whether you should go For the night vfly 3 or the aex meta Speed Sky pass so what will say is that These are two fantastic lightweight Carbon Racing shoes and I think Whichever one you go for you're going to Get a really good experience and you Know one of the best shoes that you can Buy right now for racing the way I look At it is I would be picking the Nike VAP 5 3 mainly if I'm looking for a shoe That I think works better kind of Shorter up to kind of Half Marathon Distance I think with the meta speed sky Pric that is the biggest thing for me I Feel like this is a shoe I feel more Comfortable running longer and probably Going that Marathon distance I just Think in terms of you're getting in the Midle and the general feel and design of This shoe I think it works or feels a Little bit better over those longer Distances I think I don't think there's A massive amount in it but I just think For me in terms of my longer runs in These two shoes I found that met speed Sky Paris has felt a lot more
Comfortable and I think you can run Quicker shorter distances in this as Well too so yeah if it was me if I was Looking for a shoe that could cover Comfortably a lot of racing distances From kind of shorter to longer i' be Going the Met speed Sky P if you're Looking for that explosive feel over Kind of maybe 5K to Half Marathon Distance based on my experience of Running these shoes I'd be going for the Night V 5 Fe But ultimately if I had Either of these shoes I'd be very happy In terms of them being my carbon racing Shoe verdict then and I think aex has Made a better Carbon race shoe here I Get what Knight did with the changes to The vaporfly 3 it's now a much more Accessible carbon RAC than the previous Generation but I think that extra Softness lot of stiffness it's taken Some of the spring and the punch out of The ride and I think the metas speed Sky Paris has gone the other way compared to The Met speed Sky plus he's added more Of the firmer stiffer more immediate Kind of foam and Under Foot fi and as a Result it's a lively issue and I think It's actually Leap Frog the vaporfly in The carbon racer pecking order so which Shoe would I choose overall well I think It's pretty obvious from what I've said So far I choose the Met speed Sky Paris Over the vaporfly 3 in fact that's
Exactly what I've done for my upcoming Trip to the Adidas Manchester Marathon The Paris is also cheaper which is a Bonus and just for the record I think I'd actually go back generation and Choose the vfly 2 over the vfly 3 as Well verdict to be these both great Shoes don't forget the V flight it's Still an absolutely amazing carb plate Roing shoe right up there with Everything on the market if you can get It a bit cheaper than the other shoes Because it is an older shoe then it's Certainly one to consider does Everything well from 5Ks through to the Marathon and I think it's fantastic shoe All that's true with the Met speed Sky Paris as well and I just prefer the way The shoe feels on the foot and I do Think it's the top shoe available for me At the moment interesting I still prct To the VAP even as the shuffly high Cadence Runner I wonder if that'll be The same when we do finally test the Edge we still haven't got that in yet we Will get it in and we will test it at Some point I promise two great shoes Here lightweight Nimble great for racing Any distance a bit cheaper than some of The carbon shoes on the market some Questions about durability something to Look out for but overall really good Shoes I slightly refer the a6m speed to Sky Paris myself and that's the one I'll
Be going [Music] For so that's a comparison of the Met Spe guy Paris and the VAP fly 3 please Do down in the comments let us know what You think please like And subscribe and Ring the little bell and we'll see you Next time
