The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris and Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 are two top-tier carbon plate racing shoes, but have quite different rides. The Sky Paris has a faster transition and firmer feel, while the Endorphin Elite 2 goes all-in on soft springiness. Which is better? Kieran and Nick give their thoughts in this video.
Check out our reviews of both shoes:
Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris Review:
Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 Review:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:16 – Design & Key Stats
02:16 – How’s The Fit
04:19 – The Run Test
10:08 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to the run testers my Name's Nick and in this video we're Going to be comparing the Asex Meta Speed Sky Paris and the Succin Endorphin Elite [Music] 2 so the Endorphin Elite 2 and the Met Speed Sky Paris are both top tier carbon Plate racing shoes the best options from Their respective brands the Meta Speed Sky Paris has been a long-term favorite On the channel since it came out last Year whereas the Endorphin Elite 2 just Came out this year in 2025 and it's Certainly a very interesting complex Shoe and one we all think is very fast And quite a different feel to the Meta Speed Sky Paris because of its very soft Midsole foam the Meta Speed Sky Paris is The cheaper shoe at £220 or £250 whereas The Endorphan Elite 2 is £280 or £275 The Meta Speed Sky Paris is a bit Lighter it's 188 g or 6.6 6 oz in the UK 9 whereas the Endorphin Elite 2 is 216 g Or 7.6 oz in a UK 8.5 you have a 5 mm Drop on the Meta Speed Sky Paris and a 8 Mm drop on the Endorphin Elite 2 so with The Meta Speed Sky Paris you've got a Very lightweight motion wrap 2.0 upper Little bit of padding around the heel Not much in the way of heel Reinforcement there and then an FF Turbo Plus midsole foam which is the best foam In Asex's range as you'd expect very
Lightweight bouncy material with a full Length carbon plate running through that Midsole in the Sky Paris it sits a Little bit higher in the foam under the Forefoot than it does in the Edge Paris Where you have a bit more of a scooped Plate then you have an ASEX grip rubber Outsole again very much the focus here Is on weight saving you even have holes In the rubber in the forefoot there good Foroot coverage not so great heel Coverage doesn't go all the way back but It has been fine in terms of grip but You might lose out a little bit on Durability there then with the Endorphin Elite 2 you've got a knit and mesh upper With a slightly weird rubberized section At the back of it it's got a booty style Fit as opposed to the more traditional Tongue you have on the Asex Meta Speed Sky Paris then you have a TPE foam in The midsole which is called Incred it's A very soft foam probably the softest Foam I've come across in a carbon plate Shoe but also very springy got a full Length carbon plate running through the Shoe and then you've got outsole rubber Covering the forefoot and heel more Cutouts on the Sony Endorphin Elite 2 Than you have on the AS6 actually quite Unusual for a compact racing shoe like The um Speed Sky Paris not to have any Cutouts and so it's impressive that it Is so lightweight you've got one on the
Outside of the Endorphin Elite here in [Music] Particular when it comes to fit I ran in A UK 8 and 1/2 or US 9 and a half in Both shoes which is my regular size for Both brands with the Elite 2 you get Enough length in the toe box you get Good clearance across the top of the Toes there's a bit of structure to the Toe box which also kind of helps keeps Those uppers away from the top of your Toes so I had no black toe nails here Even on the longer distances or longer Time on feet the integrated tongues it's A different kind of setup to we see to Some race shoes but those wrap and hold For good comfort excellent lock down Across the top of the foot however the Elite 2 did come up a little bit tight And narrow and squashed around the Little toe on the outside edge here and These uppers there's they're quite Plasticky so I did have a little bit of Rubbing on those longer runs nothing Crazy it was manageable but I would Recommend looking closely at the size if You've got wide feet or if you're a fan Of more room for your toes to spllay now I found the fit on the Asex spoton snug And racy enough the heels hold well for Me i really like that you get these Extra padding in the heel collars so There's no slipping or rubbing i got the Mid-foot lock down dialed in easily had
A smidge of lace pinch deeper into the Marathons on on longer runs but it was Nothing crazy the toe box feels airy the Uppers feel nice and light and airy good Clearance across the top of the toes Lengthwise I'd say they're okay too i Did get one sort of slightly bruised Toenail after one of my marathon tests But again nothing too crazy so overall In both these shoes I would recommend Staying true to size it comes to fit of The two shoes i've got my normal size in The ASEX Meta Speed Sky Paris and no Concerns at all about the fit i've run a Couple of marathons in this shoe fits me Really well very lightweight comfortable Upper endorphin League 2 i made the Unwise decision to go half a size down Which is sometimes okay for me with Socky shoes but that is not the case With the Endorphin Elite i think it's Quite a tight fit in general especially Around the toes with the way it tapers At the front of the shoe there so I Would stick to your normal running shoe Size in the Endorphin Elite 2 if you Have a narrow foot or a small for your Size I think stick to your normal size In general it's probably the right way To go but if you do have quite a wide Foot or value a lot of room in the toe Box this shoe might end up feeling quite Tight on the [Music]
