One thing that I do not like is change. Change makes me uncomfortable and nervous. So it won’t come as any surprise that for over 20 years I haven’t switched around much when it comes to my running shoes. Literally 20 years ago when I started running, I wore Saucony’s. They were probably some of the most unattractive shoes, but they were cushiony and they were comfortable. I wore the Saucony Grid Webb, which eventually turned into something else. Then I wore the Triumph and the Ride. Just in the last 3 years I have worn the Brooks Glycerin as well. The fit and the feel is super similar to the Saucony Triumph. Sometimes I would bounce between the two shoes depending on any tweaks they made with a revision. (And to be honest maybe whichever had the cutest color out!)
Several times people asked me about or suggested Mizuno. I had tried them on but when I compared the feel side by side to the Saucony and the Brooks, I initially hated the way the Mizuno felt. They were stiff and too firm, they didn’t give me that plush and luxurious feel I was used to. I would immediately take them off and buy the other option.
Then back in December I was due for some shoes. I had a conversation with the new manager at Sport Seasons and I decided to try the new Wave Creation on. I walked around the store a little and I decided to give them a try. They were a more firm shoe for sure, yet I could feel a little bit of a bounce in my step.
Mizuno’s cushion is very different than many other brands of running shoes. The goal is to absorb impact for a more efficient run, while also providing stability and cushion. The way they explain it which is a simple and easy way to understand it, s by comparing it to running in wet sand verses dry sand. Which is easier? Think about it…. Have you ever run on the beach? If you run on dry sand, you sink and you have to dig your way back out with each step. It’s soft for sure, but that’s an awful lot of work to constantly pick your feet back up out of a sunken in step into the sand. It can be tiring for your legs. That is how they describe the cushion of some other running shoe brands. Mizuno likens their cushion to running on wet sand. It’s soft, yet much firmer and packed down than dry sand. The spring in your step comes with much more ease. Because of this your legs are less tired, which results in less energy loss for the runner.
After I ran for two weeks in my Wave Creations, I looked back at my running log in my Nike App and my average pace per mile on each run was consistently getting faster. I do have to say stepping back into my Saucony Triumphs made me realize how different they were. Neither are right or wrong, it’s definitely a matter of preference. For me, I am having a lot of luck with the Mizuno and they are the shoe I am choosing for Boston in three weeks.
While I am a believer in the whole “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” theory, sometimes you have to branch out or you may possibly be missing out on something kind of fantastic!