Introduction to the Mizuno Neo Zen
ROBBE: For years, it appeared like we put the ‘no’ into each Mizuno evaluate. Anytime a shoe confirmed up, we drew straws to see who would get per week of operating with a wave plate. It wasn’t at all times like this, nonetheless. A longtime legend throughout the operating footwear business, Mizuno was actually one of many first to do plates in any capability and possibly the primary to do it rather well, particularly in a each day coach. On the time, it was revolutionary.
After which nothing.
Going the way in which of the one-trick pony, Mizuno ate on that wave plate for an entire twenty years till the riptide uncovered it as a shoe that was effective, however had fallen behind because of an absence of imaginative and prescient and innovation. All of a sudden, no person cared about Mizuno. No less than in the USA, anyway. Certain, there have been the individuals who purchased all 27 variations of the Wave Rider, the runner’s model of Doug Funnie’s inexperienced vest or Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck. However for essentially the most half, individuals had moved on to larger and higher issues.
Mizuno Wave Rider 1-26
Their Japanese competitors in Asics had been additionally in the identical spot, squeezing each final little bit of juice from the Gel expertise, oozing it out and serving it up long gone its personal expiration date. As you in all probability know, Asics overhauled just about every little thing and did an entire 180-degree-turn again into relevance with footwear just like the Novablast, Superblast, and Metaspeed line. And nonetheless, Mizuno languished.
Till 2023. We lastly noticed a break within the clouds with the Rise up Professional, a massively rockered race day shoe with a midsole that went upwards of fifty mm within the components not measured by World Athletics. It was bizarre and enjoyable and funky, even when it was a bit overly aggressive. Then, this previous summer season noticed the discharge of the Neo Vista, an excellent coach with a fantastic becoming knit bootie higher, a giant mattress of Enerzy NXT foam and a Wave Plate that really needs to be there. It was a comfortable shoe, nevertheless it was comfy and will deal with distances of every kind.
