Mizuno Women's Wave Rider 17 Running Shoe shoes women's review

Mizuno Women's Wave Rider 17 Running Shoe

CUSTOMER REVIEW



As an avid runner and Mizuno user for years, I am disappointed personally in the new model. I have owned and "out-mileaged" 4 pair of Wave Riders including the 14, 15 and am now my third pair of 16's. There are so many new features in the 17 it feels like a totally different shoe. Some reviewers I read noted it being a soft shoe, I found the opposite actually, and where the previous models felt like they were hugging my foot and cushioned all around, I felt as if the shoe was flat and the only cushion was limited and directly under my foot. I didn't feel the stability of the 16 (though it is a neutral stability - I feel my foot is supported well in the previous models). In the 17 my foot actually felt "lost" in the shoe and gave more of the feeling of running on a hard, flat surface - no bounce, no spring and no support. There is less cloth on the upper and the shoe just didn't feel stable on my foot. There is less padding around the ankle - which many say is an improvement, I am neutral on that point.



Finally, there is a very visible change in the "curvature" of the shoe. Previous models of the Wave Rider had a noted rise in the toe of the shoe. With the new model, the entire sole of the shoe is flat. This is a significant change in the Wave Rider model.



Overall, I had high hopes for the Wave Rider 17, but am very disheartened. The moment I placed the shoe on my foot I felt the significant change, running in them confirmed it. The comfort, stability (albeit minimal) and "roll" of the shoe is gone. It is a totally different shoe, quite comparable to the Sayonara which I have also run in. I really have nothing good to say about the 17, except that its release has lowered the price of the previous model, which I will be stocking up on - no intention to purchase this new model.