Mizuno Wave Rider 27

Name: Mizuno Wave Rider 27
Brand: Mizuno
Rating: 4.6 (8 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.1 oz · 39/27mm stack · 12mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Mizuno Wave Rider 28 replaced it

How it ranks

The Mizuno Wave Rider 27 ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Durability and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 17 runner reviews and 16 other rated shoes in the Wave Rider product line.

Good

Overall

Good 82

Durability

Good 88

Value

Good 86

Comfort

Good 83

Cushioning

Good 81

Appearance

Decent 78

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

92 High

High 92

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“Out of the box comfortable, flexible, and the perfect combination of cushioning and pop to cover everything from easy runs to more sporty paces.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40

“Optimal combination of cushioning, stability, flexibility, and ground feel.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon

“Best iteration in a long time with great support and comfort, but the outsole is much less durable than before.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the New Balance 880 v9

“The outer sole seems to wear better with increased thickness and coverage.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 26

“Incredibly well made, sharp looking, and durable.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon

“The midsole seems to last longer with improved impact absorption.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 26

“Really helped me get over an arch issue.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 8

“Refreshing to return to a classic daily trainer with many years of refinement.”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40

Prefer this shoe over another

25% 2/8

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers report the midsole and outsole holding up over many miles.
Reviewers say it is comfortable out of the box, from easy runs to tempo.
It scores 82 against 75 for the Wave Rider 26 before it.

Cons

Scores across the Wave Rider line have ranged from 56 to 97.
Value and appearance draw the lowest ratings of any dimension, both at 4.4 out of 5.

Wave Rider 27 rates 82. This shoe has high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Mizuno Wave Rider

Each dot is one version of the Wave Rider, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

74 2006 62 65 2012 59 76 2014 67 83 2016 72 91 2018 85 77 2020 79 77 82 2023 95 89 84 2026

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Wave Rider 30

2026 · 1 review

84 Good

79 Confidence
Wave Rider 29

2025 · 2 reviews

89 Good

80 Confidence
Wave Rider 28

2024 · 6 reviews

95 Excellent

85 Confidence
Wave Rider 27 This shoe

2023 · 17 reviews

82 Good

92 Confidence
Wave Rider 26

2022 · 21 reviews

77 Decent

93 Confidence
Wave Rider 25

2021 · 2 reviews

79 Decent

80 Confidence
Wave Rider 24

2020 · 4 reviews

77 Decent

86 Confidence
Wave Rider 23

2019 · 7 reviews

85 Good

90 Confidence
Wave Rider 22

2018 · 18 reviews

91 Very good

95 Confidence
Wave Rider 21

2017 · 25 reviews

72 Decent

97 Confidence
Wave Rider 20

2016 · 16 reviews

83 Good

95 Confidence
Wave Rider 19

2015 · 12 reviews

67 Below average

93 Confidence
Wave Rider 18

2014 · 36 reviews

76 Decent

98 Confidence
Wave Rider 17

2013 · 49 reviews

59 Bottom-tier

98 Confidence
Wave Rider 16

2012 · 42 reviews

65 Below average

96 Confidence
Wave Rider 15

2011 · 4 reviews

62 Below average

91 Confidence
Wave Rider 10

2006 · 0 reviews

74 Decent

80 Confidence

Runner Ratings

17 ratings

5/5 10

4/5 7

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.1 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 9.9 oz · Women's 8.3 oz
Release: 2023 Q2
Stack: 39/27mm
Drop: 12mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

5/5

Overall

I have run the Wave Rider since 2006. It is solid and consistent, but has generally improved over time. the Newer style upper (at least the 26 and the 27) is far superior. The midsole seems to last longer with improved impact absorption for longer. The outer sole also seems to wear better, particularly as it has increased in thickness and coverage over the years.

Anonymous runner · Jun 15, 2024

35 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 26

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Excellent Shoe

5/5

Overall

Really helped me get over an arch issue. Very durable. And mildly stable.

ShoeTubersHaveNoEthics · Mar 9, 2024

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 8

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

A Classic and Well Refined Daily Trainer

4/5

Overall

The daily trainer space has gotten a little crazy; $200 and 40+ mm of stack height is starting to look normal now that we’ve gotten used to super shoes. As fun and propulsive as shoes like this are, it is refreshing to return to a classic daily trainer, especially one that has seen all the benefits of many years of refinement.

This is my first Mizuno shoe ever. After 50 miles of running, the simplest way I can describe it is to imagine your favorite year of the Pegasus and the qualities that made it work so well: out of the box comfortable, flexible, and the perfect combination of cushioning and pop to cover everything from easy runs to more sporty paces.

Keep a classic daily trainer in your rotation. This Mizuno is right up there with the very best classics you’ll come across.

schlies14 · Feb 3, 2024

30 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

My go-to shoe

4/5

Overall

In high school I dabbled with a few different brands and models and dealt with random injuries. Finally landed on the mizuno wave riders and haven’t had any significant injuries in 14 years now. Not the sexiest shoe, but works great for me. I like that it’s been around awhile so I can find older models for sale online for lower prices.

Anonymous runner · Dec 7, 2023

25 mpw training for 5K and 10K

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

All time favorite daily trainer

5/5

Overall

A perfect daily trainer all around. Optimal combination of cushioning, stability, flexibility, and ground feel. Just fun and easy to log miles in, even for 20+ mile ling runs. Not the ideal workout shoe, but can easily pick up the pace on longer tempo runs. Incredibly well made, sharp looking, and durable. I’m always excited to take them out

APJR · Nov 30, 2023

60 mpw training for a marathon