By: The Mizuno Shoe Guy
Since 1997, the Wave Rider has been Mizuno’s flagship shoe and one of the iconic shoes in the running industry. It has virtually defined the lightweight, neutral category and been the go-to shoe for thousands of runners.
But the Wave Rider’s history has also been—ahem—spotty. A great version, such as the Wave Rider 13 (circa 2010), has all too often been followed up with an update that did nothing but disenfranchise the runners who had loved the ride and fit of the 13.
There’s no easy way to say it, other than the history of the Wave Rider has been maddening: Runners loved most versions and, rightfully so, loathed others.
Which brings us to the brand new Wave Rider 19.
The design team’s goal was very simple: Consistency. Our Rider customers told us time and time again that all they wanted was great back-to-back versions of the Rider. And we listened. The Wave Rider 19 needed to have the same fit, ride and technical features of the highly successful Wave Rider 18 with only a few tweaks.
“To be perfectly honest,” said Zach Gray of Mizuno’s product team, “the annual changes we made to the Wave Rider were not all good ones. It would fit one way that everyone seemed to like and the following one, would fit sloppy in the forefoot, felt flat or it was too heavy. It was always something. Our Rider customers told us time and time again that they want that same exceptional fit and cushioned neutral ride in every version. That’s exactly what we’ve done, but we believe we’ve enhanced the consistency of the Rider series with the 19.”
Even so, the Wave Rider 19 isn’t just a clone of the 18. True, most of technical aspects of the 19 are the same as the 18 but there are some subtle improvements.
The most important is one of the most basics: The underfoot feel of the 19. Mizuno shoes tend to feel firm, especially when first tried on at a running store. The 19 is different. Mizuno added U4ic cushioning to the lasting board in the rearfoot to soften that initial feel.
“Runners will be surprised by that softer touch with the 19,” says Gray. “It will feel much cushier in the rear foot than prior versions, but when you take the 19 out for a run, the same Mizuno Wave Plates act to transfer power directly to your feet and into the next stride.”
To be clear, the Wave Plates, last and midsole are exactly the same as the WR 18 (as is the 12 mm heel to toe drop), but the 19 has a cushier touchdown at heel strike—and through toe off. The other change is to the forefoot’s outsole where softer blown rubber has replaced firmer carbon rubber. Carbon rubber is more durable than blown rubber, but our wear-testing has shown that the 19 has similar durability as the 18 had.
“Our wear testing indicates that the 19’s cushioning feels alive even after a few hundred miles of use,” says Gray.
Two other upper changes: The Wave Rider 19 utilizes a new breathable mesh which is actually slightly lighter than the 18’s. Additionally, the Wave Rider 19 has stretch laces that allows for better customizing of the fit because the laces are more pliable and longer.
Even though the Wave Rider 19 is all about continuing its proven heritage, make no mistake about it: The Wave Rider retains its performance-driven fit, feel and ride.