Mizuno Wave Shadow

Name: Mizuno Wave Shadow
Brand: Mizuno
Rating: 4.4 (8 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.1 oz · 8mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Mizuno Wave Shadow 2 replaced it

How it ranks

The Mizuno Wave Shadow trails most daily trainers in our data. Value and looks are its strongest sub-ratings. Cushioning scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 8 runner reviews and 2 other rated shoes in the Wave Shadow product line.

Below average

Overall

Below average 67

Value

Good 87

Appearance

Good 81

Durability

Decent 73

Comfort

Below average 66

Cushioning

Bottom-tier 56

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

78 Moderate

Moderate 78

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.

Brand rating
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“The ride is really firm and after coming from the softness of the Peg it was quite a shock.”

2/5 Full review 40 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“Light enough for fast distance race efforts, but stable enough for faster long runs.”

5/5 Full review 8 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 21

“They rub my Achilles tendon in a weird way, and I have tendonitis flare ups if I train in these everyday.”

3/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Hupana

“Like a lot of Mizunos the heel is quite rigid and if you're not landing mid foot they feel clunky so you can't be lazy in these.”

2/5 Full review 40 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“There's no break-in required. The first time I put them on it was like 'welcome home!'”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Sayonara

“Slim toes; enough room in the lateral midfoot for my slightly protruding fifth metatarsal turberosity; enough arch support for my arches.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Instinct 3.5

“The stretchy material forms around my feet perfectly.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Sayonara

“Fit true to size. Mid-narrow fit.”

2/5 Full review 40 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“A soft enough sole so that my many times sprained ankle has no issues with the lateral arch.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Instinct 3.5

“The sole is prone to pick up stones, which is annoying.”

5/5 Full review 8 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 21

“Light enough to race in, the Shadow is also perfect for training.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Sayonara

“The thread is a little underwhelming when traction is an issue (wet roads, soft trails.)”

5/5 Full review 8 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 21

“It's very light, but feels like its sole is sturdy.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw

“The little slits collect little pebbles which is annoying.”

2/5 Full review 40 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“There is a bit of a rocker effect when rolling onto the toe and pushing off.”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Instinct 3.5

“Fit is standard—maybe a 1/2 size large.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“I feel way faster than I do than in any other shoe I own.”

3/5 Full review 65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Hupana

“Over all an ok tempo/workout shoe if you like a really firm ride.”

2/5 Full review 40 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

“For someone who tends to run on the front of his foot, I find it gives me the right feel for my gait.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw

“A firm, fast, straightforward shoe.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34

Prefer this shoe over another

50% 3/6

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 23.

Pros

Reviewers call it light and fast, good for tempo runs and racing, and appearance draws 4.8 out of 5.
Reviewers find the fit comfortable and secure with no break-in needed, one going straight out for 11 miles.
Value draws 4.6 out of 5, with one reviewer calling fifty dollars insane value.

Cons

The ride is firm, and several reviewers wanted more cushioning, one calling it a shock after the Pegasus.
Reviewers describe the wave-plate heel as stiff, and one gets Achilles tendonitis flare-ups if he runs in them daily.
Reviewers say the outsole grooves trap stones and grip poorly on wet roads and soft trails.

Wave Shadow rates 67. This shoe has moderate confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Mizuno Wave Shadow

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

Rating

40 60 80 100

67 2017 68 2018 73 2019

Release year

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

Wave Shadow 3

2019 · 2 reviews

73 Decent

55 Confidence
Wave Shadow 2

2018 · 2 reviews

68 Below average

48 Confidence
Wave Shadow This shoe

2017 · 8 reviews

67 Below average

78 Confidence

Runner Ratings

8 ratings

5/5 6

4/5 0

3/5 1

2/5 1

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.1 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 8.8 oz · Women's 7.4 oz
Release: 2017 Q3
MSRP: $110
Drop: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Mizuno Shadow

5/5

Overall

I wore the Mizuno Precision for years as a daily trainer. Haven’t been able to find a similar replacement since they discontinued it. The Shadow is the closest thing that I’ve found in the last few years. Still a little stiff in the heel due to the wave plate (they should go to a softer plate in my opinion). But overall a good shoe. Daily training, long runs and tempo runs.

Anonymous runner · Feb 9, 2018

70 mpw came from the Brooks Launch 3

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

Mizuno Wave Shadow - so far so good.

5/5

Overall

So far it's a great shoe. It's a new shoe line, and my pair is still new, so I don't know about durability. I have less than 50 miles on it. I've run on it mostly on a treadmill so far. It's very light, but feels like its sole is sturdy. THe upper looks as if it might be a little fragile, though I may be basing this on the fact that other Mizuno shoes I've had have developed holes in the upper before I'd have thought they were close to wearing out. It's comfortable, and for someone who tends to run on the front of his foot, I find i gives me the right feel for my gait. I gave the shoe an 8 for durability, but I'd have rather not answered the question because my pair is so new and I don't have any history with this new model. I'm basing it in part on appearance and perception of sturdiness and history with the brand.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

25 mpw

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

Mizuno Wave Shadow Review

5/5

Overall

First shoe I have found in a while that does not seem to exacerbate any of the foot/lower leg overuse injures I seem to get from other shoes. The footbed fits my foot. It has slim toes; enough room in the lateral midfoot for my slightly protruding fifth metatarsal turberosity; enough arch support for my arches; a soft enough sole so that my many times sprained ankle has no issues with the lateral arch; and a soft comfortable heel cup. The sole seems durable, and the upper is fine. Similar shape to the Wave Universe 4 and the Wave Cruise 10, but with a little more cushion and heeltotoe drop. There is a bit of a rocker effect when rolling onto the toe and pushing off. Takes a bit of getting used to coming from Altras or the aforementioned Universe or Cruises. Great Shoe

Anonymous runner · Feb 6, 2018

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Altra Instinct 3.5