Mizuno Wave Shadow Review

The choice of the sports footwear must be thoroughly thought over. Not only your mood, but even your health may depend on the quality of the trainers. There is a large variety of such products made by different companies. Some of them are well-known, others have just appeared, but it is not what really matters. The key issues are quality, durability, and comfort.
The Mizuno brand name has been proving its superiority for many years. This time the company has prepared an improved variant of trainers for daily training that will definitely please professional and amateur athletes.

The Mizuno Wave Shadow is the first lightweight up-tempo model in a new line of quality trainers for speed workouts and races. In a way, these trainers may be thought as the replacement of Mizuno Wave Sayonaras with a number of unique characteristics.

General Overview

Apart from stylish design and bright colors, these shoes have significant differences comparing to other lightweight daily trainers:

• wave platform;
• outsole is designed to provide a smooth and stable ride in a neutral trainer:
• 8 mm (0.31″) heel-toe offset (gives a more natural feeling comparing to previous versions with 10mm);
• different design of the outsole;
• thick upper overlays;
• more porous looking fabric surrounding the toe box.

Upper Part

The mesh is well-designed. It is flexible and ready to stretch if your foot needs an extra space. Lots of small holes help to evacuate moisture. The upper part is made of different fabrics, and it varies in colors. The possible variants are yellow/white/blue for men and purple/blue/grey for women). The brightest part is the toe box area, which is made of thin, breathable fabric. To prevent it from tearing, designers put in an underlay. Unfortunately, it creases terribly while bending the foot and makes some discomfort when you run. All in all, it hampers more than helps.
There is also another layer of thick fabric beneath the laces, which is meant to even out the pressure of the lacing system on a foot. Moreover, it provides comfort and durability. The tongue beneath the laces is quite typical, gusseted and lightly padded. It runs down to the sides of the shoe and connects to the bottom of the toe box, which prevents it from flopping over to a side. The number of stitches is limited, except the lacing area and the bottom of the mid saddle.

Sole Unit

Mizuno brand name is worldwide known for its Wave technology, as well as Nike for its Nike Air. This tech is completely different from other sole making styles. It is developed to provide flexibility only in situations when cushioning is needed and maintain firmness when stability is a must. A wavy plastic piece spans the width of the trainer, beginning right under the heel and stretching to the midfoot. In such a way, the shoe can easily flex in the heel to toe direction, with restricting the foot from rolling towards one side or another, providing more stability when landing and toeing off.
A negative point is that because of the wave technology used in the shoe, there are some gaps below the top of the foam beneath the plastic wave and its crest. This may cause some kind of discomfort and even trauma. As a little weight is saved, making the heel-less tight, different things may get stuck on the side of the trainer. Take this into account before choosing the trail.
U4ic light durable foam with funky lattice patterns on the sidewalls is placed from both sides of the wave. It has just enough cushioning for daily running and short workouts. In addition, Mizuno company uses 5 mm thick insole for extra padding before hitting the foam.

Midsole

This part is made of the new U4icX material. It is not as firm as it was in earlier sport’s shoes. There are also noticeable and more effective triangular shapes in the sidewalls. They play a significant role in a softening process (edge of easy landing gradual transition assisting toe off).

Outsole

The outsole may turn out to be a problem. There are many small pods of rubber that make it uncomfortable to run on roads or running tracks, picking up small stones all the time.
On the other hand, the outsole is made of durable high-carbon rubber (known as X10). The combination of the rubber segments and layout of the outsole created the Mizuno SmothRide platform. Its function is to soften the landing during the transition.

Cushioning

There is a heel at the back of a shoe. Its base is well-structured and stable. During movements, the heel becomes more flexible and cushier. Even after long workouts, the heel preserves its shape. It is true, that the Mizuno Wave Shadow is more cushioned and less firm comparing to previous models. While running, trainers feel low to the ground and cushion the getting down. The heel together with the saddle securely holds the foot in the comfortable position.
These trainers are very reliable and stable. They are designed for lively, snappy races and smooth workouts. That is why, the higher the speed is, the lower the shoe feels. But you should know that the breaking in period is required before you will be able to run long distances.
Thanks to the forefoot (which is beautiful and comfy) and the grip, you may plant a foot when turning or landing on an unexpected surface.
The Wave Shadow truly corresponds to the Smooth Ride, which is imprinted into the outsole.

Conclusion

The Mizuno Wave Shadow is a new name among the top quality sports footwear. It preserves some features of the previous models but also has significant innovations. Considering customers opinion, designers did their best to create stylish, durable and practical trainers. Anyway, there are pros and cons to be aware of in order to make the right choice:

Mizuno Women’s Shoe Size Chart

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