13 opinions why Mizuno Wave Rider 13 seems bad luck

After trying Mizuno Precision Fit, I was a good customer, did exactly as recommended, and ordered a pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 13 running shoes.



Why? Because I'm a sucker for that magic marathon shoe that will help me finish in under three hours without any worries whatsoever. I'm always looking for a new pair of shoes, although I may own too many already.

My shoe size is US10.5 and my current weight is 62.5 kilos (137 pounds). The good news is that initially WR13 felt comfortable in my feet. They seemed to fit perfectly. Despite thick cushioning they weren't too heavy: only 310 grams per shoe. That's not the lightest shoe I currently use, but not the heaviest either.

However, I've been training with WR13 for a couple of weeks now, and I'm bitterly disappointed to be honest.



13 personal opinions why Mizuno Wave Rider 13 running shoes seem like bad luck to me:

1. Right out of the box, the shoes smell absolutely terrible. Toxic fumes straight from industrial China! I have to store WR13 either out in the balcony or in a storage room. Can't let them in the house or breath deep near them.
2. The color scheme on my pair is tired, if not horribly traditional: carmine, silver and white. WR13 comes in other colors, but the shop I bought them from carried only this option. 
3. Compared to my collection of racing flats, these are a bit too heavy for racing. These are more like casual jogging shoes for comfy training runs on a sunny Sunday afternoon. 
4. Due to the forefoot cushioning system, they make an annoying thump-thump sound with every step I take. A loud footfall usually means increased stress for your body. 
5. WR13 is really designed for the heel strikers, not mid or fore foot strikers like me. The bulky heel structure just adds weight without any substantial benefits for me.
6. The nasty secret hidden inside: where the tongue is stitched to the upper, there is a narrow pressure point that soon starts to feel painful. Interestingly this issue occurs only on my right foot - a manufacturing error perhaps? Anyway, can't take the risk of blistering the top of my feet during a marathon.
7. The outsoles gather tiny pebbles into their grooves. This may seem like a small thing, but it's a pet peeve of mine.
8. WR13 is not advertised as a trail shoe, but I was foolishly hoping to use it anyway on hills, fire roads or even easier trail races. Not going to happen. These clumsy shoes are built for flat city roads and that's it.
9. There is way too much cushioning. Mizuno may not have heard of the barefoot running craze, and that's ok, but this crazy amount of cushioning is simply more than I can take. 
10. Last night when running back home in the dark I actually felt a bit sea sick in these wobbly shoes! That's the first time ever for me. True story. And I don't drink or do any drugs either :-)
11. The technology in these shoes is outdated. When Mizuno Wave technology was invented and the first Wave Rider shoes hit the stores in the late 1990ies, it was all new and exciting. Not any more. Mizuno is history.
12. There's not enough ecological thinking in Mizuno. Their environmental program called 'Crew 21' was established in 1991, but where are the results? Mizuno's approach seems lame compared to the ambitious ecological programs of their competitors. I want more than a shoe box made of recycled paper. Or actually less -  get rid of those boxes now!
13. Last, but not least, WR13 seems to suck up all the energy from my legs. The experience is like running in a swamp or something. Put these shoes on and your cadence and therefore pace is guaranteed to drop. These shoes kill my running technique and economics. They make me run slow and leave me fatigued.

Verdict: Mizuno WR13 is not recommended for relatively fast and light marathon runners with good technique and economics. They might be better for an average jogger aiming to finish a half marathon in two hours or a marathon in 4 hours.

I'm not triskaidekaphobic (afraid of number 13), but in my mind Wave Rider 13 joins Apollo 13, Friday the 13th, and the Last Supper among the unfortunate incidents related to the number 13. This is my first pair Mizunos, and likely my last one as well.

Unless I win the Mizuno Running Series Exclusive Dream Running Experience in Brazil, of course!