Munzi Wave Runner 15 shoes: or Who Knew?

[Catrin]

I've been dealing with athletic shoes that don't fit properly for some time but have been holding off replacing them. My feet are hard to fit...then my gym announced a very nice discount at several local athletic gear/running shoe stores & I figured it was time to stop the pain.

I am not a "runner", though in the course of my group training we do a fair amount of running. For example, last Sunday's workout featured sets of deadlifts and renegade rows that included 200 meter sprints between sets. 5 sets in all. To my surprise I actually did all of the sprinting without stopping OR having a heart attack (and no knee/ankle problems later). I did wonder about the latter on that last sprint - and I doubt it was an actual sprint - but I did complete it in under the 1 minute cutoff

I went to a couple of stores - tried on lots of different shoes including cross trainers. The last one had a fitter who put me through my paces, both walking, jogging and running, and noted that I've high arches (not news) and a neutral stride (had no idea what that meant but I do now).

I wound up with Mizuno Wave Rider 15 shoes (the white/dark shadow version as that was the only color they had) and I have to say that they are the best things that have EVER been on my feet. Who knew that I've been wearing the wrong size athletic shoes for all of my 52 years? For regular shoes I take a 8.5-9, but these are size 10! They are also wide, which was another surprise as I thought my feet were more narrow. They are wide enough for my forefoot and my toes finally have enough room (all of them, not just my big toe) but my narrow heel is held nicely by these shoes & I've the arch support I require. No heel slippage at all, unlike all of the other shoes I tried. I've been wearing the same size in athletic shoes as regular....size does indeed matter. My feet seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when I tried them out, and tomorrow will be their first real test.

I seem to be inching closer and closer to running...it will be interesting to see what kind of difference it makes to have shoes that actually fit

[Crankin]

I bought these shoes last winter (the pink and white version) and they are the best shoes I have ever worn. Basically, I need a shoe with a wide, light forefoot for a bunion and good narrow heel support. I had been wearing shoes with "minimal" support when I got my stress fracture last fall. I have had no issues running, walking, or jumping at the gym since I got the Mizunos.

[Catrin]

I bought these shoes last winter (the pink and white version) and they are the best shoes I have ever worn. Basically, I need a shoe with a wide, light forefoot for a bunion and good narrow heel support. I had been wearing shoes with "minimal" support when I got my stress fracture last fall. I have had no issues running, walking, or jumping at the gym since I got the Mizunos.

This makes me feel even better about the purchase, thank you for your input. I am thankful to have found an employee who apparently knew his stuff I had asked about cross-trainers and he was strongly against my even trying them (though I did try a couple of pair) after I described my workouts to him. Interestingly enough the cross-trainers were more expensive, so he wasn't just trying to sell me a pricier shoe. All in all a good experience, though of course the real test will be tomorrow's workout. I know what's coming (which isn't usual) and it will be more intense than last Sunday so it will be a great all-around test of the shoe.

[thekarens]

The single BEST thing I ever did for my journey to weight loss and better health was going to a store that specialized in running shoes. Like you, they put me through my paces and found shoes that would work for me. I also have a high arch, but very narrow foot and need a neutral shoe. I also ended up half a size bigger than I thought I wore. They had me try on several options and I went with Brooks Glycerin. It's worth it's weight in gold to have good shoes when you're working out. Made a believer out of me! Glad you found shoes that work well for you. I love the look of the Muzuni Wave Riders.

[jessmarimba]

I used to love Mizunos when I could wear the chunkier shoes - the narrower heel is PERFECT. I sort of wish I could find more shoes with the low heel-toe drop but a little thicker sole and that fit. My back won't let me run in most shoes with the 12 mm drop anymore.

[OakLeaf]

You tried Altra yet? I wanted to love those shoes so bad ... I *did* totally love the zero drop ... but they were just too narrow for me. Plenty of cushion for gravel road, just no running in high heels. (For reference, I can wear men's wide Mizunos, and actually one of the pairs I'm rotating is a pair of Inspire, though I really don't like the stiffness and I get a big clown toe.)

[jessmarimba]

You tried Altra yet? I wanted to love those shoes so bad ... I *did* totally love the zero drop ... but they were just too narrow for me. Plenty of cushion for gravel road, just no running in high heels. (For reference, I can wear men's wide Mizunos, and actually one of the pairs I'm rotating is a pair of Inspire, though I really don't like the stiffness and I get a big clown toe.)

No, not yet. I'm used to the Kinvaras and they're ok, I guess. Not really But they work. I wanted to try the Altras but most of the stores listed in my area as carrying them really don't. I'll make it up to Boulder and try a pair after the marathon. Also want to check out the New Balance 1010s. Sorry to hijack, Catrin! I could talk for days about shoes

[jessmarimba]

What is your regular street shoe size?

Running shoes are usually a 10, anything else can vary from an 8.5+

[Catrin]

Running shoes are usually a 10, anything else can vary from an 8.5+

It is good to know that sizes can range so much for others as well. My jaw dropped when I realized what my running shoe size actually is. I tried on several other pairs from other brands and they weren't too large either - though they didn't fit my heel near as well. According to the man I was working with, the Munzio is really the only shoe they carry that takes care of my size, arches, and narrow heels.

I did wear them to our Sunday morning workout - and they did fine. It didn't really feel like I was wearing shoes, they were that comfortable. No swollen feet this time I am keeping them. I wish I could swing a second pair to switch out so they would last longer, but perhaps I will be able to do that later at the end of the year, we will see.

[Charlieggo]

I love the Mizuno Wave Rider too, high arches, neutral gait. It just feels lighter and smoother than a lot of other cushioned shoes. I also wear Nike Zoom Vomero but I don't care for their new look, so back to Mizuno. I definitely wear a full size larger in running shoes, think it has to do with feet swelling when i run.

[indysteel]

I've worn the Wave Rider for a number of years now. A year or two ago, they did a redesign that didn't work for me very well. Then last year, they came out with a Limited Edition Wave Rider 15, in addition to their regular Wave Rider 15. The Limited Edition shoe was intended to placate people like me who weren't overly thrilled with the changes. I now have two pairs of the Limited Edition, one of which is a ruby (think Wizard of Oz) red. I'm half tempted to by a third so that my stockpile is even bigger, but I'm wondering if I should just hedge my bets and wait for what the inevitable Wave Rider 16 will bring.

ETA: I just checked out Minuzo's website, and I want to clarify that it looks like the Limited Edition WR 15 and standard WR 15 appear to be the same shoe. The Limited Edition 15 came out last year and was intended to supplement the WR 14--the shoe design that not everybody took to. So, I think I can probably stop stockpiling them for the time being.

[Catrin]

The more I wear these shoes the better I like them, and I really liked them the first time I wore them! Glad to hear that about the limited WR 15, I had wondered if there was a difference.

[indysteel]

Glad you're liking them. Honestly, I do wish they'd return to the WR 13 design. It remains my favorite. I have a couple of them that have been relegated to gym (but not running) workouts. They were a bit lighter IMO. But still, I think it's a good shoe for those of us with narrow heels/feet. Very little else works for me, although I've yet to try any of the minimalist shoes.