Shoe Review: Mizuno Wave Inspire 9

Last year I received an invitation to the Mizuno Mezamashii Run Project.  With this invitation, I was able to pick out a free pair of Mizuno running shoes.  I contacted a Mizuno shoe "specialist" to ensure I chose the right shoe for my foot.  I ended up choosing the Wave Inspire 8 since the shoe comes in narrow width, for my narrow foot and is for those with mild over-pronation.  I had placed my order in July 2012 and was told they should arrive in October.  Due to my feet requiring a 2A width, they were on back order.  When they arrived in November (ended up on back order a little longer than they thought they would be), I was extremely surprised to see that I received the new version of this shoe; Wave Inspire 9.  What really made me happy when opening the box was the color.  Being a person who requires a narrow width shoe, I never have the option of choosing a shoe in a bright & fun color scheme.  I've been running in Brooks Adrenaline's in a 2A width and year after year they are boring white & blue.  The Mizuno's do not disappoint with their choice of color for a narrow shoe wearer!

 

 

Now I tried Mizuno running shoes in the past (Wave Inspire 6's I believe) but ended up returning them in exchange for my trusty Brooks.  So you can say I was a little apprehensive on whether or not I would enjoy this shoe.  I must say, I do like them.  They have a nice, snug fit and are light weight (8.3oz!!).  I have one issue and that is the fit of the shoe on my left foot.  The inside seems to sit up a bit higher than my right foot and causes a bit of discomfort.  I circled the area I am referring to in the below photo.

 



 



 

What is weird about this, is that the right shoe fits without having this issue.  I am not sure if is a manufacturing defect or just my feet?  Since they were free, I didn't want to call Mizuno and ask to exchange them.  I have been adding them into my shoe rotation and will continue to do so until they can no longer handle any more miles.  I usually wear them for short runs, no more than 7 miles, but wanted to test them out on a longer run.  I ran 14.40 miles in them yesterday and they felt good.  I do not think it was a good assessment though since I ran them in the snow.  I'll give them another shot on my next road long run. 

 

Would I recommend these to someone who requires a narrow fit with stability?  Absolutely.