I think that Alex must’ve heard me complain once too often recently about not getting enough recovery with a new toddler in tow. To remedy this, he has ensured that I have had a raft of those easy-day, recovery shoes to test. The New Balance More v6 is a vast shoe which carried me in comfort. Next of the soft day shoes on the block was the Mizuno Wave Rider 9. With a huge 44mm of dual Nitrogen Infused Enerzy NXT and Enerzy NXT EVA foam in the heel, it is the same size as the More v6. It offers a higher drop and a different take on foam construction.
So, in this ever more crowded section of the market, who wins out and where does the Sky find its place? Read on to find out.
Upper and Fit of the Mizuno Wave Sky 9
What works for me
From the off, the fit and comfort of the Wave Sky is excellent. The seamless Smooth Stretch upper wraps the foot well and, for me, fits true to size. At the rear, the heel cup is stout and reinforced all the way around. At its peak it flares away from the achilles and is very well padded. Thanks to this, there has been no irritation or rubbing.
Along the tongue, we find a gusset which helps to hold the foot securely in place. Across the top of the foot, the tongue has enough padding to be protective without being intrusive. During my testing time so far in the Wave Sky 9, it has been very muggy and warm which has given me a chance to test the breathability of the upper and it has not been found wanting. It manages to find that balance between being comfortable, protective and yet not overly bulky.
While it is true to size for me, it may be a little more snug if you have a higher volume foot as the fit is snug. This can be somewhat alleviated by the rather traditional lace chain that keeps everything together.
What doesn’t work for me
In all honesty, I can’t really find much here to complain about. It’s a pretty simple upper which does all it needs to do. My biggest issue with the upper is the colour. While the dark blue might be good for autumn, I don’t find it a really appealing colourway. That said, if that’s my biggest complaint about the upper, it can’t be that bad.
Midsole and Ride of the Mizuno Wave Sky 9
What works for me
In the midsole, Mizuno have split the Wave Sky 9. The top layer is their Nitrogen Infused Enerzy NXT foam which you may be familiar with if you have run in the Neo Vista and the EVA flavour of the foam in the bottom layer. The shoes are definitely soft. Step in feeling is lovely. It really is like stepping into a cloud. However, that step in feeling is where the joy stops for me.
While running, it is a very soft shoe. Usually, this is something that I very much enjoy. Some of my favourite shoes over the years have been supersoft and lacking in structure. As we will explore below, this is not a great example of the art here.
That said, if you are a heel striker who likes a lot of very soft foam, this may be a dream shoe for you. It will likely also work if you like a very soft shoe which actually feels quite stable due to the width of the platform.
What doesn’t work for me
On the run, I have found the dual layer foam to not only lack responsiveness but to feel like it is actively draining my energy. I have run about 70km in the Wave Sky 9 so far and all of them have felt like I was running on a sandy beach.
While there is no discomfort or unpleasantness in the ride itself, it just feels like running in a nightmare. I put effort in and try hard but just don’t seem to get anywhere. Now, I know this is not a shoe designed for pushing the pace. However, as a recovery shoe, it should help me recover and I have found that I just feel like I am wasting energy and actively hampering my recovery while using them.
Unlike other Mizuno shoes I have used, the Wave Sky 9 just doesn’t seem to offer any energy return from the foam. The foot lands, the foot sinks and, well, that’s about it from my experience. As a forefoot striker with a high cadence, I feel that the shoe is actively working against me. I’ve tried it for daily miles and recovery running but I just can’t find myself getting excited to pop it on.
Outsole of the Mizuno Wave Sky 9
Grip and Traction
This is an area I have no issue with. I have run the Wave Sky 9 through a range of conditions from torrential rain to bone dry pavement and have never felt skittish in them. The rubber is placed around the outer edge of the foam with lots of exposed midsole foam. While there is a lot of naked foam, anywhere you are likely to land is covered. The placement and omission of rubber also adds to the flexibility of the midsole. Perhaps a slightly fuller coverage might have held the super soft foam together and made it a little more of a platform to push off.
The Mizuno X10 carbon rubber holds firm on a range of surfaces and isn’t phased by leaf junk or moisture. You can’t really ask for more.
Durability
So far, outside of discolouration from the road and its assorted gunk, the durability seems strong. My experience of previous shoes with similar outsole compound has shown that they will stand the trials of miles.
Conclusion
Value for Money
At £165, I can’t personally say that the Wave Sky 9 offers me great value for money. A recovery day shoe which doesn’t help me recover can’t really be a prime purchase. This is a shame as the construction, materials and comfort are top notch. It will definitely be a shoe I wear for walking around and teaching PE lessons at school. However, it won’t be joining me on many runs.
Fitting it into a shoe rotation
Regardless of my feelings on the Wave Sky 9, it has a limited space in a rotation for any runner. This is not a shoe for going fast. It is a recovery and easy miles shoe. The lack of energy return from the foam would make it a hard shoe to fit into any run where you are looking to push the pace or really up your efficiency. Heel and midfoot strikers may get some more joy from using it in a variety of ways due to the drop and geometry.
Final Verdict
This is a shoe which I really like the theory of. However, when I put it into practice, it just didn’t work for me. Much like the PUMA FAST-RB, the science of the shoe just doesn’t work for my footstrike. However, the premium price is matched with a premium build, materials and what will probably be a long lifespan.
If it is a shoe which suits your running style, I am sure that it will be one which ends up being good value and a fine companion. One for those who strike further back in the midsole for sure.
Comparisons Against Similar Shoes
Mizuno Wave Sky 9 vs. New Balance More v6
While both of these shoes are very soft and rather one trick ponies, The New Balance More v6 just offers me, well, more. I find it a much more pleasant shoe to run in and while it’s not much more versatile in a shoe rotation, I find the foam and geometry much better matched to my footstrike.
Mizuno Wave Sky 9 vs. Nike Vomero Plus
Another monster match up. Both big midsoles. However one feels packed with energy while the other sucks it up. While the ZoomX on the Vomero is a very different feeling to that on their racing shoes, it still has that lovely bounce to it. This is what the Mizuno Wave Sky 9 is missing for me. The Vomero Plus has also shown a lot more versatility for me. From slow plods on tired legs to more energetic blasts with buddies, the Vomero Plus takes the win here.
