← Back home
Mizuno

Wave Inspire 8

Shoe image placeholder
Daily trainer · Stability · Road
Good (75/100)

Shoe details

Release
2025

Ratings & Reviews

Good (75/100)

Based on product-line history, external ratings, and runner reviews.
?

Scores better than 50% of all shoes.

Our ratings use detailed reviews from knowledgeable runners, ratings for shoes in the same product line, and reliable product information from trusted retailers.

Rating breakdown

Better Shoes Rating. Shading shows the expected rating range.
?

Rankings combine runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, direct comparisons to other shoes, related product-line performance, and trusted external ratings.

The darker band shows the central rating range. The lighter band shows a wider range of reasonable outcomes. More reviews for this shoe usually narrow both bands.

Overall

Good (75/100)

Overall rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Good (75/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 50% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Cushioning

Very good (86/100)

Cushioning rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Very good (86/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 77% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Value

Good (80/100)

Value rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Good (80/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 65% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Durability

Good (71/100)

Durability rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Good (71/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 36% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Comfort

Average (64/100)

Comfort rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Average (64/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 16% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

Appearance

Average (63/100)

Appearance rating

We estimate how this shoe ranks by combining runner ratings, whether reviewers say they'd buy a shoe again, and direct comparisons to other shoes they've run in. We also consider related product-line performance and trusted external ratings. More review data helps narrow the likely rating range.

Better Shoes Rating

Average (63/100)

Compared To Other Shoes

Scores better than 16% of shoes

Compared with all shoes

The shaded band shows the rating range we think is most likely.

60%

3/5

Prefer this shoe over another.

Reviewers said this shoe was better than another shoe they ran in.

All Running Shoes

Scores better than 50% of 2,617 running shoes.

Good

Daily Trainers

Scores better than 49% of 1,872 daily trainers.

49%

Wave Inspire Family

Scores better than 64% of 10 wave inspire family.

64%

Mizuno

Scores better than 33% of 105 Mizuno shoes.

33%

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Rated above average on cushioning.

Cons

  • Rated below average overall.
  • Rated below average on comfort.
  • Rated below average on durability.

Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Shoe image placeholder
Mizuno Wave Inspire 20
ASICS SUPERBLAST 2
Wave Inspire 8
Wave Inspire 20
SUPERBLAST 2
Current shoe
Newest
Best overall / Best comfort / Best cushioning
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Stability
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
—
10.6 oz M
—
Stack
—
38/26mm
—
Drop
—
12mm
7mm
Release
2025 Newest
2024 Q1
2024 Q2
MSRP
—
—
$200
Best price
—
—
$149.99
Ratings
Overall
Average (50%)
—
Exceptional (>99%) Best overall
Comfort
Bottom tier (16%)
—
Exceptional (99%) Best comfort
Cushioning
Good (77%)
—
Exceptional (99%) Best cushioning
Durability
Below average (36%)
—
Exceptional (99%) Best durability
Appearance
Bottom tier (16%)
—
Exceptional (98%) Best appearance
Value
Above average (65%)
—
Very good (86%) Best value
Specific shoe

Search for the exact model to add to this comparison.

Where to buy

No offers available

Check back soon for deals

Better alternatives

Higher-rated shoes similar to this one

ASICS Novablast 5

Novablast 5

Daily trainer

$110.47

Top 2%

Ranks higher than this shoe
HOKA Clifton 10

Clifton 10

Daily trainer

$123.96

Top 5%

Ranks higher than this shoe
adidas adizero Evo SL

adizero Evo SL

Daily trainer

$96.73

Top 6%

Ranks higher than this shoe
PUMA Velocity Nitro 4

Velocity Nitro 4

Daily trainer

$99.88

Top 10%

Ranks higher than this shoe
Nike Vomero Plus

Vomero Plus

Daily trainer

$109.99

Top 11%

Ranks higher than this shoe
Saucony Triumph 23

Triumph 23

Daily trainer

$124.88

Top 12%

Ranks higher than this shoe

More from Mizuno

Mizuno Neo Zen

Neo Zen

Daily trainer

$99.88

Top 15%

Ranks higher than this shoe
Mizuno Wave Inspire 22

Wave Inspire 22

$149.95

Bottom 13%
Mizuno Neo Zen 2

Neo Zen 2

Racing

$159.95

Top 30%

Ranks higher than this shoe

Reader Ratings

5 reader ratings

Review a shoe

Showing 1–5 of 5 written reviews

Greatest Shoe Ever In My Opinion

Anonymous runner · Feb 13, 2018

5/5

Overall

This shoe has flexibility like a Nike Free but also some good cushioning for the forefoot/midfoot strikers. Great shoe for daily runs and allows you to also run fast during interval training. Of the 20-ish shoes that I have bought over the years, this shoe is my personal favorite (I've ran in shoes like Nike Zoom Oddysey, Brooks Ravenna/Adrenaline, Asics Gel Kayano, and none of them can compare to this shoe).
Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Reader review

CPGrun · Mar 22, 2015

3/5

Overall

Was regularly getting niggles and discomfort so changed shoe to a less corrective shoe
Comfort
3/5
Durability
3/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
4/5

Reader review

Anonymous runner · Sep 2, 2014

4/5

Overall

Comfort
4/5
Durability
3/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
4/5

Reader review

Anonymous runner · Aug 28, 2014

5/5

Overall

This is a lighter shoe that has support. I'm about 215 ounds and we don't all need heavy, motion control shoes. The Wave Inspire series (original through 8 so far) has been wonderful. No injuries, comfortable, supportive, cushioned. Awesome shoes.
Comfort
5/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
5/5

Reader review

billscrib · Aug 27, 2014

5/5

Overall

I switched to this shoe from the Brooks Adrenaline after getting tired of running through shoes too quickly; the Mizuno Inspire, however, lasted me thousands of miles and with very minimal injury issues.
Comfort
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
4/5
Value
5/5