Tom Evans, prototypes — and the ASICS shoe no one can buy (yet)

At UTMB 2025, most of the attention was on Tom Evans finally taking the win.

But looking back, there’s another detail that stands out just as much: the shoes.

Evans — along with Ben Dhiman in second — both raced in an unreleased ASICS prototype, later referred to as the Metaspeed Fuji v2. Two athletes, same brand, same unknown shoe, finishing 1–2 at the biggest race in trail running.

That’s not something you see very often.

What we actually know

ASICS hasn’t officially released much information about the shoe yet.

There are no confirmed specs, no full tech breakdown, and not even a finalized product name. The pairs used at UTMB were simply described as prototypes, with details intentionally kept quiet.

Still, from race coverage and what’s been observed, a few things seem clear:

It builds on the current Meta Fuji Trail platform
It’s designed as a high-end racing shoe
It likely includes a carbon plate and a more aggressive rocker setup
The focus is clearly on efficiency over long distances

Visually, it looks like a more refined, race-oriented version of the current model — lighter and more streamlined.

Why people are paying attention now

On its own, a prototype shoe isn’t unusual. Brands test new models all the time.

What makes this different is the context.

Before UTMB 2025, ASICS wasn’t really part of the conversation at the top end of trail running. Their road lineup has been strong for years, but trail has felt more secondary.

Then suddenly, they go 1–2 at UTMB in a shoe no one has seen before.

That naturally gets people curious — not just about the result, but about what’s coming next.

The bigger question: do super shoes work on trails?

There’s also a wider discussion happening in the background.

Trail running has been slower to adopt the kind of “super shoe” approach that’s taken over road racing — mainly because of concerns around stability and technical terrain.

The Meta Fuji Trail already hinted at that direction. This prototype seems to take it further.

UTMB doesn’t settle the debate completely, but it does show that a plated, high-performance shoe can work over 100 miles at the highest level.

When can we expect it?

There’s still no official release date.

Most indications point toward a launch sometime in 2026, likely spring or early summer, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

For now, it sits in that familiar space: proven in racing, but not available to the public.

A small shift — but maybe an important one

It’s easy to focus only on the result, but this feels like one of those moments that might matter more over time.

The current Meta Fuji Trail is still a fairly niche shoe.
This prototype looks like a step toward something more complete — and potentially more competitive.

Whether it ends up changing the category or just becoming another option remains to be seen.

But it’s already done one thing:

It’s made people pay attention to ASICS in trail again.