Discontinued · road · Daily / Long run · $125
Earlier generation of the Mizuno Wave Rider line, kept for replacement lookups.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 8:00–11:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Mizuno Wave Rider 29.
Mizuno tuned this midsole soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 36 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 calm at 2/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 500 miles from the outsole, about $0.25 per mile at $125.
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
286 g / 10.1 oz
11 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
36 mm
Level with the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$125
35 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~500 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Mizuno line it is heavier 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.
Nike Journey Run
305 g / 10.8 oz · 34 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $90
Extra-plush entry trainer built for comfortable first miles.
Adidas Supernova Solution
278 g / 9.8 oz · 36 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $150
Adidas' support daily with Support Rods for mild guidance.
Nike Quest 6
295 g / 10.4 oz · 35 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $85
Entry-level daily trainer with a soft midsole and a secure fit.
Brooks Glycerin StealthFit 21
283 g / 10.0 oz · 38 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $180
Brooks Glycerin StealthFit 21: 38 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 257 g — specs from independent lab testing.