The outsole of the Wave Creation 19 is not smooth, but at first glance of the bottom of the shoe you may mistake it as such. There are dots of rubber material impressed into the center of several other surrounding sections of the outsole made of another rubber component, the job of the two of them being to bring you home safely. While they are not completely flat, the outsole area of the Wave Creation 19 should be considered a street running shoe for the safety of all users; the grooves are simply not deep enough for safer trail running, leaving these resigned to the sidewalk, the street, or in some indoor cases, the treadmill. Just be careful and test them on a lower speed setting first to be sure they do not slip on the treadmill, and to make sure that the treadmill does not slip on its own machinery.

The Mizuno Wave Creation 19 was designed to include a full length U4icX strobel lining. That particular feature means that the Mizuno Wave Creation 19 is designed to be smoother, softer, and more flexible than its predecessors. With plenty of padding beneath and a removable insole to maximize comfort, you will feel like you are running on a cloud while you run down the sidewalk and around the neighborhood to train.

Mizuno has developed an upper design called the Dynamotion Fit. This development is a three panel air mesh upper with seamless overlays. Combined they form a superior level of support and fit for your comfort. The Mizuno wave icon is, as expected, printed on the side of the shoe as more support for the upper, which is predominantly mesh. The laces do not have a tongue-loop to slip through, so the tongue is not anchored by the laces any more than an average non-athletic shoe. To some people this may be a good thing, but others may wish for it if the tongue begins to bunch on them during their run. Try testing out the shoes in store if possible and walk around; see if the test drive sheds any light.

With the men’s version of the shoe weighing in at 12.7 ounces, the Wave Creation 19 packs all of the Infinity Wave geometry and shape into a manageable, light shoe. This is always important for runners, because every ounce can slow you down and whether you are racing the clock, racing your opponents beside you, or just racing yourself for improvement, you do not want to be weighed down by a clumsy, heavy shoe. The general rule of thumb is that the women’s shoe will weigh an ounce or so less than the men’s, so women have it just that little bit simpler when it comes time.

Not every running shoe is created equally when it comes to breathability. Some rely upon a full mesh upper to do all the work; others have vent panels on the sides. The Wave Creation 19 by Mizuno has an air mesh upper as well as a removable insole for adjustable comfort, ensuring your feet will be able to breathe. There is also an anatomical sock liner in the upper to improve fit and feel, but doubtless it will also help you feel free and breezy as you roll along down the road, gobbling up the asphalt and carrying on.

The phrase ‘fits like a glove’ implies that a form-fitting feel is a good thing to strive for. With that in mind, the Wave Creation 19 sports an anatomical sock liner, providing a superior fit and feel as you slide your foot in and with every step you take. Surprisingly enough, there were actually some negative comments from users about there being too much emphasis on comfort. An excess of foam or other plushness led to blisters as the foot moved around the interior and sank into the padding and foam rather than being held in place with any level of support. Other complaints mentioned the tongue bunching up and causing blisters, due to being sewn in and therefore could only be minimally adjusted for any relief.

Every running shoe has a quieter color combination and a brighter one – at least. In this case, the Wave Creation 19 comes in red, bright blue, dark blue, black, or grey. Colors may vary in availability or combination from men to women sizing, but you will have options regardless of which side of the aisle you find yourself browsing. The appearance of the outsole is almost like a flat-bottomed modified soccer cleat, with a pronounced divot in the heel and two smaller divots in the toes. Looking at the shoe from the side, the white rubber layer of outsole clearly draws the eye to seeing the shoe’s heel drop as you progress from heel toward the toe of the shoe. The stitching along the logo adds a little flare to the color combinations already in place.

With so much cushioning going into the making of this shoe, there will always be a question of how long they will last. Will they hold up for a normal running shoe duration, or will they disappear never to be seen or heard from again within six months? It is a question many runners always have when buying new shoes, not wanting to have to pay out $120 twice per year for something that is supposed to last longer than such a short time frame. For the most part, user reports maintained either liking the shoe as an update to previous versions or returned theirs within a week, which is a startling disconnect.

The Mizuno Wave Creation 19 has a decent amount of average shoe protection. The thick rubber sidewalls going most of the way around protect the lower portion of the shoe from the road and any wear and tear that may appear on that horizon. The sides and ankle support seem minimal, but not nonexistent, and the tongue being sewn-in means that small debris like sand will avoid getting pulled into your shoe and grating against the top of your foot. Unfortunately, the tongue being sewn in can also backfire, as the tongue had reports of bunching up and causing blistering.

With a 12 millimeter difference from heel height to toe height, the Wave Creation 19 is well adept at being responsive. This shoe’s angle of operation will keep you propelled forward with every heel strike and toe push off, no questions asked, and help you reach your new finish lines every time you move them a bit further out. Having a responsive shoe can sometimes make up for other imperfections, but do not hold on to an unhappy fit just because of responsiveness, either. Keep an open mind when you try these running shoes, and they might just surprise you.

