Greatest Shoe Ever In My Opinion
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Feb 13, 2018
50 mpw training for middle distance came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 17
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Mizuno Wave Inspire 8
Daily trainer · Stability · Road
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Mizuno Wave Inspire 12 replaced it
How it ranks
The Mizuno Wave Inspire 8’s rating is an early estimate. We’ve collected 5 runner reviews so far, with brand history also informing the score.
Below average
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.
Confidence
24 Moderate
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
“Lasted me thousands of miles and with very minimal injury issues”
“Flexibility like a Nike Free but also some good cushioning for the forefoot/midfoot strikers”
“Switched to this shoe from the Brooks Adrenaline after getting tired of running through shoes too quickly”
“Great shoe for daily runs and allows you to also run fast during interval training”
“Lighter shoe that has support”
“Comfortable, supportive, cushioned”
Prefer this shoe over another
40% 2/5
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 29.
Pros
- One reviewer at about 215 pounds finds it a lighter shoe that still has support.
- One reviewer who switched from the Brooks Adrenaline says a pair lasted thousands of miles.
- One reviewer finds it flexible like a Nike Free with good forefoot cushioning, and uses it for daily runs and intervals.
Cons
- Durability is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.8 out of 5.
- One reviewer stopped running in it after regularly getting niggles and discomfort, and moved to a less corrective shoe.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Mizuno Wave Inspire
Each dot is one version of the Wave Inspire, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Release year
-
Release year unknown · 2 reviews
71 Decent
18 Confidence
-
2025 · 2 reviews
71 Decent
63 Confidence
-
2025 · 1 review
86 Good
59 Confidence
-
2024 · 0 reviews
86 Good
46 Confidence
-
2023 · 8 reviews
77 Decent
39 Confidence
-
2022 · 5 reviews
84 Good
47 Confidence
-
2021 · 1 review
64 Below average
33 Confidence
-
2019 · 1 review
71 Decent
40 Confidence
-
2019 · 7 reviews
82 Good
32 Confidence
-
2018 · 6 reviews
72 Decent
34 Confidence
-
2016 · 7 reviews
62 Below average
42 Confidence
-
2016 · 4 reviews
73 Decent
34 Confidence
-
2014 · 7 reviews
58 Bottom-tier
49 Confidence
-
2013 · 44 reviews
51 Bottom-tier
84 Confidence
-
2012 · 19 reviews
72 Decent
63 Confidence
-
Wave Inspire 8 This shoe
2014 · 5 reviews
67 Below average
24 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Release
- 2014
Runner reviews
3/5
Overall
CPGrun · Mar 22, 2015
55 mpw
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Sep 2, 2014
30 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Aug 28, 2014
25 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
5/5
Overall
billscrib · Aug 27, 2014
90 mpw training for middle distance
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
Alternatives
Other shoes worth considering.
More from Mizuno
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
Mizuno Wave Inspire 8 In Context
More on the Mizuno Wave Inspire
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 21
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 22
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 20
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 19
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 18
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 17
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 12 next version
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 11 previous version