Mizuno Wave Evo Cursoris Initial Impressions

The Mizuno Wave Evo Cursoris is a striking new offering from Mizuno, heralding the company’s first foray into minimalist running. Alongside the Wave Evo Levitas, Mizuno is looking toward these brand-new models to extend their popular running shoe platform to the burgeoning market. Designed completely from the ground up with no preceding model as its basis, the Wave Evo Cursoris blends lightweight materials with minimal cushioning.

Bolstered by the Mezamashii Run Project–Mizuno’s direct campaign for feedback and design ideas from influential runners worldwide–the Evo Cursoris was built to create a shoe which weds the strengths of their brand with the needs of minimalist runners.

The Wave Evo Cursoris struck me initially as an excellent everyday minimalist shoe. Its slim profile, lightweight construction, and understated design was both appealing and complementary to fast running with slightly more cushioning than a standard minimalist shoe. The shoe felt immediately comfortable as well, with no blisters or hot spots after going headfirst into a three-week period of exclusive wear.

Mizuno Wave Evo Cursoris Sole Unit

The Wave Evo Cursoris sole unit is understated and performance-minded. The outsole consists of rigid treads in the forefoot, ending at the midfoot. The rugged, deep treads held up well during inclement weather, offering remarkable traction without feeling obtrusive.

The outsole’s heel consists of a spongier, softer foam rubber that is similar to the material found throughout the rest of the sole. This element, however, felt too “bouncy” for my usual taste, allowing the heel of my foot to have a spring-like reaction on footfall that I am not accustomed to in a minimalist shoe.

My only true complaint with the Wave Evo Cursoris is the cushioning in the heel, as it felt slightly unnatural and incongruous with the rest of the shoe’s design.

Mizuno Wave Evo Cursoris Upper Unit

Put simply, the Wave Evo Cursoris’ upper unit is second to none. Lightweight, protective, and comfortable, the upper is perfectly designed for minimalist shoes. With no heel post, a primarily-mesh unibody construction, and a detached tongue with lay-flat laces, the upper is excellently-designed for runners who don’t want or need a vast amount of cushioning.

In fact, the mesh material is so lightweight that daylight can be seen inside the shoe itself. This feature, however, makes the shoes prone to letting in rain and moisture during heavy rains. The Wave Evo Cursoris holds its own during light rain, but moderate to heavy rainstorms will lead to soggy socks.

Despite this nearly-unavoidable issue, the Wave Evo Cursoris still didn’t lead to blisters despite having waterlogged feat–a feature which more than makes up for being less than waterproof.

Mizuno Wave Evo Cursoris Opinion

All told, the Mizuno Wave Evo Cursoris is an excellent foray into minimalism for Mizuno. The company is known for well-designed, intuitive shoes, and this new offering is no exception.

Excellent for racing or everyday use, the Wave Evo Cursoris is a strong offering. While a less-cushioned and springy heel would be a boon to future versions of the shoe, this solitary complaint is not a deal-breaker by any means. For some, this feature may be welcome as compared to other, less-springy minimalist shoes.

All told, fans of Mizuno will love this shoe just as much as newcomers to the brand’s footwear roster.

We thank the nice people at Mizuno for sending us a pair of Wave Evo Cursoris to test. This did not influence the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.