This review is sponsored by Fitfluential, LLC. Shoes provided by Mizuno. All opinions are my own.
In the midst of my marathon training, I received a beautiful pair of Mizuno running shoes. The Wave Rider 18, to be exact. Now that my marathon is over with, and the shoes I ran them in have seen their last mile, I was excited to pull out the Mizuno’s and hit the pavement.
This past weekend, I ran my first time completing the marathon. We had a 5K and a half marathon to run. I decided to try the Mizuno Wave Riders for the 5K and see how they felt.
WAVE RIDER 18: REALIZE THE POWER WITHIN
Introducing the new Wave Rider 18 – the ideal balance of fit and performance. Perfect for runners seeking a smooth ride in a sleek, lightweight daily trainer.
Building on the legacy of the Wave Rider line, the Wave Rider 18 is our best model yet, providing runners with a more resilient and responsive ride and a superb underfoot sensation, creating a more harmonious fit that works with the runner at every stride.
The thing I notice the most about this shoe is how light it is. It is a neutral shoe and has a nice toe box. While I do have a narrow foot, I like my shoes to fit comfortably without my toes being squeezed. To me, the best shoe is one that you don’t notice when you wear it. I keep my shoes tied loosely and I wear socks on the thin side. All of this worked well with this shoe.
The 5K Saturday night was my first time back running since my marathon and I was concerned about how my feet and legs would feel. Both felt fine. It has a nice feel when my foot hits the ground. No weird pressure points on either side of my ankle which I run into with other shoes. I also did not notice any sliding of my foot inside the shoe.
I did so well in the shoe for the 5K, I decided to wear it again for my half marathon Sunday morning. That ended up being a true test because not only did we run a much longer distance, but we also ran bridges. Once again, my foot stayed in place inside the shoe, no sliding, and no rubbing.
All in all this shoe has a great feel to it. Most of the shoes I’ve run in before have been heavier in weight, so this was a nice change of pace. As far as size, I am normally an 8 to 8 1/2. These shoes are a 9 and are a tiny bit snug. I would recommend going up in size. They come in 3 cool color combinations!
I also love the colors of these shoes! How pretty are they? And they went wonderfully with my elf socks.
You can learn more about the Mizuno Wave Rider 18 HERE. They are available in wide and narrow widths.
