Asics Metaspeed Ray vs Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3:
Which to Choose

October 6, 2026

Verdict

These are two of the best marathon super shoes going, and they're close enough that neither is a mistake — so decide on feel and weight, not pedigree. If you want the lightest possible shoe and a plush, soft-but-springy ride, take the Adios Pro Evo 3; if you prefer a firmer, snappier, more plate-driven pop and don't mind carrying a bit more shoe, take the Metaspeed Ray. Both demand a strong, fast, well-controlled stride and reward only race pace, so whichever you choose, it belongs on your feet for PBs — not for easy miles.

Asics Metaspeed Ray

286.00 USD

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3

250.00 USD

Pace

6 of 6

Cushioning

5 of 6

Responsiveness

6 of 6

Stability

1 of 6

Drop

5 mm

Support

Neutral

Plate

Carbon

Distances

HalfMarathon

Pace

6 of 6

Cushioning

5 of 6

Responsiveness

6 of 6

Stability

1 of 6

Drop

6 mm

Support

Neutral

Plate

Carbon

Distances

HalfMarathon

At a Glance

Asics Metaspeed RayAdidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3

Who Should Choose Each Shoe

Choose

Asics Metaspeed Ray

Pick the Metaspeed Ray if you want the firmer, snappier, more directly propulsive of the two — a runner with a strong, well-controlled forefoot stride who likes to feel the plate react beneath them and doesn't mind a little extra height and weight in exchange for that rigid, urgent pop. It suits racers who lean toward a lower-drop, forward-tipped feel and are confident enough in their form to manage the tippier of these two platforms over 21.1 or 42.2 km.

Choose

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3

Choose the Adios Pro Evo 3 if outright lightness is your priority and you want the plushest possible underfoot feel without losing the springy rebound — at roughly 99g it's the one to beat for sheer featherweight race-day efficiency. It's the better match for an efficient, forward-leaning runner who prefers soft, deep-compressing foam and a perimeter-stiffener ride over a hard plate, and who values shaving every last gram for the marathon.

Head-to-Head

Start with what's identical: both are neutral, tippy, forefoot-oriented racers (stability 1/6 for each), both maxed out on pace and responsiveness, both built strictly for the half and marathon with the full as the sweet spot, and both punish slow, sloppy running. The differences that actually decide it are weight, the propulsion system, and the character of the foam. The Evo 3 is dramatically lighter — about 99g in a men's US 9 versus roughly 129g for the Ray — a ~30g gap that is enormous at this level and makes the Adidas the featherweight of the two. The Ray answers with slightly more shoe underfoot: a 40/35 mm stack against the Evo 3's 38/32 mm, with a 5 mm drop versus the Evo 3's 6 mm measured offset (adidas markets it as 3 mm). The propulsion couldn't be more different in approach: the Ray runs a true three-quarter carbon plate through a firm-yet-lively FF Leap (aliphatic TPU) midsole, giving a snappier, more rigid pop and a ride that feels a touch firmer and faster-reacting. The Evo 3 skips a full plate entirely, wrapping a carbon-infused U-shaped ENERGYRIM stiffener around the perimeter of its plush, PEBA-class Lightstrike Pro Evo foam — so the forefoot squishes deeper and softer underfoot while the rim handles the snap, delivering a cushier, more sink-in-and-rebound sensation. Both are genuinely unstable at easy pace, but the Ray is the more demanding of the two to keep tracking straight, and both pare durability and everyday versatility to the bone in the name of race-day speed.