Foot on to the run test then and these Are two very impressive carbon plate Shoes the Meta Speed Sky Paris has been My go-to racer my favorite racing shoe For the last year and a half or so since Where it came out i've run two marathon PBS in it as well as some shorter race PBS so huge fan of it for sure a few Good racers have come out this year Though and one of them is the Endorphin Elite 2 which does feel very different To the AS6 overall the ASIC is still my Go-to as a spoiler for the rest of this Video but there are certainly some Interesting differences between them That are worth drawing out so with the Meta Speed Sky Paris you do have a Firmer ride for sure you got a very Sinking soft ride with the Endorphin Elite 2 i think in general the Meta Speed Sky Paris does feel a bit firmer Than lots of carbon shoes on the market It's not at all uncomfortable though Like I say I've run a couple of Marathons in it and it's always felt Very comfortable for me in the second Half of those races what really sets it Apart for me is how fast it turns over Onto the forefoot and the amount of Spring and lift I feel like I get from The carbon plate setup in the front of The shoe there really feels like I get a Nice explosive tower from the plate even When I'm really flagging at the end of
Races and hard sessions feels like even When I'm not running that well anymore I Still get a nice amount of punch from The plate and the foam in the midsole And the fact it is such a lightweight Shoe really helps me as a high cadence Runner keep turning my feet over Endorphin Elite in contrast is a very Springy shoe it's very much all about Softness and spring with this shoe you Sink in a lot to this incred foam and Then get it all back though it's not a Shoe that you know you sink in and the Energy gets lost or anything like that It really does fire you forward with the Amount of bounce you have in this Midsole but it is a very different Feeling to the ASX certainly less stable Than the ASX side short and a lot more Unnatural you know it feels like a Really super shoe you know like it feels Very unnatural in the way that you Sometimes come to expect from these Bouncy shoes but it's so soft and Sometimes can have problems with lateral Stability i find like the way you Compress the foam it seems to go a bit Everywhere like I say it does bounce Back and push you forward and it is a Very far shoe like I've used it for a Hard session down on the track and on The road as well and I do enjoy running In it at pace but it's certainly one That you have to take a bit more care in
And one that's a little bit more present In your mind when you're running in it Than the ASX shoe like you are worried About your next step you're worried About taking corners i was even a little Bit worried about stopping at the end of A rep and that kind of thing in the shoe That's partly also because I don't think The grip is very good on the shoe every Run I had on it it feels like it's just A little bit slippery under foot and Don't love that feeling when you're Adding in the wobbliness of the foam it Just creates a slight feeling of Insecurity certainly very fast certainly A shoe that you could run a PB in but It's one that you'd be thinking about And worrying about a bit more than the AS6 when I ran in both shoes at the same Time like it is wild how different the Endorphin Elite feels to a top racing Shoe like the Met Speed Sky Paris like It is very soft it is very bouncy but Like I say got that lightning fast Turnover in the AS6 just a lovely amount Of punch it just feels like it fits Really well with my stride whilst also Giving that extra punch and propulsion You expect from a carbon shoe whereas The Endorphin Elite 2 is like stepping Into something completely otherworldly And then you've got to really adjust a Little bit to take into account that Bounce certainly can run fast in it
Certainly got that performance level but Certainly issue you're going to think About a bit more on the run okay run to Stand in testing it safe put in many More miles in the Assex Meta Speed Sky Paris it's the older shoe so both in Training and in racing it's a shoe that I've used last year to clock PBS at the 5k and marathon distance and it's one of My top shoes of the year for 2024 but I've also logged north of 50 miles in Both shoes i haven't raced in the Socky Endorphin Elite 2 yet but I have done Some 2hour long sort of long mileage Marathon training runs at marathon pace Along with an allout mile and some Faster 5k some of it slower all of the Usual stuff now if you've watched the Channel before you'll know that I'm a Big fan of the Meta Speed Sky Paris it's Definitely AS6 best carbon plate shoe to Date it's one of the best options right Now for chasing fast times for Everything up to the marathon it has all The ingredients I look for in a good Carbon ratio you've got light racy airy Uppers you've got a big stack of bouncy Midsole foam that works with the Stiffness from the carbon plate to add Some extra pop i really like the Stiffness in the midsole unit it's Different some of the other carbon Plates that are softer a bit more Squishy uh you get just right cushioning
Though that dampens the road impact Without leaving your feet feeling kind Of completely disconnected from the road There's still some feel that you're in Control so you get something that's Light but cushioned agile precise Energetic but controlled now if you're Confident you're in good racing shape I Think the Meta Speed is a top marathon Or half marathon race shoe contender i'd Also happily choose it to race fast over 5K and 10K 2 i think it's an all Distance shoe now the Socket Endorphin Elite 2 is a totally different beast This is now probably the softest carbon Racer going that Incredi run midsole is All about high compression high rebound Which creates this kind of wild Slingshot sort of a ride it's big on Energy but it's highly unique and it Does come at the cost of stability and Certainty if you need lots of stability I don't think this shoe is probably Going to be the best race shoe for you From the moment you lace it up you're Kind of immediately wondering if you're Going to be able to control it you can Really feel the softness and the Movement under foot and when you're Moving that means that you have to focus On your landings it takes sort of Careful considered foot placement that's The order of the day with this shoe That's less the case when you're running
Mid to fore foot engaging the front Section of the foam where things I find Are a little bit more reliable you still Get a highly resilient and bouncy ride But there's more control than when you Land further back towards the heel now I'd say the Elite 2 is probably as Punchy as the Meta Speed Sky Paris but I Think that's the key difference here it Requires attention to your foot Placement you need to focus on what's Going on underfoot when you do and you Run well it's brilliantly fun energetic Lively and it's got a ride that I really Quite love i'd 100% pick it for like a Big urban marathon where they've got Lots of straight line running on even Surfaces you know the Chicago Berlin New York those kind of braces but on Anything that's kind of twisty turny or Vaguely uneven I think it's much less Reliable than you'll get from the Meta Speed Sky Paris which just feels a bit More natural you don't have to focus as Much you can just get on with running Onto that verdict then and once you've Run a PB in a shoe it tends to hold a Special place in your esteem and I've Set a bunch in the Asex Met Speed Sky Paris so my verdict may come as little Surprise here but I'm not just choosing The Meta Speed over the Endorphin Elite 2 because it helped me run at my best i Genuinely think that the Meta Speed
Remains like one of the most Accomplished carbon racers that you can Get and I think it's the shoe that will Work for the widest group of runners as Well i have enjoyed my miles in the Endorphin Elite 2 it's a high octane Shoe when you're really going at it but I find it kind of requires more focus to Get the most out of the shoe it's Somewhat untamed it's a bit wild it's Kind of a caution to the wind kind of Shoe that is a lot of fun it's just not As natural and easy and effortless as The ATX Met Speed Sky Paris for that Reason along with a higher price tag That comes with the Elite 2 if I was Choosing one shoe to race in over almost Any distance it would be the Asex Meta Speed Sky Paris i also think as I said The Meta Speed is the shoe that's going To suit the widest group of runners in Terms of that sort of accommodating more Stable easier platform it's also the Shoe that I would trust more on very Very tired legs when I was going to be Moving with more ragged form maybe Landing further back in the shoe where Things might just get a little bit more Wobbly and you need a bit more Consistency under foot so for me the Winner is the AS6 Meta Speed Sky Paris It comes to my verdict the ASX Met Speed Sky Paris remains my favorite carbon Plate racing shoe and it certainly edges
Out the Endorphin Elite 2 which I did Enjoy running in i think it's really Fast i think it's really impressive it's Just not quite to my taste it's also Very expensive the attics is cheaper and I think the performance level is higher For me for a runner like me with a high Cadence in general I think it's the Higher performing shoe of the two but if You are craving that super soft bouncy Feeling then the endorphin Elite 2 Provides it more than the Asex think It's probably also a shoe I have run in Slow paces in the uh in the sock Endorphin Elite 2 and I think it's quite A friendly shoe to jog around in or even Running at races at those slightly Slower paces like if you're not worried About stability if you aren't you know Concerned about rolling your ankle or That kind of thing I think this is a Shoe that will work quite well across a Range of runners in terms of you know Their base finishing times the Meta Speed Sky Paris might be a bit too Lightweight and you know not Accommodating enough for some of those Runners where I do think you have that Lovely softness with the Endorphin V2 And that bounce just got to watch out For that wobbliness as well but yeah Overall my pick is certainly the Met Speed Sky Paris hard to see a shoe Displacing it anytime soon but then I
Didn't see the Meta Speed Sky Paris Coming in and becoming my you know firm Favorite when it was launched so we'll Just have to see but the fact is it's Also a fair bit cheaper I think Definitely puts a dent in the ambitions Of the Endorphin Elite 2 which has come Out with a really high price tag the top Of the carbon plate racing shoe market And while it's certainly something Different and something that lots of Runners will really love not sure it's The most effective racing shoe for me The Meta Speed Sky Paris is the one I'd Go [Music] For that's a comparison of the Endorphin Elite 2 and the AS6 Meta Speed Sky Paris Let us know what you think in the Comments below please like and subscribe Ring the little bell and we'll see you Next time
