Best Every Run Wide Shoe I Can Find
I have ran in Mizunos for about 4 years now. In fact WaveRider 24 was my first Marathon training, and race, shoe. I have a weird foot I guess and have trouble getting a great fit out of a long run shoe. My feet have average arch, but are short/not tall, and wide. Rarely will i get a medium width shoe to fit me comfortably for running. Even some other Wide fit shoes tend to still be narrow, but Mizuno, and specifically the WaveRider model fit me like a glove everytime. I was so excited about the new model I ordered it they day they were released, and ran on them hours after I got them. No surprise, they are excellent. Probably my favorite pair yet for a few reasons.APPEARANCE: The WaveRider's have that classic running shoe look. I bought the white/Blue and absolutely love them. They will be tough to keep clean but oh well, they are shoes. A good pair of shoes always ends up dirty and beaten if you use them right. As with the previous models the Waveplate can be seen separating the 2 different foams the sole is made of. I think it looks cool, others have expressed concern with separation, but in my 3 pairs and minimum of 300 miles on each pair, I have never seen the slightest evidence that this will happen.CONSTRUCTION: I have always been told Mizuno is not engineered to last, however my experiences show otherwise. I tend to replace my shoes around 300-350 miles, and then make them my recovery shoes or keep them around for those really dirty days. I could probably go closer to 400 or more if I wanted, but i like buying shoes, and I'd rather replace shoes than my knees and hips. I average about 35 miles a week, and would prefer to know my shoes are still doing the job. After retiring them to "life use" I almost always get another few months out of them before I feel like they have "gone flat." The nylon constructed upper mesh is highly breathable and flexible while maintaining its form. The laces have plenty of eye holes to customize your lacing technique if desired, and do a really good job conforming to my feet. The cuff around the ankle is soft and padded, but not so much I worry about movement while running.SOLE/RUBBER/FOAM: Whatever you want to call it the 28's got upgraded. The new Enerzy Next feels softer and springy-er. I really enjoyed my first runs on these, and feel like Mizuno is really stepping up their running shoe tech game here. Combined with the Waveplate, these shoes do a great job being soft and forgiving enough for daily and long runs, while still feeling springy enough for some strides and tempo runs as well. The rubber on the sole is different as well, the X10 outsole is a carbon based rubber that is supposed to wear slower than previous versions. Having only 12 miles on these I cannot attest to the durability, but the grip even on wet sidewalks and pavement is solid, with no slippage occurring even as i leaned into the turns a bit more than I needed to.FIT: As I stated before I love the fit of the WaveRider models. THese are very similar to the fit of previous models and I'm glad they didn't go and change everything. Honestly these feel like the 26's but upgraded. The tongue is soft and stretchy giving a very secure fit, and one of the few pairs of shoes where the tongue actually stays in place at all times. I typically would buy a 9.5 for a shoe that I wear as a casual or dress shoe. In this case I wear a 10 Wide because during long runs the extra room is much needed as my already flat wide foot gets flatter and wider. I only do this though because I know how my feet react to running. If you don't typically size up a half size for running shoes, buy the same size you normally would. No need to size up or down.WEIGHT: I didn't specifically weigh these as I typically compare weights of a standard size 9. According to that they come in just under 10oz at 9.7oz. Pretty light for such a robust shoe in my opinion and lighter than the WaveSky which I tend to pair with these.EXPERIENCE: Soft landings, smooth transitions, and all day comfort. In a sentence that's it. I will be hitting the road with these often, and using them primarily for recovery or long runs. In my opinion that's where this model shines.TECH SPECS/RUN GEEK STUFF: 9.7oz(size 9), 12mm drop, Stack Height 37.5/25.5, Neutral support.Overall, I am super pumped about this new and upgraded model of the WaveRiders. They have been and continue to be my go to shoe for daily running, and don't see that changing. I love that Mizuno is appearing to put a solid focus on their running shoe tech, and can't wait to see what the future holds with some of the new models they are releasing.