Mizuno Women's Wave Inspire 17 Running Shoe

Product Information

This would also fit with my experience with the Wave Inspire 17. Overall, they were inconsistent in their performance which prevented them from being a daily trainer. This is my second edition of the Wave Inspire I have ran in, with last year being my first. My overall experience with these was similar to that of the 16s. Let’s get to the strengths and disappointments of the Wave Inspire 17.

From model to model, Mizuno maintains a comfortable and familiar fit, and the Wave Inspire 17 is no exception.The Neo Wind is designed for speed training. In our testing, we found it feels best when pushed to tempo pace. The midsole features Enerzy Lite foam and a wave plate, both of which are made from castor beans. The result? The midsole serves up a firm sensation that’s ideal for speed, though it might feel too unforgiving for slower runs. The main stability feature in the Inspire is Mizuno’s Wave Plate. You can see the fan-shaped plate embedded into the heel. On the lateral side of the shoe, the plate has a gentle S-shaped wave to it. On the medial side (the inside), the plate is burlier, with a stair-step kind of shape. At the base, you will find a new cushioning, Mizuno ENERZY, a heel wedge used to make the landing softer along with returning more energy for liftoffs. The Mizuno Wave Inspire 17 are built for stability and miles, unfortunately their refusal to evolve and adapt prevents them from standing out of a crowded stability field.

In the middle of the midsole is a double fan wave plate. The plate is an elastic, thermal plastic wave running from the heel to the midfoot. All applicable customs and import duties and any other charges are the responsibility of the customer. The Wave Sky is Mizuno’s super-plush shoe. While previous versions achieved a soft ride using a long list of foams, the Wave Sky 6 streamlines the cushion to save weight and showcase the brand’s latest midsole design, which sandwiches its Enerzy and Enerzy Core foams around a wave plate. All three components complement each other: The firm Enerzy foam provides support. The plush, but resilient Enerzy Core compresses to provide that plush feel. The wave plate, as always, stabilizes your foot and dissipates impact forces. Together, the foams and plate promote smooth transitions and create a notably soft, somewhat responsive ride. Many popular running shoes are using softer foams now than they used to, and Mizuno is keeping with the trend.On the medial side, the wave plate has a double fan, this serves the same purpose as a medial post would in a traditional trainer. The wave plate is evident from the moment the trainer is on and takes some miles to get used to it. Testers say the knit upper also feels comfortable and secure, but it feels a little bit roomier in the toe box than the mesh option. The RW Takeaway: Big updates to the 17th version make the Inspire a moderately responsive and durable workhorse that offers mid-level stability for overpronators and plush cushioning for heel strikers. The U4IC cushioning above the wave plate has also been increased. While I appreciate the changes I can honestly say the ride was very similar to the last edition’s. While other trainers it competes with are evolving, the Wave Inspire is staying true to the wave plate. This would be justified if the wave plate is effective but in my opinion it isn’t.