Mizuno Wave Inspire 4

Mizuno is a Japanese footwear company specializing in sport shoes. However, that’s not all they do. When Georgio Armani wanted to make functional fashionable footwear, he joined up with Mizuno. He was quoted explaining that,

“I wanted to create special sneakers, but for me the key thing is that they be authentic, where technology and fashion meets. In my view no one makes more advanced sneakers than Mizuno, so it’s a great arrangement.”

Needless to say, the collaboration turned out quite well!

But Mizuno’s real triumph is in their sports line.The Mizuno Wave Inspire 4’s are great running shoes. I put in about 20 miles per week on rugged hilly terrain, but also do a fair amount of on-road running and have the occasional meeting with a treadmill. I’ve found this shoe to function very well in all of these circumstances. The design of the shoe keeps the heel in place, the toe box has just the right amount of room so that the shoe is both well-structured and light, and it has built-in stability for runners that need a little extra support.

I don’t have any particular needs in a shoe, which I know determines preference for many runners. I’m fairly average recreational runner, I don’t compete, I have no desire to run a marathon, I just like to make sure I get about 5 hours of running in per week.

This shoe will particularly appeal to those out there who are disappointed with latest changes Asics has made to their tried-and-true running shoes. From what I’ve heard, many have made the switch since this design change.

The price on these shoes varies widely between markets. I bought mine for $85 at Foot RX in Bellingham, USA, and REI is selling them online for $95, which is a fair price. In the UK they average about 80 pounds sterling, and in Belgium they’re around 130 euro. Here in Norway this pair is about triple the price of the US. So choose your market wisely if price is a concern.

Everyone I have recommended Mizuno running shoes to has become a convert! This shoe is listed on mizuno.com as product number 410297

Available in: US, Canada, Europe, Japan