One of the best parts about being an ambassador for Mizuno is receiving the latest running shoe styles. Since I am an overpronator with issues in my right ankle, I’ve always gone for stability shoes.
I’d been running in a pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire 6 shoes for a year when I received the Inspire 7, this year’s update.
wearing the Wave Inspire 7
Design
From appearance alone it was already obvious that major changes had been implemented in the shoe design. The sole, especially the heel, is beefed up for hard landings, and the forefoot area now turns upwards to encourage more efficient toe-off. Heel-strikers (like me) will benefit from all these design changes, although I noticed the trade-off in the weight of the shoe. The Inspire 7 is heavier than the 6. The reason for this is most users of the Inspire asked for more support and stability, and Mizuno gave it to them.
The shoe last has also changed, making the toebox slightly narrower and the heel cup deeper so that the shoe wouldn’t flop around too much. Due to this, I had to move up a half-size for a more comfortable fit.
Performance
I used these shoes straight out of the box for the Athena Run for Women last March. I noticed how springy they felt, which was perfect for those flat roads at MOA where you really need to keep pushing to stay at a steady pace. I broke my 5K PR in those shoes, and they were comfortable enough to walk around in post-race as well.
However, due to the slight increase in weight I haven’t been inclined to use them as race-day shoes. I’ve been running a lot of 5K races lately and prefer to go light on that short a distance. So I’ve been using my Inspire 7’s as training shoes.
Last Sunday at the Greenfield Run for Clean Air, I was registered for 10K and knew I would need more support for the longer distance. Out came the Inspire 7’s — and they were just right for a 10K on those concrete roads in Laguna.
I wonder how they’ll feel in a 21K race?
Final Thoughts
The Inspire 7 is a good stability shoe, albeit not as light as its previous version. It fits better on my feet and is very comfortable especially as the distance increases. I’m looking forward to using this shoe in future long-distance races as well as in training.
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I loved my Inspire 6’s and purchased the 7’s when mine wore out. They do have increased support, and I don’t need quite that much support. I am glad to have come across your review to confirm what I was thinking!
IL Runner, I’ve heard good things about the Wave Aero, which is a light stability shoe. I’ll also review the Wave Elixir in a week or two. 🙂
hi! i just want to ask for your opinion . i’m flat-footed so i need stability shoes. sadly, i was failed my brooks pureflow when i had blisters on my right sole in the middle of running my 10k, 6th km to be exact. since then, i’ve started my research on the best stability shoes in the market. could you suggest ones that are not-so-expensive yet are durable and reliable for long distance runs? thanks very much and more power to you. ^_^
Hi beginner runner. Blisters are usually a problem with insoles or socks, not necessarily your shoes. Another factor is running the distance without training and not building up the skin on the soles of your feet. Did you run the 10K without breaking in the shoes?