Revision as of 16:38, 30 January 2016

I've always had a soft spot for Mizuno, and I look back on the Mizuno Cursoris fondly. I keep trying to find a shoe from them that is worth trying, so I optimistically purchased a pair of the Wave Cruise. Unlike most of their shoes, the Cruise is relatively lightweight and doesn't have a horribly large drop. Sadly, I found the Cruise to be excessively firm, and I didn't care for the upper at all. I rate the Curise as "Worth Considering", but only just. (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

Mizuno Wave Cruise top	Mizuno Wave Cruise outside
Mizuno Wave Cruise bottom	Mizuno Wave Cruise inside

1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . I really like the Mizuno concept of using a wave plate to provide extra cushioning that's lightweight and long-lasting. Sadly, while the Cruise has a wavy shape in its midsole, there is no wave plate. Instead, there is two different colors and densities of foam; a firm white foam, and an even firmer red foam. I guess this lives up to the "wave" name, but does not deliver the promise. This complexity probably adds to the cost of the Cruise, without much benefit to show for it.
• Drop. The Cruise has only 3mm of drop, but this increases to an excessive 7 mm when worn.
• Structure. As noted above, the Cruise has two densities of foam, as well as a cutout under the center of the heel bone. I assume that this cutout is intended to stabilize the foot, and it does tend to create a sense of centering, though it's fairly minor. There is relatively little much support, so the Cruise shouldn't irritate your planter fascia.
• Flexibility. The Cruise is a reasonably flexible for shoe, in spite of including a hard plastic plate under the midfoot.
• Outsole. The Cruise has a wonderfully grippy outsole over the forefoot. This outsole contains numerous hard plastic lugs that are tenacious on asphalt. The outside edge of the heel is covered by hard black rubber, so virtually all of the contact area of the shoe is protected from abrasion.
• Shape. The shoe is nothing like the shape of the human foot, so the toe box needs to be cut open. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
  
  

  The Cruise is more likely to fit someone with the mutant foot that has the big toe in the middle than a more typical human foot.
• Upper. The upper of the Cruise is another disappointment. We live in an age where most running shoes have uppers that are quite pleasant, but the Cruise feels cheap. If the cruise was an ultralight shoe weighing only a couple of ounces I could forgive it, but it's far heavier than that. The Cruise has far too many overlays, and I generally found the upper to be less than ideal. There is no padding except for a tiny bit around the very edge of the ankle opening, and while the upper has a little bit of flexibility, the overall sense is one of hardness.
• Tongue. The Cruise has a traditional tongue with tabs for the laces to hold it in position. The tongue is softer and more yielding than the rest of the upper, but has no real padding.
• Lacing. The laces are traditional flat laces and stayed tied without any problem. The laces are a little ferry, and high friction which aids them in staying tied, but also creates a lot of fiction in the eyeholes of the shoe making it a little trickier than usual to get the tension right.
• Heel Counter. The Heel Counter is rather hard, but it's also fairly small. I doubt if it will cause any problems, but it's sad to have Mizuno waste of time and effort like this.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Mizuno Cruise 10 at Zappos Buy Mizuno Cruise 10 at Road Runner Sports Buy Mizuno Cruise 10 at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Mizuno Cruise 10 at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Cushioning and Shoes

It's intuitively obvious that the cushioning in a shoe will reduce the impact on your body when running. However, The Science of Running Shoes indicates that the reality is rather more complex. While slight cushioning may reduce the effort needed to run by improving your Running Economy, most scientific research indicates that more cushioning does further improve Running Economy. In addition, cushioning does not generally reduce impact and may actually increase it. This is counterintuitive, but is likely to be due to the way a runners mind and body adapts to softer cushioning. Unfortunately, the scientific evidence is far from complete and it's hard to give clear recommendations. I believe that some runners will prefer more cushioning, while others prefer less, and typically those running further have a fondness for greater cushioning. I also believe that a shoe should be as light as possible, and a shoe should justify its weight with the cushioning it provides. My advice is to decide what level of cushioning you're looking for, and then find the lightest shoes that also fit well and are comfortable.

3 Visualizing the Attributes of the Mizuno Wave Cruise

How Mizuno Wave Cruise compares showing rearfoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.	How Mizuno Wave Cruise compares showing forefoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.
How Mizuno Wave Cruise compares showing the price against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.	How Mizuno Wave Cruise compares showing the loaded drop against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.

4 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.