First, I am no expert on shoes or trails or running or anything else in this area. I am just an average guy that likes to go jogging on the trails. So don't expect any deep technical details in this review. Instead, just expect my observations and feelings about the product during a nine mile trial run yesterday morning.
Second, these shoes were sent to me at no cost to evaluate and to give my honest feedback. So that is what I will give--my honest feedback.
For context, I currently run in Asics GEL-Kahana 3 trail shoes. These shoes work great and provide the support I like on the trail (although they are starting to fall apart). There are two things I love about my current shoes: the traction and the cushioning at the heel. Now on to the Mizuno review.
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| Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 Trail Shoes |
Four Things I Love About the Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 Trail Shoes
The Look--I love how these shoes look. I like the bright yellow (they call it Lime Punch) color and I just think they look cool (Fonzie cool, not temperature cool--am I showing my age?). I realize color and look is a subjective personal preference--these work for me.
The Feel--When I initially put the shoes on they felt good on my feet. Very comfortable. They seemed to fit my feet well.
The Traction--The traction was excellent. I ran through a technical portion of the Northshore Trail that includes almost everything we love about a good trail--big rocks, small rocks, sand, mud, dirt, tree roots, inclines, declines, switchbacks, creek crossings, hard surfaces, soft surfaces, sticks and debris--oh my! Not once did I experience a traction problem. These shoes seemed to grab and release when they are supposed to.
The Breathability--My feet actually felt cool (temperature cool, not Fonzie cool) throughout the run. It felt like I had air conditioning built into the shoes! Although I've never had a problem with hot feet in my previous shoes, I can say I've also never experienced feet that felt this cool. Nice.
Three Things I Didn't Like About the Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 Trail Shoes
Minimal Heel Cushioning--This was my biggest frustration with the shoe. Only 10 seconds into my run and I could feel the different between these shoes any my current shoes. The heel is lower to the ground, which isn't a problem--some would argue this is a good thing. However, the heel did not seem to offer much cushion or support. Instead, the heel felt like an old pair of worn out sandals. My current Asics have about 1200 miles on them and they still offer much more heel support than the Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 new out of the box. I was disappointed.
Reduced Underfoot Dissipation--Likewise, I felt these shoes offered less object dissipation in the mid- and fore-foot area. By dissipation I am referring to the shoe's ability to spread an impact point over a wider area to reduce the impact on the foot. As I ran over areas with small sharp rocks, I could feel the rocks through the shoes. I am not saying my feet weren't protected from the elements but instead that I could feel the impact points of objects under my feet more than my current shoes. These shoes did not seem to do a good job of dissipating the impact point across a wider area.
Toe Box Too Roomy--As I ran through the technical parts of the trail I found that my forefoot was shifting around. I stopped about four miles into the run to tighten the laces but I couldn't seem to get them right enough to stop the shifting without feeling like I was cutting off the circulation in my feet. I do like a little extra room in my shoes because my feet will swell a bit during my long runs. However, in this case, I could feel some skin irritation starting to develop as my forefoot slid around inside the shoes.
The Verdict
I suspect that a single nine mile trail run isn't a sufficient distance to truly test out a pair of shoes. That's a lot longer than we usually get in the store! However, as I write this the morning after, my feet are a little sore, which is now unusual for me on runs under 20 miles. If I am being honest, the Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 trail shoes are not a good match for my trail running preferences, primarily because of the reduced support. But I think they could be a good fit for someone who is seeking a more minimalist shoe experience.
Thank you Mizuno for the opportunity to test these shoes. I hope this feedback provides some value.
I'd love to hear from others about what you look for in a shoe. Are there any minimalists out there than can talk to the value of less shoe?
Interesting Thomas as I am begining to lose my love affair with Mizuno Wave Riders (see http://ultramagicforest.blogspot.com/2011/06/love-affair-is-over.html ) after a series of long runs after they caused horrific blisters and damage to a tendon in my foot.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see how you go with a slightly longer run and hope that the initial soreness was just you getting used to a new pair of shoes but a low profile heel doesn't bode well for 20+ miles when the foot and heels tend to get a beating
I've run 155miles on the wave ascend over a period of 4weeks, it should have been 210miles (Ultra marathon training) but, over these 4 weeks I've lost the skin off one toe twice, had countless blisters, at least 3 per run, and now have two black toe nails!!! My legs are shot from lack of cushioning everywhere on the shoe and my feet slide about when on the slightest slope. I found traction poor and another fault not mentioned, perhaps because it wasn't tested was that when you go through puddles/water/sloppy mud the shoes fill with water (not a problem) but do not drain again meaning a shoe full of water and more blister problems!
DeleteI'm giving up on these shoes, I can't waste any more time on them.
Thanks for the update, Cheryl. I don't run on mine anymore but I wear them when I am running errands. Good to hear the feedback.
DeleteAlways good to hear different opinions.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find the wide toebox a perfect fit (for my average/wide foot; not a d, not really an e). Many other shoes (and trail shoes) leave me cramped. Additionally I have felt the heel fit to be good as well.
I will say that they are on the "less cushioned" side, but not so much so that they are anywhere near all the "minimal" shoes out there now. I tend to be a fore/midfoot striker however, so the amount of heel cushioning is probably less of an issue.
On typical runs (6-10) I have not had issues with blisters (ascend 4,5, or now 6), but on a few occasions have developed them in incredibly wet conditions which regardless of the shoe will happen (at least in my own experience).
I should emphasize however that I am not doing (ultra)marathon training, so my experience would be typical for us average folk. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your information on the wave ascend. I just bought a pair of these shoes about a week ago and have been running in them to break them in for a trail race I am running in two days. I have done several trail races but have always just run in my road shoes. So I broke down and bought a pair of trail shoes. I was confident in Mizuno because I have been running in the Wave Precision 12's for years. So, after a week of running in the wave ascend I have a mysterious pain in my foot that I have never had before. I am convinced it is the shoes. I would be interested in returning them if Mizuno would let me. It's such a waste... I paid all that money and I would hate to see those shoes sit in my closet. Any return policy information( that any of you might have) would be helpful. Thanks!
ReplyDelete