Mizuno Wave Rider 18 Running Shoe Review
The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. As always, all opinions are my own.
The Wave Rider 18 is the newest model of running shoe from Mizuno, with a lot of new features from the previous version. I’m actually surprised that there are 17 other versions of this shoe, which is new to me since I’ve never ran in Mizunos before. This running shoe is meant to be a daily trainer but I thought it was light enough to be used for racing as well. This is a neutral pair of running shoes, which is a little bit different for me as I usually run in shoes with more support. But the shoes provide an ideal heel fit and secure midfoot, which I really noticed while on my runs. The shoes were very flexible and were not stiff at all. Some of the new features include a refined toe-spring which can help improve your stride as you’re running. There’s also an upgraded sock liner and new outsole design for added durability and shock absorption.
The arrival of these shoes couldn’t have come at a better time since I was in the middle of training for a half marathon a few weeks later. I actually went on a few runs with the Mizuno Wave Rider 18’s and I have to say they felt very comfortable! I’m fortunate to have never had any issues with any of the previous running shoes I’ve owned. I suppose there are a few exceptions, but for the most part, I never got any major injuries, constant blisters or other types of discomfort while running in a new pair of shoes, to the point where I need to actually return them. And the last few years I’ve been running, I have been relatively injury free.
Most of the days I ran in the Wave Riders, they were for short 3 mile runs. But I also took them out on the weekends for my long runs, which ranged from 5-12 miles. None of those runs I noticed any issues with the shoes, which is a win in my book. As I said before, this was the first time running in the Mizuno Wave Riders, so it’s hard to tell how much of an improvement they are compared to older versions. But the ones I have now have been very comfortable and I’d definitely recommend to other runners!
