Mizuno running shoes

Mizuno is a Japanese sportswear company founded in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno in Osaka. For decades, Mizuno has been dedicated to scientific research focused on developing the best sports products, and it has paid off. It's one of the most popular sportswear brands in Japan, but fans of specific sports, such as running, are well known for the brand outside Japan.

In the 1980s, Mizuno made five major running shoe developments that helped make the brand what it is today. It began in 1985 with the Magical Cloth Midsole, which increased stability and counteracted overpronation and over-supination (ankle leaning in or out)

This eventually led to the creation of Mizuno's most famous technology: the Mizuno Wave

The Wave technology was the opposite of what the Nike Air was. Nike Air acts as an airbag to cushion the impact during a run, but the Wave Plate stretches on impact, propelling the runner forward while returning to its normal wave-like shape. This was a huge innovation. It also led to the best-known, best-selling Mizuno running shoe, the Wave Rider, the first version of which was released in 1998 and has been updated virtually every year since (the 26th version was released in 2022).

But there's more than just 1 running shoe from Mizuno. High-quality support and a smooth run are the calling cards of the best Mizuno running shoes.

These qualities have elevated Mizuno running shoes to the big time, and they see the future in the continued development of the best running shoe technology.

Mizuno's running shoe range is now very large and colourful. Alongside the aforementioned Wave Rider for everyday training, there's the Wave Horizon, designed for overpronators, the high-cushioning Mizuno Wave Sky, the highly supportive Mizuno Wave Inspire, the long-distance Mizuno Wave NEO Ultra running shoe, whose namesake is the Wave NEO Wind for fast runs.