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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Mizuno Wave Universe 5 Review}}
The Mizuno Wave Universe is one of the lightest running shoes available, and it's surprisingly comfortable. The Universe is a great minimalist shoe, and I use it to provide strength training for my feet and ankle muscles. It's rare that I find a shoe in which there's so little I'd change. As long as you accept it for an ultra-lightweight minimalist shoe, it's wonderful. Of course, being a minimalist shoe it lacks the cushioning that would improve your [[Running Economy]], so it's slower than you might expect. When I want to go faster, I'd rather put on the [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]]. Some runners have had problems with the upper of the Wave Universe tearing, so be extra careful of getting the right fit. The lack of outsole in the rear of the shoe means it doesn't last long unless you're a forefoot runner that never touches down with your heel. {{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
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* {{H:structure}}. The Wave Universe looks like it's made of two different foams, with Mizuno's Wave Plate between them. However, both types of foam have the same density, and there's no plastic plate involved. This appears to be an illusion to justify the 'wave' that's in the name. I think this is a good thing, as the simplicity of a single density foam works better than multiple densities in most cases. A wave plate might improve cushioning, but it's doubtful it would justify its weight.
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Wave Universe is even more flexible than you'd expect given its thinness.
* {{H:outsole}}. There are patches of outsole made of a high grip, durable material. As you can see from the pictures, these patches are well placed on the forefoot, but the rear patch will only help someone who has an extreme heel strike. In practice the rear of the foot wears even faster than you'd expect due to the cutout (seen as a black oval in the images).
* {{H:shape}}. The shape of the Wave Universe is closer to the human foot than many designs, and I didn't need to [[Shoe Modifications| cut open the toe box for comfort]]. {{H:TryCuttingShoes}}
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is extremely thin and slightly stretchy, with no seams. It's a remarkably comfortable upper that does better than many far heavier shoes. There is only a small amount of padding around the ankle opening, but it's sufficient. I've heard of some runners having problems with the upper tearing, which they think might be due to extra pressure they put in some areas. This means that getting the right fit is especially important with this shoe.
