Mizuno Wave Rider 17 - Report and Review

New Wave Rider 17s.

For the first time ever, I tried a different model of Mizunos. For several years I have run in the current year's model of Wave Inspires (I use Salomon Crosstreks and Mizuno Wave Ascends for trails). But as I looked to replace my Wave Inspire 10s, that hadn't lasted quite as long as I thought they should've, I came across a sale on the Wave Riders.

While I have no need of support (no pronation or other form/mechanical issues), I have always loved my Inspires. The large toe box, the shock absorption in the heel, and the road feel in the forefoot, always have served me well. I even ran an ultra in a pair of Inspires. 

I had done a couple of 40-60 min treadmill runs in the new Riders to get a feel for them. On Saturday, though, as the winter temps would become an unbelievable 60+F, I knew I was going to give the new kicks a real test. I took them out for a 15 mile run that included asphalt, concrete, mud, gravel, and dirt. The extremely hilly route consisted of nine miles on hard surfaces, and six on softer (gravel, mud, dirt). 

The results? I have to say that the shoes performed beautifully. The cushioning was adequate, not plush, and allowed enough road feel through to keep me satisfied. In spite of the many short, steep hills (some paths with even a bit of a sideways slope), my feet remained secure. I had nary a blister or hotspot to report at the end of the run. 

The only drawback to the shoe is something that happens with most Mizuno shoes when running in gravel and mud. The U-shaped heel cutout packs up with said gravel and mud. You can see in the picture above what I'm talking about. There is a good-size rock in the undercarriage of the left shoe. The right one, which does not show the sole, is also completely full of mud in the U section - trust me. Again, this happens in most Mizuno road shoes when taken off-road. The Wave technology used in the shoes likely requires this design. And the design generally works well. It does not, however, lend itself to all surfaces without some issues. The trail shoe, Wave Ascend, eliminated this problem by not having the U shaped sole.

The only other ding I could give the Rider is that its toe box is tighter than either the Ascend or the Inspire. It is my personal preference (or perhaps, simply familiarity), but I like having slightly more wiggle room in the front. 

But again, all in all, I was thrilled to take a new pair of shoes on a long run on varied surfaces and have an almost fully positive experience. I would recommend the Mizuno Wave Rider line for any runner with good mechanics looking for an everyday shoe. 

I'm going to head out with them again after posting this for a 5 mi recovery run. And I'm looking forward to it.