Shoe Review - Mizuno Wave Rider 16

Ooh, whats in the box?

The fact that the Wave Rider shoe is on its 16^th incarnation tells you that it is a popular shoe. Sure, Mizuno haven’t always got it right (Just Google “Wave Rider 14” for a barrage of internet vitriol) but it’s an ‘ever-present’ shoe that the running community care about. I’ve been running in Wave Riders for a few years, starting with the 13, and always found them solid, dependable and a bit…well...boring. I ran well in the 15s during 2012, but they didn’t excite me. I used the Brooks Launch for speed and races, they were the brylcreem boys of my shoe collection. The Wave Riders were the dour house-wife/house-husband, ready with dinner on the table when I got home. Other manufacturers would bring out shiny running shoes to make you gasp and yearn (Adidas Bostons and definitely you Saucony Kinvara) whilst the Wave Rider carried on as it always did. White, boxy and no frills.

Temptation led me elsewhere, shoe adultery if you like. I would plead with running shop owners to show me alternatives for a light, neutral shoe that could handle high miles. I would often get a puzzled look as the shop owner would shift awkwardly from side-to-side “Well the Wave Rider is a very light shoe...” It was like there was a conspiracy to keep me in these foot coffins.

I ignored their advice and flirted with lower heel drops (see my review of the Saucony Mirage 2 here) and different brands, but a bout of Achilles Trouble and a mountain of shoes that appeared in the house led me to rethink.

So I decided to go back to the Wave Rider for my VLM training. Only, by now, the 15 had been replaced with the 16. Despite the reasonable large heel, this was the shoe I’d been searching for. Sleek, light and in a fantastic “Fuck You Competition” colour.

 

Please note - shoes may not actually levitate (they are light though)

There are styles of running shoe that require a certain amount of confidence to wear.  Stepping out in a garish pair of Adidas Boston 3s, Adizero (or possibly even my old, beloved, Brooks Launch) says “I feel the need, the need for speed” before standing to attention, chopping one off and shooting off into the sunset aboard a Harley Davidson.

Mizuno appear to have taken heed of this when giving the Updated Wave Rider 16 a paint job, producing a vision in yellow. You can’t be timid in these trainers, there’s no hiding at the back of the pack .You need to #gohardorgohome.

Mizuno have gone back to the drawing board and designed it from first principles. The Upper is sleek and considerably lighter, and tellingly, the whole shoe is now in the same weight category as the Boston 3s. This is one light shoe, without all the bollocks that goes with barefoot running (No I’m not convinced).

I’ll say it now - I’m in love with this shoe.

Whatever you throw at it, it handles with comfort and ease - Hills, Speed-work, Tempo Runs, Long Runs - the works. I’m a mid-foot striker and was worried that the chunky heel would feel like it was holding me back, But each session felt like putting on your best racing shoes with the safety net of a bit of cushioning.

The fit is snug without being Adidas-tight and the toe-box was definitely roomier than I expected. I worried that I’d got a size too big but a couple of runs later and I didn’t even notice it. 550 miles later and it's finally time to replace with a new pair. I think that's good going for a lighter shoe.

The one criticism I do have with the Wave Rider is that the gap in the sole can get clogged up with stones when you go off-road, but living in Liverpool that doesn’t happen very often!

If you are looking for an all-round shoe that means you won’t need to shell out on five different pairs you can’t go far wrong with the Wave Rider 16. I’m a firm convert and will be sticking with it after VLM, even in the face of the bright lights of the much-hyped Adidas Boost and impending Kinvara 4.

I’m excited to see what Mizuno choose to do with the Wave Rider 17. If it’s to give it an 8mm heel-to-toe drop, I might just have found the perfect shoe.