Price: From R1999.90
Type: Road
Weight: 286g (M), 235g (W)
The right shoe for: Feeling fast, even on your easy days.

The Wave Rider has long been Mizuno’s go-to, do-it-all shoe that serves runners well on everything from long runs to uptempo workouts. A lot of that stems from the responsive feeling a Mizuno shoe typically delivers. Some might say such shoes feel firm, but in any case, when you want to go fast, this shoe allows you to roll.

Longtime Rider wearers will instantly recognise the fit and smooth underfoot sensation. One tester said this shoe is like having a beer with an old friend. But, like version 21, the Rider is a whole lot softer than past versions – especially in the heel.

Given the trend for cushy, bouncy midsoles currently, this is no surprise. To achieve this level of cushioning Mizuno uses two different foams in the Rider’s midsole, with the softest one under the heel, closest to the road, to smooth your landing on pavement. The firmer layer, closer to foot, is also noticeably soft but feels speedy, too.

Another component leading to the speedy feeling is the plastic Wave plate. In an age when most manufacturers have stripped such parts from performance footwear, Mizuno has stuck with the Wave plate. It delivers a rigid underfoot feel, say our testers, but helps provide extra snap and leads to faster turnover at quicker speeds.

A New Engineered-Mesh Upper

The biggest difference you’re going to notice in this update is the full-length engineered-mesh upper. If you look back at version 21, you’ll see this style of material was limited to only the forefoot. The single piece of mesh, however, reduces excess stitching to reduce the risk of irritation and improve fit. Plus it delivers the kind of support you’d otherwise need overlays for.

While the fit is exceptional, with a roomy toebox praised by our female testers, we found the fabric to be hot during our summer testing period – the shoe didn’t breathe as well as some had hoped, and it seemed to hold water longer than expected. But, during any dry conditions, it performed well.

Tall and Soft

With the extra softness comes some extra heft. The shoe has an extraordinarily thick heel, nearly on par with what you’ll find in shoes from Hoka One One. But, even so, testers weren’t bothered by it and said the shoe resisted feeling clunky. “It provides good cushioning, and even though it is high off the ground it didn’t feel that way,” said one tester. “The 12mm drop wasn’t that noticeable to me, even though I usually run in low-profile, flat shoes. The overall ride was very good. So the cushioning and comfort of this shoe would be its strongest features.”

The midsole is made from two different foams. Directly under the heel is Mizuno’s U4icX compound, a super soft layer that reduces impact when you strike heel first. The rest of the midsole is comprised of U4ic, a slightly firmer but still soft foam that Mizuno has been using across its performance running line.

Below that is a lot of rubber. The heel is made up of a durable carbon rubber, while the forefoot gets a softer, lighter blown rubber. This adds to the cushioned ride and, combined with extra grooves in that rubber compared with earlier models, makes the shoe smoother and more flexible as you progress to toe off.

All the Stats You Need!

Men’s

Weight: Moderate | 286g
Heel-To-Toe-Drop: Very High | 12.8 mm
Heel Height: Very High | 37.5 mm
Heel Cushioning: Very Soft
Forefoot Height: High | 24.6 mm
Forefoot Cushioning: Soft
Flexibility: Very Stiff
Stability Features: More
Energy Return: Less

Women’s

Weight: Moderate | 235g
Heel-To-Toe-Drop: Very High | 11.4 mm
Heel Height: Very High | 34.9 mm
Heel Cushioning: Very Soft
Forefoot Height: High | 23.5 mm
Forefoot Cushioning: Soft
Flexibility: Very Stiff
Stability Features: More
Energy Return: Less

We put each shoe through real-world usage and a battery of mechanical tests in our lab to provide you with objective – and exclusive – data. In addition to a shoe’s weight, we measure sole thickness (everything that sits between your foot and the road), how well the foam cushions your stride, and the flexibility of the forefoot. All this is taken into account in our reviews of each shoe.

READ MORE ON: gear MIZUNO mizuno Wave Rider 22 Wave Rider 22