Mizuno Wave Rider 27

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

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.9 oz · 12mm drop · 39/27mm stack

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 above most daily trainers in our data. Durability and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 17 runner reviews and 15 other rated shoes in the Wave Rider product line.

Good

81/100

Overall

Good 81

Durability

Excellent 94

Comfort

Good 90

Value

Very good 90

Cushioning

Good 88

Appearance

Decent 79

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

85/100

High 85

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

“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

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

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a marathon

“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 Sep 14.

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 81. This shoe has 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 2017 97 90 2019 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 This shoe

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

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

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: 9.9 oz
Release: 2023 Q2
Stack Height: 39mm heel - 27mm toe
Drop Height: 12mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Reader 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