Kikay Runner

A girl can never have too many shoes, they say. I’m always open to trying different kinds of footwear for running, so when Mizuno Philippines asked me to try the Wave Inspire 6, I was all for it.

Mizuno Wave Inspire 6 in white/green/silver colorway

Back when I was about to purchase my Asics GT2150 I was also considering Mizuno shoes. Many of my running friends swear by them, and Timmy is particularly fond of them. (Probably why he won the best blog award from the last Mizuno Infinity Run.) I went to the Mizuno store in Bonifacio High Street, but they didn’t have any of the styles in my size, women’s 8. Either the shoes were too small and the toebox too low, or they were huge and made me look like Ronald McDonald. Thankfully, there were size 8 shoes this time around, and since Mizuno’s sizing is standard, my feet fit perfectly. (Some other brands run a half size too small or big, making purchasing them online a nightmare.)

So you don’t forget what your shoe is called.

Straight out of the box, I took them on the heritage group run through the City of Manila — a surprise 15 kilometers. My feet never felt the distance, though. I credit that to the Wave Inspire 6′s blend of lightweight cushioning and stability. Also noticeably different from my other running shoes was the heel’s design.

Pardon the grit, they’ve been used quite a bit.

Instead of a solid heel, there’s only cushioning on the curved edge, which significantly reduces heel weight. The upper is super-breathable, which was great when I stepped into a huge puddle once. Water entered the shoe, but dried quickly as I kept running.

The Wave Inspire 6 is so light that I couldn’t believe they were a stability shoe. For people who overpronate and land very heavily on their feet, this shoe might not offer enough support. It’s an excellent speedwork and race day shoe for me, though. I figure that if I train with the Asics, come race day and I slip these Mizunos on, my legs will feel so much lighter and I’ll be that much faster.