Who should buy the Asics Magic Speed 3 ?
The ASICS Magic Speed 3 is intended for fast days, whether for a workout or on race day. It also has enough midsole to help protect your feet on longer distances.
Who should not buy the Asics Magic Speed 3 ?
The shoe is not intended for easy running as the rigidness of the carbon fiber plate can get a little uncomfortable, especially around your forefoot/toe area.
Also, if you are thinking the ride of the shoe is bouncy it is not. The midfoot of the shoe is also a little narrow so if you have a wider feet it can cause some stability issues.
Asics Magic Speed 3 Introduction
The ASICS Magic Speed 3 is a lightweight carbon plated shoe that can be used for your speed/track workouts or even be used as your race day option.
The shoe, you can say, is somewhat of a crossover between the ASICS Novablast 3 and the METASPEED shoes.
It uses the same midsole material, FF Blast+, as the Novablast 3 and uses the upper of the METASPEED Sky/Edge.
If you don’t want to break the bank on purchasing the METASPEED Sky or Edge this could be a valuable option.
Asics Magic Speed 3 First Impressions
When I opened the box, I couldn’t believe how rigid the shoes felt.
Aesthetically, the colors were pleasing. As I put them on my feet I felt the aggression of the carbon fiber plate right away, especially towards the front of my feet.
My first run in them I did a seven miler with various paces. I found the shoe not bouncy but a more responsive ride.
Asics Magic Speed 3 Upper
The upper of the shoe is what ASICS call the MOTION WRAP. MOTION WRAP is very breathable and a very thin material that is made up of around 50% recycled materials. I found the upper material to be pretty structured with precise stitching on the outer layer of the shoe. The toe box had enough room for my toes as it allowed them to expand on both my landing and get off.
The lacing system I found pretty standard. The gusseted tongue is very thin but yet soft, especially underneath. The tongue also provides two very small paddings on top that protect the your feet as you lace your shoes down.
The heel counter wraps around your ankle and heel very nicely. It doesn’t provide a lot of padding but just enough to make you feel comfortable. It might be difficult slipping the shoes on as the heel is very stiff with no pull tab.
Overall, the lockdown of the upper felt great on my feet. I had no issues feeling like any part of the shoe was going to slip off whatsoever during my runs.
Asics Magic Speed 3 Sole Unit
The sole unit of the Magic Speed 3 is the bread and butter of the shoe.
The midsole uses a dual layer of FFBlast+ on the top and bottom, whereas its predecessor only had FFBlast+ only on the top layer. Sandwiched in between the FFBlast+ is a full length carbon fiber plate.
The plate is very aggressive around the forefoot and toe box area. With this aggression, the 7mm drop from heel to toe, and the rollover geometry used around the forefoot, the transaction of this shoe is excellent for attempting faster paces as it gets you off your toes quickly.
While the FFBlast+ is known for it’s bounciness and cushiness, it doesn’t quite feel that way with the Magic Speed 3 because of the carbon fiber plate. The ride feels more of a rollover propulsion.
The outsole uses what it’s called the ASICSGRIP. The rubber covers majority of the forefoot area and the lateral and medial parts. In the middle of the outsole is a cut out that exposes the carbon fiber plater that saves some weight.
I find the traction to be very good as I was not hesitant to run and felt confident on the pavement and dirt.
Running in this shoe quite pleasing, especially on the fast runs. The sweet spot I found is running somewhere around tempo pace or faster.
Asics Magic Speed 3 Conclusions
The ASICS Magic Speed 3 is an awesome shoe!
Since it has FFBlast+ on both layers of the midsole, I honestly thought I was going to feel some bounciness. But the feedback from the plate and the configuration of the shoe definitely made up for it.
The shoe is so propulsive, especially when you pick up the pace. I’ve done intervals, tempo runs, and even a 5k race in them and the shoe has held up to my standards.
At only $160 this shoe is a steal! The shoe will rack up a lot of mileage for you too with the durability of the outsole.
Can you run a marathon in them you might ask? A half marathon, yes.
A full marathon? You can, but I think there are better options out there. 10k’s and 5k’s, absolutely!