Details
Brand
Mizuno
Heel To Toe Drop
12 mm
Breathability
8/10
Latest Version
Yes
Terrain
Road
Type
Stability
Key Features
• Mizuno Cloudwave Technology provides a soft ride• Mizuno Dynamotion Fit has a three-panel construction with a sock-like fit around the midfoot• Fan-shaped Geometry stabilizes the foot to prevent over-pronation• Triple Zone Engineered Mesh for breathability, flexibility, and support• Heel cup provides a snug fit to prevent sliding out of the shoe• U4icX midsole provides a smooth and soft feel• U4icX strobel layer adds under sockliner comfort• U4icX midsole compound adds responsiveness and durability in cushioning• X10 carbon rubber outsole• Decoupled heel isolates impact, absorbs shock, and enhances cushioning
Upper
The durable upper is made from Triple Zone Engineered Mesh and synthetic material. The Mizuno Dynamotion Fit has a three-panel construction and creates a snug, comfortable, sock-like fit around the midfoot. The heel cup locks the heel in to prevent slipping or sliding out of the shoe. The triple zone engineered mesh is breathable because it allows ventilation, flexible enough to move freely, and supportive for over-pronators. The tongue and heel collar are padded, the laces provide a snug fit, and the toe cap protects against accidental forefoot injury while running.
Midsole
The midsole uses different technologies and materials for comfort, stability, responsiveness, and durability. The Cloudwave Technology creates a soft ride in the cushioning, and the fan-shaped geometry around the arch helps stabilize the foot to prevent over-pronation. The U4icX technology provides a smooth and soft feel across the length of the midsole. The U4icX midsole compound helps to bounce the foot forward, absorbs shock, and is more durable and cushioned than previous Mizuno shoes. The U4icX strobel layer increases the comfort under the sockliner. It has a standard drop to help propel the foot forward.
Outsole
The outsole is made of X10, a durable carbon rubber. There are threads around the outside edge of the heel as well as throughout the forefoot, which allow the shoe to grip hard surfaces such as roads, paths, and floors. Running horizontally between the treads are grooves that allow the shoe to move naturally with the foot. The outsole also utilizes a decoupled heel to isolate the impact of a strike, absorb the shock to protect the knee and foot joints, and enhance the level of cushioning.
Breathability
The Wave Horizon has good breathability. The Triple Zone Engineered Mesh covers most of the shoe, and overlays on the heel and around the midfoot have large holes filled with mesh so that air can still flow around those parts of the foot. There is some stitching on the outside edges of the overlays, but not enough to cause blisters or hot spots in those sections. Runners are able to wear this shoe on hot days or for long runs without problems with overheating.
Comfort
This shoe is pretty comfortable. It has a medium width and the length runs normal to a half size larger than other shoes, so many testers recommended ordering a half-size down. The outsole bends as the foot does, allowing comfortable, natural movement. The midsole has Cloudwave Technology for a soft ride, U4icX technology for soft and smooth cushioning across the length of the midsole, the highly cushioned U4icX midsole compound, and the U4icX strobel layer that adds under sockliner comfort. Testers found that both the heel and forefoot have very soft cushioning compared to other shoes. The upper is breathable to prevent discomfort due to overheating and provides a snug fit for long distance comfort. Although some reviewers rated the Wave Horizon as slightly less responsive and slightly heavier than other shoes, those factors did not make the shoe any less comfortable for over-pronators to run in. The two big problems were that a lot of people thought that the fit around the base of the laces was too snug, and a few testers with wider heels thought that the heel cup was a bit tight.
Style
The Mizuno Wave Horizon comes in five different colors for men and five for women. Some of the styles use reflective materials around the midfoot and the front of the toes, which help increase visibility when running in early mornings or evenings. The men’s shoe comes in Dark Shadow-Gold, Royal-Orange, Dark Slate-Green Flash, Directoire Blue-Yellow, and Dark Shadow-True Blue. The women’s shoe comes in Pink-Black, White-Black, Silver-Pink, Dark Shadow-Clownfish, and Staff-Yellow. The design of the midfoot’s overlays was inspired by the rays of the sun, and the overlays in the heel have pentagon-shaped mesh areas in the middle. The ventilation holes are clustered in the toes, heel, tongue, and a few areas on either side of the foot. Testers liked the color choices and some said that the colors reminded them of the horizon.
