Mizuno Wave Rider 22

Name: Mizuno Wave Rider 22
Brand: Mizuno
Rating: 4.7 (18 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.6 oz · 12mm drop · 37/25mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Mizuno Wave Rider 23 replaced it

How it ranks

The Mizuno Wave Rider 22 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 18 runner reviews and 15 other rated shoes in the Wave Rider product line.

Exceptional

97/100

Overall

Exceptional 97

Comfort

Excellent 93

Cushioning

Very good 92

Durability

Good 88

Value

Good 87

Appearance

Decent 76

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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

95/100

Very high 95

What runners say

“Excellent durability: had a pair lasting for 3 marathon cycles and well over 1k miles.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike LunarGlide 8

“Sizes run about a half too small, and a little too narrow.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 21

“They breakdown a bit quicker than I'd like and have worn out on the inside material near the base of my big toe.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 1080 v8

“Really mitigated the impact pain that I have felt in other shoes.”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the On Cloudflow 1

“Cushiony feel around foot, compared to WR20, which feels good but not as comfy as the 22s.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon

“My little toes start to wear through and make holes.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 21

“The wave technology seems to do as it says and gives a bit of spring when going forwards.”

4/5 Full review 35 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Brooks Ghost 10

“Still feel cushiony soft and light when running.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon

“Very roomy toe box and great cushioning.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Nike LunarGlide 8

“Smooth soft run easy on the knees enjoyable during long runs.”

5/5 Full review 110 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 21

Prefer this shoe over another

52% 13/25

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers describe a soft, cushioned ride suited to long, easy miles.
Reviewers praise the roomy toe box, one finding more room there than in adidas or Nike trainers.
Three reviewers report pairs lasting well past 600 miles.

Cons

Three reviewers report the upper wearing through near the big toe.
Three runners want more responsiveness or find it a little heavy at 9.6 oz.
Appearance is the weakest dimension at 4.1 out of 5, and one reviewer calls the looks unremarkable.

Wave Rider 22 rates 97. This shoe has very high certainty. 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

60 2011 66 56 2013 85 62 2015 92 74 97 2018 90 68 71 2021 75 81 2023 97 81 2025 74

Release year

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

Wave Rider 30

2026 · 0 reviews

74 Decent

49 Confidence
Wave Rider 29

2025 · 2 reviews

81 Good

75 Confidence
Wave Rider 28

2024 · 6 reviews

97 Excellent

89 Confidence
Wave Rider 27

2023 · 17 reviews

81 Good

85 Confidence
Wave Rider 26

2022 · 21 reviews

75 Decent

88 Confidence
Wave Rider 25

2021 · 2 reviews

71 Decent

72 Confidence
Wave Rider 24

2020 · 4 reviews

68 Below average

48 Confidence
Wave Rider 23

2019 · 7 reviews

90 Good

86 Confidence
Wave Rider 22 This shoe

2018 · 18 reviews

97 Exceptional

95 Confidence
Wave Rider 21

2017 · 25 reviews

74 Decent

91 Confidence
Wave Rider 20

2016 · 16 reviews

92 Very good

91 Confidence
Wave Rider 19

2015 · 12 reviews

62 Below average

88 Confidence
Wave Rider 18

2014 · 36 reviews

85 Good

95 Confidence
Wave Rider 17

2013 · 49 reviews

56 Bottom-tier

97 Confidence
Wave Rider 16

2012 · 42 reviews

66 Below average

93 Confidence
Wave Rider 15

2011 · 4 reviews

60 Bottom-tier

85 Confidence

Reader Ratings

18 ratings

5/5 12

4/5 6

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: 9.6 oz
Release: 2018 Q3
MSRP: $120
Stack Height: 37mm heel - 25mm toe
Drop Height: 12mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Why be a Swimmer when you can be a Wave Rider (22)

5/5

Overall

What I love 1) Excellent ride. I have about 150 miles (still practically new) in the WR22, and still feel cushiony soft and light when running. I compare this to my WR20 (about 220miles) which still feel light but not quite as cushiony as WR22, but more than my other shoes. Also, cushiony feel around foot, compared to WR20, which feels good but not as comfy as the 22s. 2) Shoestrings stay tied. Unsure if its the shoestrings or the shoes, but never had to readjust or retie during a run.

fastandlow · Jan 19, 2020

60 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 20

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

Why be a Swimmer when you can be a Wave Rider (22)

5/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Jan 19, 2020

60 mpw training for a marathon

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

First marathon shoe

4/5

Overall

Found the shoe to be very comfortable after doing a few runs and getting the lacing right. The cushioning seems just right for me. The wave technology seems to do as it says and gives a bit of spring when going forwards.. Ran Berlin in them and had no blisters..Done 400km in them now and have gone onto my second pair now. If you are a neutral runner I think these shoes do a great job. Just bought a 3rd pair for when second pair wear out.

Anonymous runner · Jan 11, 2020

35 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Brooks Ghost 10

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

Well-cushioned, affordable shoes

5/5

Overall

I switched from a lightly cushioned shoe and found the weight adjustment manageable and the cushioning much more agreeable. They have really mitigated the impact pain that I have felt in other shoes. They aren't waterproof, but still do well in the rain with excellent traction. Durability seems average, and they're meh to look at but overall a great, dependable workhorse shoe.

Anonymous runner · Jan 3, 2020

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the On Cloudflow 1

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

Great shoe but sometimes wish they were more responsive

4/5

Overall

I've worn Wave Riders off and on for years. Everything about the shoe is great, but some times while running I wish they were more responsive.

Anonymous runner · Oct 17, 2019

15 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 8

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

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Analyses

Mizuno Wave Rider 22

Exceptional