After winning the Mizuno gear credit in this year’s Team Running Free lottery, I decided to pick up a pair of Mizuno Wave Sayonara shoes. I plan to use these shoes as my race shoe for sprint/Olympic distance triathlons and 5k/10k road races next season. After have trained and raced hard since 2008 (including 2 IM and 3 IM 70.3 races), I decided to take little hiatus from racing this year. I’ve also been battling a pesky injury that has limited my running more than I’d like. So, what I’m trying to say is that I haven’t had an opportunity to really put these shoes to the test yet. However, I have been able to sneak in a few shorter runs and I can say that these shoes feel great!
To preface, I do most of my training in Nike Air Pegasus. When I first put the Mizuno Wave Sayonaras on, I noticed that they have a really nice, snug fit – no slipping or weird rubbing anywhere. Once I got going, the shoes felt nice and light on my feet. I’ve worn Mizuno shoes with the “wave” technology before and found them a little bit too stiff and clunky in the sole, the Syonaras are not like that at all. The shoes are very responsive and just feel fast! I haven’t been able to put these shoes through a longer run so I can’t comment on how they feel after say 10k, but for a short run, they were perfect. As well, for the triathletes out there who like to run without socks for shorter races, this shoe is perfect – there doesn’t seem to be any stitching that would cause blisters. Throw some lock laces in there and you’re ready for a super quick and comfortable T2.
A final note on the colour and design of the shoe – I love it! It might not be everyone’s taste, but I’m a fan of fun funky shoes, and these Sayonaras fit the bill. They’ll definitely get you a few looks out on the road.
Overall, I am very happy with these shoes so far and I would definitely recommend them as a light neutral race shoe (that still has some decent support and cushioning) for sprint/Olympic distance triathlons and 5k/10k road races. I like the wider toebox that offers plenty of room so your feet digits don’t get all crunched up. Again, because I haven’t been able to log a lot of miles, I can’t comment on the durability or longevity of the shoe, so hopefully there is another Team Running Free member who can add a comment about that.
