Male Feet Shoe Review - MIZUNO WAVE RIDER 16

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Shoe Review:

 Mizuno Wave Rider 16

My familiarity with Mizuno goes back far beyond my running life. Back in high school and college, I wore nothing of baseball cleats. As I laid out least year in my product review of the Mizuno Wave Rider 15's, I was almost completely in the dark as to their running shoe product line until I entered the running world. Since my initial review in May 2012, I have gone through an additional pair of 15's (after I left mine at home on my trip to run a half marathon in Arizona) and have remained a fan of the fit and feel. Mizuno recently sent me a pair of their new Wave Rider 16's to try out. Just an initial warning. 

I am not a shoe guru by any means, so I am not going to get into the hardcore terminology (i.e heel drops, wave plates, etc). These specific, and technologically correct, characteristics are all easily found at the Mizuno Website. What you will get from me is a personal review from a 30+ mile/week runner with normal pronation.

While I am typically pretty non-flashy in my color choices while running, I was really pumped when I saw the "Blazing Yellow and Imperial Blue" colors on the 16's. They are definitely flashy, but look great in my opinion. From checking out the website, it appears that the Wave Rider line has something for everyone- whether you like something classic or flashy. There are three color options for men and three additional for women. One noticeable visual change was the change to a mesh-like overlay. This obviously has running-specific characteristics, such as making them lighter and more breathable, but I foud them to be aesthetically pleasing as well.

Much like the 15's I had, I found that the initial fitting of the shoes were immediately comfortable. Although I don't have much experience with other brands of running shoes (I did have a Nike pair prior to the 15's), the Wave Rider line has always seemed to conform to my foot upon first wear. Like I mentioned above, the mesh-like design is more than just a visual change. It feels more flexible and made it feel even more comfortable on the top of my foot- if that makes sense. It did not cause my foot to feel boxed-in and constricted. Basically I felt like my foot had the ability for some play, yet was able to adapt to my own personal level of snugness. I also felt that the sole was slightly more padded then the 15's, but still maintained its firmness without feeling too "bouncy" (that is my own term that I used to describe my previous Nike pair). 

If you are familiar with Wave Rider 15's, there seem to be minimal changes to the overall feel. In fact, had I closed my eyes I probably would not have been able to tell. The major telling factor was in the weight. It's funny that when I talked to my non-running wife about shoes and described that this pair is 7 ounces lighter then the 15's, she looked at me like I was crazy. "Who cares about 7 ounces?" she asked. "About 4000 RunOregon readers" I responded. "Boom-roasted!" Aaaaaaand cue eye roll. In fact, Mizuno states that these bring the shoes just under the 10 ounce barrier, weighing in at 9.9 (obviously dependent on the shoe size).

One of the only disheartening features was the presence of the opening in the heel. This has long been a concern from Mizuno wearers due to rocks sometimes becoming lodged in there. It shouldn't be a significant deal to runners who primarily run on the road. However, as I can attest to, venturing into rougher terrain and trails can sometimes bring about unwanted mud build-up or stops to dislodge an errant stone. 

My first official test was at the Wurst 5k Run in Mt. Angel. It was primarily a road race, but did have some periods of gravel and some small hill climbs. I found the 16's easily up to the challenge, despite being my first wear. They fit great and felt that my heel-striking tendencies were well-cushioned, even through the terrain changes and elevation gains. They got a few more mini runs and held up to the challenge. They propelled me to a second place age-group finish at my next competitive race, this time the Champoeg 10k.

Now to lay some technological info on you, per the Mizuno Website: 

The Wave Rider delivers a harmonious balance of lightweight feel, sculpted fit and exquisitely smooth ride. By maximizing the responsive action of Mizuno's innovative Wave plate technology, the Wave Rider continues to define and create the brilliant run experience.  Regardless of the technical "mumbo-jumbo", I really enjoy these shoes and plan on putting a lot of miles on them.

Mizuno Wave Rider 16's (Retail: $114.99)

* Additional men's colors include Navy & Royal Blue and White & Red

* Additional women's colors include Red & Green, White & Purple and Aruba Blue & Electric Pink

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