Discontinued · road · Race day / Tempo · $240
Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2: 38 mm heel stack, 2 mm drop, 209 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for race day, tempo, at a target pace of 5:30–7:15 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3.
Mizuno tuned this midsole soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 38 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as explosive at 5/5 responsiveness.
A full-length carbon plate stiffens the forefoot and works with the foam as a lever: it smooths the transition off the toes and cuts the effort of holding fast paces. It also asks for speed — at easy paces a carbon plate feels stiff and does little for you, and it is the main reason super-shoes wear out sooner than trainers.
A 2 mm drop is close to level. That loads the calf and Achilles more than most runners are used to, so ease into it. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 250 miles from the outsole, about $0.96 per mile at $240.
For the foams and plates Mizuno uses across its line, read the Mizuno brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
215 g / 7.6 oz
60 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
38 mm
2 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
2 mm
4 mm lower than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$240
80 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
5 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~250 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Mizuno line it is lighter than the brand's median (266 g / 9.4 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (40 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Altra Vanish Carbon 2(2024)
229 g / 8.1 oz · 36 mm · 0 mm drop · Carbon · $260
A zero-drop carbon racer — rare, and the only super shoe with real toe splay.
New Balance SuperComp Rebel v1
218 g / 7.7 oz · 40 mm · 4 mm drop · Carbon · $200
Infinion ATPU super-trainer with a carbon-infused Pebax plate.
Asics S4+ Yogiri
235 g / 8.3 oz · 40 mm · 6 mm drop · Carbon · $210
Asics S4+ Yogiri: 40 mm heel stack, 6 mm drop, 235 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Altra Vanish Carbon 3
200 g / 7.1 oz · 36 mm · 0 mm drop · Carbon · $260
The only true zero-drop carbon marathon racer.