ASICS Fujispeed 3 trail running shoes

The ASICS Fujispeed 3 Trail Running Shoe is a lightweight, fast, carbon plate trail running shoe that doesn’t have a high midsole, unlike the current trend, and is quite stable despite being a neutral running shoe. It’s not so good for heavier, more technical terrain, but the pace it’s designed for is almost impossible to achieve on difficult terrain. Although versatile, it is not recommended for beginners. The price/performance ratio is very good, and for this price, a trail running shoe with such a fast carbon plate is rarely offered by competing brands.

ASICS FujiSpeed 3 upper

The upper of the ASICS FujiSpeed Trail Running Shoe is less reminiscent of a trail running shoe upper, more like a street running shoe with some small elements that are important for trail running. The upper is made of a thin and soft jacquard mesh material that is breathable and dries quickly when running on wet terrain. There is a thin rubber protective layer only at the toes, where the mesh is stronger. The tongue of the shoe is thin, unpadded and fixed on both sides. The tongue is long and wider than average to protect against debris. The tongue of the FujiSpeed also has an elastic strap where you can hide the laces so they don’t get in the way while running, like most ASICS trail running shoes. The lacing is unconventional. The laces are rough to make them harder to untie, and ASICS uses a unique solution for the eyelets: there are lace eyelets, but the laces do not hang from them, but from a thick drawstring that is pulled over the laces. With this solution you can pull the laces tight and they won’t squeeze your foot too much. The heel collar is low, moderately padded and stiff, holding the foot very well and securely. The upper is true to size and has a wider design, but can be tightened well if you have a narrow foot, and easily adapts to the shape of your foot.

ASICS FujiSpeed 3 midsole

The ASICS FujiSpeed trail running shoe midsole is made with FlyteFoam Blast Plus foam, like many other everyday ASICS running shoes. FF Blast+ foam is lightweight, has good energy return, compresses well and returns to its original height. The midsole has a full-length curved carbon plate that contributes to the shoe’s dynamics and stability, but it doesn’t feel as stiff as most carbon plate running shoes and like the previous version of the FujiSpeed 3. The combination of the not too high but soft midsole and the carbon plate allows for an extremely fast run, supported by the light weight of the shoe. The midsole is not wide, but rather average, but for this midfoot height, a wide midfoot is not necessary.

ASICS FujiSpeed 3 Outsole

The outsole of the ASICS FujiSpeed Trail Running Shoe is made of ASICSGRIP rubber compound, a slightly softer than average rubber compound for improved traction. The outsole has small cutouts to make it harder for mud to stick to the outsole and to save weight. The 4mm high star-shaped rubber lugs on the outsole are suitable for medium to light terrain and less suitable for heavy, deep muddy, rocky terrain. Since this trail running shoe is designed for fast running and racing, and you wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace on heavier terrain anyway, ASICS has not put larger rubber lugs on the outsole (to save weight).

For whom and for what kind of runs is the ASICS FujiSpeed 3 recommended? Summary

If you’re looking for a fast trail running shoe with carbon plates that you can even race in, the ASICS FujiSpeed 3 might be one of the cheapest and best choices. The FujiSpeed 3’s upper is lightweight and holds your foot well and securely, the midsole is dynamic, and the carbon plate doesn’t make it too stiff. The outsole grips well and holds up well on easy to medium terrain, but performs less well on harder terrain. It hasn’t changed much from the previous version, but it’s more versatile and less rigid.