An old Japanese running brand that prides itself on its ‘technical products’ – the overall range is enormous, and there is absolutely a shoe for everyone from neutral to sever over pronator all built around a Mizuno Wave technology. Mizuno prides themselves on having a shoe for every runner, but this does mean that it is very hard to pick a shoe from the range easily as many of the shoes look like they are all doing the same thing for the same type of runner. 

Mizuno is a firm feeling brand in terms of cushioning without exception across all its shoes and lack the plush feeling that many brands are seeking right now, but where they lack plush they more than make up for in responsiveness. Mizuno in comparison to an equivalent shoe from another brand nearly always feels firmer but faster. This becomes an advantage for a runner who needs support, because we love Mizuno support shoes for the fast responsive nature, but the cushioned shoe does lack a little softness compared to other brands. 

Wave Technology is a PEBAX material that is incredibly durable and resilient, so when it is formed into a Wave shape it delivers incredible responsiveness and a springy ride to compliment the foam cushioning in the midsole. PEBAX is used heavily in running spikes and football boots because of its incredible durability, so it is an excellent material for running but it is expensive to manufacture and licence, so you will find Mizuno shoes are at the higher end of the price scale in running stores. The wave plate is the reason why!

Each shoe has a very different Wave platform so Mizuno can ‘tune’ the wave to suit different running style, and in the extreme form can deliver a very durable stability shoe with a progressive support yet retain the shoes lightweight property, or a quick feeling cushion shoe that feels like a racer. 

Wave is a brilliant technology that comes in a variety of shapes so whatever style of shoe you are after – Mizuno will have a shoe for you. The extreme support shoes are well worth a mention as best in class, due to them being very light and fast feeling with no compromise on support!