A surprising new player might’ve just thrown down the gauntlet in the supershoe arms race, and it’s not Nike, Adidas, or ASICS.
Earlier this year, ASICS turned heads when it announced that it’s Metaspeed Ray weighed just 129g.
Well, it seems they’ve been beaten – by a brand you might not even have heard of.
Instead, it’s Joma, a long-established but low-profile Spanish brand, which just unveiled what could be the lightest carbon-plated racing shoe ever made: the RS-9000.
Weighing in at a ridiculous 126.1 grams, the RS-9000 is Joma’s bold attempt to crash the top tier of road racing footwear. But can a company better known for soccer cleats and team kits really compete with the biggest names in high-performance running?
126 Grams of Obsession
Joma isn’t just dropping a prototype here, the RS-9000 has already seen action in major international races.
Spanish road standout Chiki Pérez laced them up for the 2025 European Road Championships in Brussels, finishing the 10k in 28:14 and helping Spain claim team silver. Romanian international Stella Rutto wore them at the Brasov International 10K, and other Joma athletes have tested them in races like the Paris 20K.
So yeah, these shoes are legit. And the fact that they’re being used in real competition speaks volumes.
The RS-9000 is the product of a singular design obsession, make it as light as humanly possible without sacrificing performance. Joma’s R&D team reportedly went through a painstaking development process to hit that goal, refining every component in their Portillo de Toledo lab.
What’s Inside This Featherweight?
Getting to 126 grams didn’t happen by accident. Here’s what makes the RS-9000 tick:
- Upper: An ultralight, breathable mesh made from nylon yarn reinforced with polyamide. Think paper-thin, glove-like, and highly adaptable. It manages moisture and temperature with a minimalist aesthetic.
- Midsole: Featuring an 8mm drop and Joma’s LIGHT REACTIVE tech, the midsole is made from a specially injected Pebax compound—springy, featherlight, and shock-absorbing. It’s engineered for that snappy toe-off feel.
- Carbon Plate: The RS-9000 includes a full-length carbon plate that boosts propulsion and stride stability. It’s designed to be more forgiving than some of the super-stiff plates out there, which could be a big plus for long efforts.
- Outsole: Here’s where Joma made a bold move, they swapped rubber for CPU, a lightweight, abrasion-resistant material. It’s less grippy than rubber but drastically lighter. Best used on clean roads or dry conditions.
We’re interested to see how durable the RS-9000 proves to be.
Joma, the Unexpected Contender
If you’re outside Spain, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Joma. Founded in 1965, the brand has a solid reputation in the Iberian sports world, especially in soccer and Olympic gear, but it hasn’t really cracked the global running scene.
The RS-9000 might change that.
This shoe feels like a declaration. Joma didn’t try to copy what Nike or Adidas is doing. Instead, they went all in on lightness. And while most carbon-plated supershoes have ballooned in stack height and weight, Joma’s gone the opposite route, more of a modern racing flat than a foam mattress.
Just How Light Is 126 Grams?
Let’s put it into context. Here’s how the RS-9000 stacks up against some of the most popular supershoes on the market:
- Nike Vaporfly 3: ~198g
- Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3: ~215g
- ASICS Metaspeed Sky+: ~205g
- Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2: ~187g
- ASIC Metaspeed Ray: 129g
- Joma RS-9000: 126g
Of course, lighter doesn’t always mean better.
Cushioning, comfort, durability, and biomechanics still matter. A 126g shoe might feel magical at 5K pace, but it could be punishing over 26.2 miles.
We’ll have to wait for more race reports to find out.
And, we’re still waiting on word on when the shoe will be widely available in North American markets; we’ll keep you posted.
Is The RS-9000 Your Next Supershoe?
There’s still some questions we need answered before we rush out and buy Joma’s new shoe for our next race:
Durability: Joma have clearly cut any material they can from the shoe, and changed the outsole material to CPU – is this going to make it a one-and-done race shoe?
Availibility: Joma is targeting a North America release ‘soon’, we’re told.
Final weight: Im looking forward to weighing a pair of size men’s 12s out of the box, to see what they actually come in at. Im curious as to what size of shoe they weighed at the lab to measure 126.1g
