Puffff, the Mizuno Wave Shadow 2, a running model that already at first offers you doubts, in the good sense, what is this, what is this shoe made for? By weight and based on the theory of the model, and also with some practice it should be explained as a mixed shoe, but after several laps, I see it as a clear training shoe.
To compare this Mizuno Wave Shadow 2 running shoe does not have the cushioning of a Wave Ultima, for example, and of course of a Wave Creation or Wave Prophecy, (what a shoe the latter is) but it is not far from the legendary Mizuno Wave Rider, the best-selling training shoe of the Japanese brand.
General notes on the Mizuno Wave Shadow 2 as a training shoe
This is something I wanted to write at the beginning and I think it is important for the reader, and is that every time the brands flood the market with miles of models, there are models or shoes that step on each other, or that are created for one thing and then are more efficient in another area. I know that a Mizuno commercial, (especially if you are a non-runner or runner) will sell this shoe as a MIXED shoe, and you will probably see it on miles of websites, but if you ask me, the answer is clear,
Here we have a training shoe of a lifetime, with one feature above all, its lightness.
The one who wants them to compete perfect, I would advise them for long distances, for example. I think it is an excellent option for the marathon distance, or for those runners who in half marathon have a target pace of 5 minutes per kilometer.
Upper Highlights: Comfort and Support
The upper of this Wave Shadow 2 is comfortable and supportive in the heel, just what a runner wants in a training shoe. What strikes me most about this part of the shoe is far from the qualities that I'm sure the brand would highlight for the upper. The heel feels very supportive and comfortable, it doesn't offer unwanted movements or similar and seems to grip our heel with firmness and great support.
Of course it has all the technologies of the brand. Not in vain we are talking about a performance or high-end model for the runner with an RRP of 130 €, we have the comfortable and breathable AIRmesh upper, or the bands that offer grip with DynamotionFit technology. Technologies that are great and offer a top upper, but what I liked the most is the fit to the foot, especially starting at the heel.
To explain the qualities of the upper starting from the toe part I would comment the following. We start with a mesh with perforations type honeycomb very comfortable and breathable with zero seams, (only the tongue), in the middle part we find TPU inserts to grip our foot to the shoe, in addition these inserts respond very well to the adjustment of the laces, finally we end up with a heel that seems to want to absorb our ankle.
The last is a little wider in the toe area, that part that is formed by a very comfortable breathable mesh, yet this mesh offers excellent comfort.
Midsole with hard, stable and reactive cushioning.
A hard and very very stable cushioning, in my opinion all Mizuno's midsole are like that, and this second version of the Wave Shadow respects the philosophy of the Japanese brand.
Why do we have a hard cushioning?
The material used is the U4IC technology, this compound is far from the sensitivity and ease of compression of other competing materials such as boost, fresh foam or Brooks DNA. I don't want to say that this cushioning is worse or less good than the previous ones, it's just different and I think that any experienced runner can observe these differences. To me this feeling is what I like the most about Mizuno, it gives firmness in each step and reactivity, which is something that I miss in other models of the competition.
Why do we have stable cushioning?
Firstly because of the hard cushioning that we have mentioned, and secondly because of that magic Wave plate that we have in the shoe, a "hard" plate that goes from the heel to the midfoot to give security and stability in each step.
We can give more information about the cushioning of Mizuno, but with these two ideas we can already realize how is the feeling when running with the Shadow, the feeling for runners under 70 kilos, as in my case, is to run with a hard and especially reactive model that helps to give you a point more speed to run, (not in vain Mizuno is my favorite brand to run on track and field, on this softer ground).
Lastly, the drop is 8mm and the height of the model is 17 to 25mm, which is why you do notice some elevation with the shoe and you don't have a feeling of closeness to the ground.
It helps to understand that just because it is a hard cushioning, does not mean that the shoe is not cushioned at all.
I find the last a little thinner than usual in Mizuno, the Rider model gives me the feeling of being wider, the feeling is of having to fasten the laces to the maximum, something that does not happen here, another opinion to know that between this model and the Rider, I'll take these Shadow, lighter, more comfortable and they fasten to my foot wonderfully.
Outstanding sole flexibility
The outsole of the Mizuno Wave Shadow 2 is one of the most flexible I know, something that comes in handy thanks to that hard midsole we mentioned before. By this I mean the amount of inserts in the outsole, both in the forefoot and rearfoot, or even in the midfoot where we have the Wave plate. It is difficult based on the feeling you have running to know how flexible the model becomes, but the first opinion you can have just by seeing the amount of inserts is its flexibility, and of course the comfort feeling is optimal. Plus the SmoothRide rubber boasts a focus on a clean and easy transition.
As we can see we have on the table a shoe that forms like a Swiss watch, a "hard" cushioning to protect the runner and especially to give stability in each stride, but with a soft, reactive sole and with great transition of footstep.
In terms of grip and especially durability we have the "Made in Mizuno" technologies of the TOP models of the Japanese brand. Especially mention the X10 rubber, the hardest and most durable rubber of the brand.
Sincerely after testing and running with miles of models and different brands, Mizuno must emphasize the durability of its catalog, its durable and grippy sole are highly recognizable signs.
Conclusion about the Mizuno Wave Shadow 2
The Mizuno Wave Shadow 2 gives me the feeling of being the perfect shoe for neutral runners under 75 kilograms, we have a super lightweight model capable of withstanding any kind of mileage. Just put some miles on it and you can expect a more than reliable performance. In short, speed, comfort and cushioning for a model that for me, is at least on par with the Mizuno Wave Rider.
- Final Verdict: 8.75 out of 10
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