Shoe Review: Mizuno Wave Rider 18

Disclaimer: Mizuno sent me a pair of Wave Rider 18 to test out. That said, the opinions here are my own.

There’s nothing better than coming home to a new pair of shoes that the mail person left on your front step. In this case, it was Mizuno’s new Wave Rider 18. Yippee!

New shoes! It’s like Christmas in October – we’ll call it Octmas.

First off, I must confess that even though I live in Texas, I’m bit of a hippie.

Yes, we dressed like hippies for a recent mud run. Why not?

And since I’m hippieish, I like how this shoe is based on a Japanese concept called ‘Hado’. They say that means, “the intrinsic vibrational life force energy that promotes powerful transformations.” Mizuno says they try to harness the transformative power possibilities of every run in this shoe. Like I said, I like that kind of hippie dippie stuff.

I assume that’s the Japanese translation.

I must also admit that I always wished I lived on the beach and surfed all day. But I’m landlocked in Texas, and so I like the idea of thinking of the roads as waves and the shoes as my board. Wave rider!!

Anyway, once I put these shoes on, one thing immediately stood out to me – these shoes are STURDY. I haven’t put many miles on them, but I feel like they would hold up for a long time. That said, they’re comfortable enough to allow my feet to bend and move freely. And the thick sole should provide plenty of cushioning during the course of training.

Here’s some specs:

• Type: Neutral
• Midsole Drop: 12 mm
• Weight: 9.2 oz
• Cushioning: Med
• Pronation: Normal
• Wide/Narrow: Available in Wide

And here’s some of Mizuno’s Key Features:

• An ideal heel fit and secure midfoot embrace make this lightweight trainer feel like a part of your foot.
• The parallel Wave in the heel, lightweight U4ic midsole and optimal amount of forefoot flexibility all work together to make every stride smooth and flowing.

If you had the Wave Rider 17, here’s what’s new in the 18’s:

• Refined toe-spring delivers a smooth, effortless toe-off
• Upgraded premium sock liner provides more rebound and resiliency at every foot strike
• New outsole design with added durability and shock attenuation

On my feet and ready to surf!

Now the important part…how do they look??? Well, as you can see in the pics, they are pretty slick. If you went to Auburn University, I’m sure you’ll love the colors of the shoes I was sent. I’m not complaining, but my only wish is that they had sent me the green ones (green is my favorite color).

The green ones.

And for the final factor – coolness. When I first put these on to walk around the house, our 5 year old boy looked at me for a minute and then said, “You’re new shoes are pretty cool.” High praise indeed! As we all know, kindergartners are known for their fashion sense and honesty.

Besides fashion, he’s also an expert on running.

Now me personally, I always like to go to a running store to try on the shoes before I buy them. Each brand/style will differ slightly in size, feel, etc. I like to make sure I get the exact right fit. But these were sent to my by the company without me ever trying them on first, and so far, I think I lucked out.

How bout you? Have you tried the Wave Riders? What do you think of them? What do you think of the colors/design?

-Scott