Wednesday Review : New Shoes
Happy Wednesday friends! In honor of my race week, I wanted my weekly review to be about my newest running shoes. Every training cycle I like to add a new shoe to my rotation, and I played around with new brands this time around.
I hope you enjoy my reviews of the shoes, along with more information about them. Be sure to tell me what shoes you've been loving in the comments!
Full discloser- these shoes were sent to me through my ambassadorship with FitFluential. I was sent these shoes for review, but all thoughts are my own.
I was really excited when I was contacted to try out the Wave Inspire 12. I tried out the 11 when I was training for the Biggest Loser Half Marathon, and was a fan of how comfortable they were while being really lightweight for a support shoe. The 12 is really similar to the 11, with a redesigned upper, increased rubber in the forefoot, and redesigned midsole platform. All of these updates aim to make the shoe more comfortable, more durable, and increase ground contact.
Overall, I like these shoes for short runs (less than 5 miles) and speed work. For some reason, Mizuno shoes always tend to rub my left foot and make my toes numb after running for too long. This is exactly why everyone should go to a running store to get fit for shoes- every one is different and has different feet. I would still recommend these shoes for a few reasons. They're extremely comfortable and I love how lightweight they are. Most support shoes with a high midsole drop feel clunky on me, but these felt more neutral. There's also a ton of technology in the shoes to make them last longer and make your run smooth and comfortable.
These are my second pair of New Balances, and I really love them. These feature a "Fresh Foam" midsole, which helps to cushion your feet no matter how or where you land. New Balance may call this fresh foam, but I call it cloud technology, because it is just so comfortable. I have never tried a shoe that actually made my feet feel better after running...it's really amazing. The sole is also a single, continuous piece of rubber, which makes your stride feel really smooth and comfortable, while protecting your feet.
Overall, I am in love with these shoes and will repurchase more New Balances in the future. I think these are best suited for mid distance (3-7 miles) and are perfect for races and other speed workouts. These make my feet feel so comfortable and help me run fast! I did notice that they weren't quite supportive enough for long runs, so I'll stick to my Brooks Pure Flow for anything longer than 7 miles.
What is your favorite shoe ever?
Have you tried shoes that haven't really worked for your feet?
What else would you like to see me review?
I hope you enjoy my reviews of the shoes, along with more information about them. Be sure to tell me what shoes you've been loving in the comments!
Mizuno Wave Inspire 12
The new Wave Inspire 12 has the lightweight support you need to run farther and longer. With an improved upper that provides a soft-yet-structural fit and increased blown rubber for maximum durability, this women's running shoe provides the stability to help you stay on the road longer.
Weight: 8.9 oz
Midsole Drop: 12mm
Type: Support
I was really excited when I was contacted to try out the Wave Inspire 12. I tried out the 11 when I was training for the Biggest Loser Half Marathon, and was a fan of how comfortable they were while being really lightweight for a support shoe. The 12 is really similar to the 11, with a redesigned upper, increased rubber in the forefoot, and redesigned midsole platform. All of these updates aim to make the shoe more comfortable, more durable, and increase ground contact.
New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay
Be relentless. Never stop pursuing in Fresh Foam Boracay. Designed to bring a smoother and more stable ride to your route, this shoe gets that there is always something to chase. With soft and consistent cushioning, it delivers plush comfort from mile 1 to whenever you decide to stop.
I purchased these shoes with my own money! Once again, all thoughts are my own.
Weight: 7 oz
Midsole Drop: 4mm
Type: Neutral
These are my second pair of New Balances, and I really love them. These feature a "Fresh Foam" midsole, which helps to cushion your feet no matter how or where you land. New Balance may call this fresh foam, but I call it cloud technology, because it is just so comfortable. I have never tried a shoe that actually made my feet feel better after running...it's really amazing. The sole is also a single, continuous piece of rubber, which makes your stride feel really smooth and comfortable, while protecting your feet.
What is your favorite shoe ever?
Have you tried shoes that haven't really worked for your feet?
What else would you like to see me review?
i loved reading your opinions on these shoes!! i have high arches, so a lot of shoes hurt my feet.
ReplyDeleteThanks Elle! Sorry to hear you have trouble with shoes..just find a pair that works and stick with it forever!
DeleteI"m a huge fan of the mizunos. As you know. I cannot wait to try out the new series! I used to wear inspires but I'm a wave rider fan now. So comfortable. Mizuno tends to look the best too!
ReplyDeleteI love how they look as well! Really unique designs, and I love the logo. I just wish they worked better for me :(
DeleteThere's nothing like new shoes. I saw a preview for Asics next lines which means I need to get another pair of the shoes I'm wearing. My shoes are in great condition but I want another pair so I don't have to get the next in line until after my 10k.
