Details
Brand
Mizuno
Heel To Toe Drop
2.8 mm
Breathability
9/10
Latest Version
No
Terrain
Road
Type
Racing
Key Features
• Lightweight build• Good ground feel• Good minimalist runner• Good for long distances• Sock-like fit
Upper
The upper of the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is made in a way that you’ll hardly even notice it, contributing to the ultra-minimalist nature of the shoe. With that being said, it’s still quite comfortable and will allow the top of your foot to be well secured. It doesn’t have a heel post and instead utilizes a mesh construction that’s built in a unibody fashion. It’s got a detached tongue as well as laces that lay flat, so this upper is just right for those who aren’t concerned with an excessive amount of cushioning.
Midsole
The midsole of the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas utilizes a U4ic compound in order to give you plenty of comfort as you run. When you couple this with the AP+ midsole foam, you have a great deal of durability as well as cushioning. This U4ic is quite a bit lighter than what’s normally used in midsoles, so it further helps to trim the fat on the shoe and allow you to get a better, more efficient gait cycle. The well-known Wave EVO that Mizuno tends to utilize is here as well, contributing to the cushioning that the shoe has to offer. It’s located in the forefoot of the shoe, which means you’re going to get some serious takeoffs.
Outsole
The Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is considered to be one of Mizuno’s barefoot marathon shoes, and as such it is built with a great deal of durability to let you run long distances on even the toughest of paved surfaces. A road runner that’s got a great degree of ground feel, there’s no stopping you from running marathons in the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas. The overall thinness of the outsole offers plenty of sensory input for your feet, and this will make for better running on your forefoot. Since the outsole is so thin, it is by extension very dynamic and flexible, giving you a contour that fits the shape of your foot.
Breathability
As you can imagine, the breathability on the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is simply incredible. It’s to the point where you can actually see through the mesh upper and into the shoe itself. The mesh nature of it allows the shoe to be plenty breathable, making it so that your feet remain cool and dry as you run. With this breathability, however, comes its downsides. As you might imagine, an upper that can let in light from the outside world is also prone to letting in rain, so you might not want to take this shoe out in bad weather. With that being said, the breathability of the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is amazing.
Comfort
The Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is surprisingly comfortable for a shoe of its minimalistic nature. The upper is barely there, but what is there is comfortable and well-designed. The midsole, arguably the most important part of the shoe when it comes to comfort, uses advanced technology to increase the comfort level without simultaneously increasing the weight. Where this all suffers, however, is the amount of cushioning. Several reviewers noted that they wished the cushioning was a little better on this shoe. But when you consider just how lightweight the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas has been designed to be, it does make sense that the cushioning would leave a bit to be desired.
Style
This high-performing shoe likewise does well in the style department. The shoe just looks good, period. It’s got a very minimalistic, low profile design that keeps it low to the ground, while also taking advantage of bombastic, loud colors. In this way, this running shoe can appeal to those who want a simple, minimalistic running shoe as well as those who appreciate a bold and noticeable shoe. Whatever your reasons for buying this shoe, the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas will guarantee that you’ll be collecting plenty of stares and questions.
Durability
The outsole on the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas might be relatively thin, but that doesn’t mean it suffers any when it comes to remaining durable. The shoe has been built for high performance, and this extends to the longest runs possible–marathons. Some shoes are better suited for short distance sprints, as they tend to give out in the long haul, but the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is not one of those shoes. It performs, and it stands the test of time, too. You can count on having this shoe for a while, as it won’t just simply give out on you after a short period of time.
Protection
Just as the shoe’s outsole provides surprising durability, so too does it offer a level of protection that you simply won’t find in many other shoes. In fact, you can count on the shoe’s outsole to perform at a high level of reliability, shielding your foot from the punishing ground below. This is especially helpful, as running on paved surfaces can put a lot of stress on your feet as well as even your knees and back. The outsole on the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas might be thin, but looks can definitely be deceiving.
Responsiveness
The responsiveness of the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas relies primarily on the midsole. To this end, it utilizes U4ic technology to give you plenty of durability and cushioning without the added weight. It follows this up with AP+ midsole foam that provides a responsive ride while at the same time giving you enough cushioning to support your foot on a longer run. The Wave EVO completes the picture, giving you the kind of take off you need to succeed on each and every run. Take this shoe out to the next half marathon or marathon that you run and you’ll immediately notice the difference.
Support
The support on the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas comes primarily from the upper and the midsole. Thanks to the proprietary technologies that we’ve touched on when it comes to both aspects of the shoe, you’re going to get an experience where your foot is always supported for the run ahead. The shoe even has what some reviewers called a sock-like fit, making it that much more conducive to a successful run. It’s hard to go wrong with the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas, whether that’s in terms of the durability, the weight, or even the support.
Terrain
As we’ve seen with quite a lot of the running shoes that we’ve reviewed in the past, the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is built exclusively to run on roads. As such, it incorporates elements of the outsole that are conducive to traction on roads without having to cater to the needs of a technical trail running shoe. This running shoe passes with flying colors when it comes to running on roads, but you should definitely avoid running while it’s raining, as your feet are likely to get wet. And as any seasoned runner can tell you, having soggy feet during a run is one of the worst things that can happen to you.
Price
The Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is relatively affordable when you consider just how many advanced features it’s packing underneath the hood. As of this writing, you can expect to pay anywhere between $85-$100 on a pair of these shoes when you shop with Amazon. Amazon usually has the best prices on running shoes, even better than running shoe online shops themselves, so you’re best off going with them. When you consider the comfort, stability, durability, and lightweight nature of the shoe, the price point it’s going for seems more than reasonable.
Drop
Simply put, you can’t possibly get a better heel to toe drop than what the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas offers. That’s because the heel to toe drop on both the men’s and women’s versions of the shoe is 0.0mm. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering how low to the ground and low profile the shoe is, but it nevertheless adds one more reason to the litany of reasons why the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is a great choice when it comes to buying a new running shoe.
Stability
The interesting thing about the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is that it’s a very flexible shoe while still remaining flat and grounded enough to keep your feet nice and stable. This means that you can get a nice gait cycle going without having to worry about your stride being uneven. Mizuno seems to have you covered in just about every aspect of what makes for a good running shoe, and the stability on the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is no exception.
Flexibility
One of the downsides to having a thick and durable outsole is that the shoe’s flexibility tends to suffer as a result. The Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas, however, gets the best of both worlds by being tough and durable while still remaining thin enough to ensure a flexible run. This is perfect for road running, as your foot will still get plenty of flexion even running on a hard paved surface. Flexibility isn’t the only feature you should be looking out for, but it definitely does help.
Traction
For a shoe with an outsole as thin as what the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas features, there’s plenty of traction to be enjoyed with this shoe. This is especially useful when you consider that road running requires a great amount of traction in order to stick the road. The traction should be sufficient to keep you on the road even in a storm, but the relatively open nature of the breathable mesh upper suggests that you’d be better off avoiding running on a rainy day if you can help it. Being a road runner, the traction on the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is different than what you’d expect to find on a technical trail runner, but it does the job well.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas is a comprehensive option for those runners who truly want to have it all. It’s got a barely-there upper that provides cushioning while also allowing for unprecedented breathability, a midsole that conforms to the shape of the individual’s foot, and a thin outsole that provides a high degree of durability while still remaining flexible and maintaining good traction. This minimalistic shoe is incredibly lightweight, and its attractive stylings would impress just about anyone. Offered at the affordable price point it’s offered at, you can’t get much better than the Mizuno Wave Evo Levitas.