Support is largely where the Wave Creation 19 falls apart. There was an unfortunate amount of negative reports from users who said they had blisters from the bunched up tongues, or from the shoe fitting half a size smaller than true to size. Another complaint that was rampant throughout the user reports was that there was too much cushioning at the cost of a functional shoe. By making everything about cushion and softness, the Mizuno team failed to design any support into the shoe. Some even found blisters were happening due to their foot sinking into all of that cushioning and then rubbing against the inside of the top of the shoe where there should not have been a gap at all. There can be such a thing as “too soft” when it comes to a running shoe, as many can attest. Others may find they need all of that cushioning to break down impact of landing, their heel strike and gait being very harsh in general, but okay.

As was touched upon when discussing the outsole, this running shoe is definitely designed for running on paved roads. The shape of the outsole alone would be enough to assume this, but taking it one step further, the outsole has an impressive but finicky design feature that becomes a flaw if you take to the trails. Due to the multi-layer outsole’s design, the outsole has strategically placed gaps in it at the heel. While this may help, hinder, or remain neutral to the kind of terrain in and of itself, those spaces are a place for pebbles, dirt, foliage, and general garbage to hide away and be brought inside the house against your will. The safest thing to do to avoid that would be to remain on the streets for running.

Depending upon your retailer, this shoe runs anywhere from $100 to $170. If you have the opportunity to try on this shoe, it is recommended that you do based on the multiple reports of blistering. Try them on and walk around the store for a minute or two, to get more than a few feet out of your test strides. If you think you need more time in order to really discover if these shoes are right for you, learn the store’s returns and exchanges policy first. Buying running shoes that do not fit properly is bad enough; you do not also want to be the person who tries to return shoes and then sees the ‘all sales final’ sign behind the register. This in no way implies the norm will be an all sales final scenario, but it is an urge to be aware of your pending purchases and keep a level head.

Rubber has always been a good material for traction. The deeper grooves in the heel than the forefoot and toe area of this running shoe mean that it will grip a dry road nicely. Rubber on a wet road, however, is just as dangerous as car tires on a wet road. Tread carefully if you are not in ideal conditions. Even the best running shoes have limitations and cannot adapt to all kinds of weather for peak performance. Also try to mind dirt or unpacked gravel as you run, as these shoes have a lot of grooves and pockets in the outsole that debris can hide in. Finding you have tracked in dirt is bad enough, but if you pick up a large enough rock and step down onto it the wrong way while running, your reaction is going to be to remove the weight from that foot immediately and down you will go. Take care to monitor your surroundings at all times and be aware of what is going on around you and what you are passing under your feet as you run.

With a decent mid-foot arch height, a mesh upper, and a high heel drop of twelve millimeters, the Wave Creation 19 bears a decent amount of flexibility. Some of the same users that reported too much cushioning also reported a lack of flexibility, but those who did not mind the level of padding had nothing bad to say about the level of flexibility, either. In cases like this where a shoe’s feedback is split down the middle, all that can really be said is to hope for the best, expect less, and try for yourself to see if this shoe will suit your purposes.

Being considered similar to support makes the stability of this shoe rather iffy. The form of the silhouette, the reinforced toe box, the anatomical sock liner, and the three panel seamless overlays are all supposed to make it easy to sing the praises of this shoe, and at first glance they seem to. Once the shoe is on your foot is when you will be able to make the call and decide if you truly feel stable enough to run. This running shoe could be perfect for you, or you could feel as though your foot is being pulled into a large jar of marshmallow fluff, caught up like Goldilocks in Mama Bear’s bed. Your best bet is still going to be to find the shoe in a retail location, try the shoe on, and give a light jog around the store to see how it really feels. No one can tell you what your comfort level is until you feel it for yourself.

A 12 millimeter drop makes this a high-drop shoe, which means you will feel a higher level of responsiveness as you run. Having a higher heel means that once your heel strike occurs, the natural flow of your weight toward the forefoot is encouraged and enhanced, leaving you done with each gait before you can fully analyze what is happening to you. If you have never experienced this before it might be hard to imagine, but there is a simple way to remedy that. Try on the shoe and have a jog around the store. When shopping for a running shoe, it is advice that never wears out.

• Infinity Wave geometry and shape
• Anatomical sock liner
• Dynamotion Fit
• Blisters reports

When a shoe has such mixed reviews, it can have the unfortunate side effect of putting people off of even trying the shoe. The Mizuno Wave Creation line has been around for 18 previous versions; to suddenly mess something up so spectacularly as to lose the entirety of the public’s interest is not possible with something as simple as too much cushioning. There are plenty of runners out there who find this plush, cloud-like ride to be wonderful. Just in case you are one of them, you are urged to at least give this shoe a try and see if it suits you. You never know what you might discover unless you take the first step and give it an attempt. You may find that the Mizuno Wave Creation 19 is the perfect street running footwear for your needs, comfort, support, and purposes, and you may never look back. Running is not one size fits all, and neither is the gear you wear to do it.