Durability
The Wave Horizon has great durability in the outsole and upper. The midsole is more durable than previous editions but tends to compress toward the end of longer runs. X10 carbon rubber is very durable and is used throughout the outsole so that the entire unit stays looking new for at least a couple hundred miles. The midsole was also designed to be durable because it needs to be able to cushion landings, protect joints, and maintain its stability and stiffness over time to prevent over-pronation, even in heavier runners. The upper is also stable and durable, with the Mizuno Dynamotion Fit creating a snug fit especially in the midfoot, and the triple zone engineered mesh constructed to be extra durable compared to standard mesh uppers.
Protection
This shoe does a good job of protecting the muscles, knees and feet. Its high stack height means that the foot is well protected from rocks, sticks, and debris on the ground that could potentially cause bruising. The decoupled heel in the outsole helps isolate the impact of the shock, and the U4icX midsole compound absorbs the shock. The fan-shaped geometry in the midsole and Mizuno Dynamotion Fit technology and heel counter in the upper protect the ankles against rolling to prevent over-pronation and injury. The triple zone engineered mesh protects against overheating and blisters and the toe cap protects against bruising.
Responsiveness
Although the Mizuno Wave Horizon has low energy return compared to other shoes due to its weight and stability features, it is more responsive than previous Mizuno shoes and has pretty good energy return for a stability shoe. The outsole creates good ground feel with its treads and grooves, and the decoupled heel helps with transitions. The midsole’s U4icX midsole compound helps spring the foot forward. The upper provides a snug fit that stabilizes the foot while still allowing it to move normally.
Support
The Wave Horizon surrounds the foot with support. The bottom of the foot has U4icX technologies that add cushioning that matches the shape of the foot, although it becomes less supportive toward the end of a long run. The arch support is provided by the fan-shaped geometry and stabilizes the foot so that it does not turn too far inward. The top of the foot is also supported with the Mizuno Dynamotion Fit around the midfoot and the padding on the tongue, heel and collar.
Terrain
This shoe is designed for running on hard surfaces. The threads indicate that the shoe was meant for indoor surfaces such as the inside of a gym, or outdoor dirt or paved roads, tracks, concrete, paths, or light trails. It can sometimes go on wet terrain but was not designed for slippery ice, snow, mud, or heavy trails.
Price
The Mizuno Wave Horizon is a little bit pricey for a running shoe, although this is normal for a stability shoe due to the extra cushioning, support, and protection against over-pronation. Many over-pronators were willing to pay the extra cost so that they could be comfortable during their runs and not have to worry about sliding, rolling, or getting hurt due to lack of stability. Current pricing ranges from 47% off to full price, depending on the size and color selected.
Drop
The heel is 33mm high and the forefoot is 21mm high, creating a drop of 12mm. This standard drop helps keep the foot moving forward by bouncing the foot back into the air when the runner strikes on the heel. The decoupled heel in the outsole and extra padding in the midsole also help with shock absorption, protecting the joints of the runners who wear the shoe. Some testers would have preferred a slightly lower drop for the added stability, while others liked the added energy return from the higher drop.
Stability
The Mizuno Wave Horizon has great stability, as it was designed to help slow over-pronation even in slightly heavier runners. The decoupled heel helps stabilize landings, especially for heel strikers. The midsole has the fan-shaped geometry to stabilize the arch. The upper has the Mizuno Dynamotion Fit technology to stabilize the midfoot and the heel counter to stabilize the heel.
Flexibility
This shoe has good flexibility for a stability shoe. The X10 carbon rubber outsole bends as the foot does because of its grooves. The midsole foam is flexible enough to conform to the shape of the foot and bend with it, although sometimes it can be perhaps a little too flexible, as it compresses during longer runs. The upper has Mizuno Dynamotion Fit for a customized flexible fit and the triple zone engineered mesh that moves freely with the foot.
Traction
The Wave Horizon gets great traction on roads. Some testers used it on longer runs and went over different surfaces like pavement, dirt roads, concrete, up and down hills, and even over some wet spots without experiencing any slipping or sliding. The shoe does not have lugs so it cannot grip slippery surfaces well.
Bottom Line
The Mizuno Wave Horizon is a great cushioned stability shoe. It has very soft cushioning, nice colors, great flexibility, and good grip on hard surfaces. It is breathable enough to wear on long runs and stable enough for over-pronators. The durability is good throughout the shoe and the fit is nice and supportive. Areas for improvement include making the materials lighter but still stable, more energy return, more fabric around the lacing system, a looser heel cup, and cushioning that maintains its shape during long runs. Overall, the Wave Horizon’s fit is a little snug but testers found the ride to be enjoyable, some even considering the shoe for their next marathon.
