ASICS Were Top Choice of the Fastest Pro Runners From Kona 2025

The ASICS Metaspeed series has become the dominant force in pro triathlon, with more and more athletes selecting the brand’s various options for long course racing. At the 2025 women’s IRONMAN World Championship, 7 of the top 15 run splits were set in ASICS shoes, including the fastest run of the day by runner-up Kat Matthews. Perhaps interestingly, most of the women wearing these shoes are not in a paid sponsor relationship with the brand.

On and HOKA were the only other two brands that had multiple entries on this list. Both should not come as a surprise, as they are the two major footwear manufacturers investing in pro triathlon with sponsorship deals. In fact, IRONMAN World Champion Solveig Løvseth signed a full contract with On after her victory. In a press release announcing the move, On said that Løvseth had used this year’s race as a final test for determining whether to sign on. It would appear that the old racing product mantra of winning on the weekend and selling on Monday isn’t quite dead.

With Løvseth’s win, it also means that On swept the IRONMAN World Championship, as Casper Stornes also used their shoes on his way to the title.

1.) Kat Matthews – 2:47:23

Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Ray

Matthews has been a long-time user of ASICS footwear. In Kona, Matthews switched to the latest addition to the product line, the made infamous by Hayden Wilde Metaspeed Ray. The lightest carbon racer that ASICS has ever made weighs in at an astonishingly light 4.5 ounces in a men’s size 9 (in Matthews size, we’re probably looking at right around 4 ounces). The shoe also features a 5 millimeter heel-toe drop and new manufacturing techniques for the upper that reduces water usage by 33% and carbon emissions by 45% when compared to traditional dyeing techniques. This much speed will cost you, though, coming in at $300.

2.) Solveig Løvseth – 2:55:47

Shoe: On Cloudboom Strike

The IRONMAN World Champion outlasted the competition in On’s carbon fiber plated racer, the Cloudboom Strike. The 6.8 ounce shoe has all the things you’d expect out of this category: proprietary foam; a carbon plate; a lightweight upper. On’s unique twist is what they call Bounceboard, which is a removable layer of extremely well cushioned foam underfoot. Effectively, it provides a more responsive ride than some other carbon racers, while still being maintaining the high level of cushioning to weight ratio that is expected from today’s racers. It’ll run you $280.

3.) Laura Philipp – 2:55:53

Shoe: New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5

The 2024 champion put in a valiant effort to defend her crown but was forced to settle for an eventual podium. The long-time New Balance athlete wore the latest version of the SuperComp Elite. The new version slims weight down to a svelte 6 ounces, thanks in part to a fully PEBA midsole and the FANTOMFIT single layer upper. It is also one of the least expensive racers on the market, but it’ll still set you back $265 USD.

4.) Sara Svensk – 2:56:29

Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Ray

Svensk also utilized the latest creation from ASICS as she carved her way through the field. After a lackluster 1:05 swim, Svensk was able to work her way into 8th place. It helped that she had the last run under three hours, and more than six minutes faster than the next closest runner.

5.) Leonie Konczalla – 3:02:49

Shoe: On Cloudboom Strike

Konczalla was the last victim of Svensk’s marathon prowess, losing out on 8th place in the final meters of the marathon. She used the more colorful upper on the Cloudboom Strike, as opposed to the yellow version that Løvseth had on her feet. She was also partnered with On, as opposed to Løvseth.

6.) Hannah Berry – 3:04:32

Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Ray

Berry was the third runner on the list in the Metaspeed Ray. She had one of the most balanced days on her way to fourth place: the twelfth fastest swim, eight fastest bike, and then sixth fastest run.

7.) Katrine Graesboell Christensen – 3:05:13

Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris

Another ASICS shoe! Here, we spot the prior iteration of the Metaspeed Edge. The Edge is preferred by athletes who increase speed with turnover rate, as opposed to stride length. It was an effective combination for Graesboell Christensen, who turned a seventh fastest marathon into an eleventh place paycheck. The shoe, meanwhile, despite being engineered for the Paris Olympics and having a new iteration released this year, remains for sale at $250 USD.

8.) Lisa Perterer – 3:06:03

Shoe: HOKA Rocket X 3

One of the original triathlon-oriented racing shoes, the Rocket X 3 continues to feature HOKA’s hallmark cushioning experience paired with a responsive carbon plate. I’ve found, in my own testing, this combination to be one of the fastest shoes for flat and downhill running. Although HOKA does not appear to be one of Perterer’s sponsors, she’s been wearing the Rocket X 3 throughout the 2025 racing season. Cost: $250 USD.

9.) Jana Uderstadt – 3:07:54

Shoe: Puma FAST-R NITRO Elite 3

Uderstadt used one of the newest carbon racers on the market to lock up the final paycheck on offer. Puma’s take on a carbon racer features the use of nitrogen in the midsole creation process, which the company claims to give improved cushioning and responsiveness over a standard foam formulation. Internal testing shows a 3% improvement in running economy, which translates to a claimed four minute savings for a three hour marathon runner. Downsides: pricing over $300, and a claimed lifespan of just 150 kilometers.

10.) Holly Lawrence – 3:08:25

Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris

Another in a long line of ASICS athletes, Lawrence used the prior generation Edge on her way to a sixth place finish.

11.) Tamara Jewett – 3:08:55

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tamara Jewett (@tamarajewett)

Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris

Jewett had what could charitable be called a rough day at the office. The second to last pro finisher sat in T2 for a long time before venturing out onto the run course. Eventually, she put in her dues to the Kona course, running the 11th fastest marathon of the day and missing out on the top 10 runs by just 30 seconds. She did so in the same shoe Lawrence did: the prior generation Metaspeed Edge.

12.) Elisabetta Curridori – 3:09:14

Shoe: adidas adizero Adios Pro Evo 1

Curridori missed out on the final paycheck by 3:24. It wasn’t due to her run, though. Curridori wore the original generation Adios Pro Evo, which at the time was the lightest carbon racer on the market. It’s proven to remain popular throughout the pro field, thanks to its high level of cushioning for weight and the responsiveness of the carbon plate. It’s also the priciest shoe on the list, still retailing for $500 USD despite the release of a new version.

13.) Marlene De Boer – 3:12:29

Shoe: HOKA Rocket X 3

De Boer, one of the HOKA sponsored athletes in the field, also wore the Rocket X 3. She was part of the late race battle with Svensk and Konczalla, narrowly missing out on 8th place by just 22 seconds.

14.) Laura Jansen – 3:12:55

Shoe: ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo

Jansen was one of the ASICS wearers who used a new generation version of the Sky or Edge, as opposed to either the latest and greatest Ray, or the prior generation Paris shoes. The Sky is meant for runners searching for speed with increased stride length. Compared to the Paris version of the shoe, the Sky Tokyo is softer and less harsh underfoot. It’s $270.

15.) Diede Diederiks – 3:14:31

Shoe: Nike Alphafly 3

Last but not least, we come to Diederiks and her Alphafly 3’s. Nike was the original innovator of the carbon racer, but it has been surpassed in the pro field by the Metaspeed line. The Alphafly is the most stable version of Nike’s carbon racers. It’s also the softest. Despite a long product life, it is still commanding a price premium at $295.

Tags: