Mizuno running shoes

Nope. No one on LR has run in Mizuno. Never even heard of 'em. Are they German?

Next to Asics, Mizuno is my favorite brand of running shoe. I think they put out a good quality product, but running shoes are extremely subjective, so it's best you test them yourself, instead of relying on others' opinions of them.

That being said, my favorite training model is the Wave Elixer 7. Light, responsive and very comfortable.

I also use the Wave Ronin for most of my races.

They recently started a marketing project called Mezamishii (spelling?). Through it, I was able to try a couple of their models and keep them for free. Unfortunately, I think that deal has ended.

I second the endorsements for the Elixir and Ronin, and add an endorsement for the Universe. Their spikes are usually quite reasonable in quality and price...probably the best bang for your buck out there.

Though I run in Mizuno's frequently, they are the absolute worse shoes in snow. The hollow heal just accumulates snow so you are running on a ball of ice right beneath your heel.

Generally, the last is curved with a narrower heel and roomy toebox. The fore-foot is generally quite flexible and the heel is generally a bit on the stiffer side (but still cushioned). Ride is always pretty dialed in.

One other note, is that they have been slow to respond to the lower heel-to-toe offset trend. There are just not many options if you want to cut some extra junk from the heel.

The exlixer is a sweet ride

I love Mizuno. I'm currently running in the Musha 4 because I wanted a somewhat low-profile shoe that wasn't actually a minimalist shoe. It's very responsive and feels nice and stable without being the least bit bulky.

In general, I like that Mizunos are a little stiffer but there still isn't a whole lot of shoe underfoot. They seem to hold up longer than other brands as well (I can generally put about 100-200 extra miles on my mizunos without noticing breakdown).

The only thing that sucks is if you run a lot in the snow or on bark chip trails. Mizunos all have a hollow heel that tends to collect debris and/or clumps of snow.

Good if you need more toe room and a heel that grips your foot. I have a high arch and a lot of forefoot spread on impact...but not "wide" feet. Mizunos work well for me.

I love my Mizunos. I feel they grab the road much better than any other running shoe out there.

I used to run in Kayanos and now I put them on and they feel clunky.

I also love them. I train in Riders on the road, Cabrakan off road and race in Elixirs.

I run in Wave Inspires and I find them incredibly comfortable and nice. No complaints at all about my inspires

I think I would try Mizuno more if their shoes had lower heel-toe drops to them. Although one shoe I'm looking forward to is the wave Ekiden, a Japanese flat coming out this winter or spring I think.

I have a former teammate who runs (or did while I was his teammate) most of his workouts in the Wave Universe. He is a fan of minimalist shoes and much preferred those to some of the "minimal" training shoes for workouts. Went through a few pairs of them in the time we ran together. Fast kid, too.

shit I use the elixir - really like it - and am trying to get ready for the winter.

any other shoes you would recommend that are similar and would be better suited for snow? I'm on the east coast so lots of snow and very cold.

I like and respect their product a lot. I fit a whole bunch of customers in them, but their shoes never work for me. Arch feel is usually wrong and the toe box being too wide doesn't work for me.

Phenom Man wrote:

I run in Wave Inspires and I find them incredibly comfortable and nice. No complaints at all about my inspires

I'm using these and the Wave Riders at the moment and like both. Also used the Mercury years ago, which is either discontinued or renamed AFAIK.

Never tried any of their lightweight or racing shoes, but find their singlets & shorts quite good quality too.

snowed wrote:

shit I use the elixir - really like it - and am trying to get ready for the winter.

any other shoes you would recommend that are similar and would be better suited for snow? I'm on the east coast so lots of snow and very cold.

Check out the Mizuno Wave Ascend, a trailrunner built on the Elixer platform. Mizuno filled in the heel so rocks and mud and snow won't cake in it.

I've trained in Mushas, Elixirs, Inspires and several models of Wave Riders. Currently rotating a pair of Mushas and Inspires.

The Elixirs are my favorite but they used to wear out so quickly because the bottom of the shoe had rubber pieces with felt under it. After about 150 miles it was basically just felt on my forefoot. It looks like the newer models no longer have it, which is good. Wave Riders have always been durable for me. Mushas are the most hideous colored shoes I have seen lately but I love them.