ReplyDeleteNew shoes are definitely the best! Great way to treat yourself and improve your running/stay injury free :)
DeleteGreat reviews. I love Brooks running shoes especially the Ghost series. New Balance's are not wide enough for me. But like you said we all have different feet and what works for you may not work for me. I am not going to lie, when I first started running I would look at what shoes the quicker runners were wearing and go buy them. I was such a rookie. Thanks again
ReplyDeletebakingrunner.blogspot.com
I did the same thing! I'm sure stock in Sketchers sky rocketed after Meb won Boston. We all think a new pair of shoes will give us that speed..sadly it doesn't work like that!
DeleteI used to run in Mizunos and really liked how they fit my feet. I gravitate to the more cushiony shoes like Asics Nimbus for my training but for speed work and racing I use New Balance 1400s. I love the fit of NB too. The ones that don't work for me are Nike or Brooks or Adidas.
ReplyDeleteI love cushiony shoes that are also lightweight. The Asics I used to wear were cushiony, but also SO clunky! They felt so heavy on my feet. NB are a great balance of that!
DeleteI pretty much stick to my Newtons, although I do have some Asics Nimbus for cushy runs. They are quite opposite in feel, but I like them both. I have run in Mizunos, but I haven't gotten any new pairs lately. I've never tried New Balance before. That would be great to have some "sample" pairs, lucky you!
ReplyDeleteI tried Newtons once when I was training for a marathon, and they did NOT work for me! That was a very, very painful race and now I'm scarred for life. I'll have to try out the Nimbus because everyone seems to love them! And trust me, I feel really lucky to get to try out shoes! I was shocked when I got the email but it made my entire month!
DeleteI love Mizunos! I need neutral running shoes or else I would have reviewed these too! I love the color!!!! I wonder if they will come out with this color in the Wave Rider????
ReplyDeleteI have no idea, but I love the color so hopefully! I feel like most women's shoes are coming in more purple and pink shades...I can't seem to find any that I like that are in blue shades any more!
DeleteI am forever committed to Nike Pegasus. I tried Asics before and they just gave me wicked shin splits and IT band problems. Great review!
ReplyDeleteOuch! Sounds horrible. I haven't worn Nike since high school but they make the cutest shoes!
DeleteI watched a review by the ginger runner and he said the NBs wear out pretty quickly for him. Do you find that yours last and wear okay? How many miles do you usually get out of the NBs? I love Mizuno's and am just now running in my first pair of Asics, so far so good!
ReplyDeleteHi Sam! I've only run in these shoes a few times, so obviously they haven't worn at all yet. My previous pair was years ago, and they had the RevLite material that Ginger Runner mentioned that he liked a lot. I don't really remember how many miles I got out of those shoes, but I don't recall it being shorter or longer than a regular pair. I actually asked the sales associate helping me with shoes about how these wear, and she said that since there is a continuous sole rather than "pods" like most shoes have, it will wear down slower and last longer. I'll definitely keep you updated if it seems to wear quicker, but so far I love it! (I hope that helped a bit?)
Deletevery interesting about the Mizunos. I am currently running in Newtons and love them, though it took me a hot minute to find socks that work well with them, they were rubbing the backs of feet and giving me blisters. i was very partial to my brooks before this, and asics before that. never run in new balances!
ReplyDeleteIt took me so long to adjust to Newtons! I have a friend who works for them and says they're the best shoe ever though..maybe I'll give them another shot some day :)
DeleteI reviewed the wave enigma 5's and really learned to like them. At first I found them awful but they took some time to break in and now they are my recovery run shoe and work ok for distance too. I love the Adidas Energy boosts the best and they totally have the cloud feel! I would like to try those new balance to see if it's the same cushiony feeling.
ReplyDeleteThese are also starting to break in and feel a bit more comfortable! Funny how shoes sometimes change after the first 20 or so miles.
DeleteI am not a runner, but I used to run in college and I can say I was a lot more finicky about my shoes then. Right now I have Nikes for cross training and I couldn't even tell you what type of Nike! I have Nike Internationalists for when I need to be a sporty looking tourist and they're great for that!
ReplyDeleteI need to get a pair of shoes for cross training too so I might have to check yours out. Love Nikes!
DeleteGreat shoe reviews, and I love that these were functional but also really cute! My workout shoes are old and probably representative of the amount of time I spend working out (not much) so I could use some improvement there! My favorite everyday shoes though are a new pair of red lace-up flats I treated myself with last month.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I try to prioritize function over cuteness, but luckily most shoes have great designs now :) Those flats sound really cute! Always great to treat yourself with something you can use a lot!
DeleteThe Wave Inspires were my go-to shoe for years - then suddenly this spring, they stopped working for me. Weird! Great shoe though - supportive and light!
ReplyDeleteThe color of those mizunos are sweet! I am a Brooks lover, but am in need of a new pair :) thanks for the review!
ReplyDeletemy opinion, i will chose Newbalance. i have a pair of New Balance and after reading your review i want to purchase more one for running or walking. i dont stop thinking about it
ReplyDeleteThere are many small things that go into the making of a horse racing winner. The old saying, "For want of a nail the shoe was lost.I find this website for shoes for asics walking .
ReplyDelete