Mizuno Wave Rider 27 Introduction

The Mizuno Wave Rider 27 is a neutral daily trainer that keeps most things simple and straightforward.

For those who had version 26, this update comes in a bit lighter with update upper and a slightly softer cushion system.

It fits well around your foot and fits true to size. It’s a shoe with a 12mm drop, which might be too big of a drop for some folks.

For me, I could feel that drop and it helped propel me forward and make those easy runs feel a little faster.

This shoe is a great daily trainer that can handle most runs except for some speed work.

Mizuno Wave Rider 27 First Impressions

My first thought when I put on this shoe was a bit underwhelming. There wasn’t anything that particularly stood out about the shoe.

My first run was an 8 mile easy-paced run in fairly hot weather. The run went great overall as the shoe was comfortable and the ride was smooth.

The only complaint I had was that the shoe felt a little hot as the run went on. While the upper is lighter and has some mesh to it, it’s not nearly as airy as I would want running in the North Carolina heat and humidity.

Mizuno Wave Rider 27 Upper

The upper is where the changes from version 26 come into play.

The materials are lighter than in the previous version. The tongue is gusseted and made of soft somewhat thick material that can cause your feet to feel warm in hot weather.

The laces are flat and do a good job of staying tied without having to double-knot. The shoe fits true-to-size. The heel wraps around very well around the fit without any rubbing or hot spots.

The upper is well designed overall but is best used for cooler weather.

Mizuno Wave Rider 27 Sole Unit

The sole unit of the Wave Rider 27 is relatively unchanged from version 26.

The outsole is a made from X10 carbon rubber that looks durable and has good grip on slick roads. The foam is made from Mizuno Enerzy that provides just enough softness to keep your feet happy over the miles.

Mizuno has long utilized the Mizuno Wave – a plate that helps to provide stability and transfer energy on each foot strike. It helps give a comfortable ride that makes the easy efforts go at a touch faster pace.

I recently ran in the Saucony Ride 16 and the ride on this shoe feels faster but not necessarily more cushioned.

Mizuno Wave Rider 27 Conclusions

The Wave Rider 27 is a great daily trainer. If not for the slightly hot feel of the shoe, this would be a great all-around trainer for me.

As-is, as long as it’s not the summer, this is a great shoe that will log plenty of miles outside of those speedier sessions.

I personally like the higher drop shoes because it feels like you’re getting a little boost on the ride and it’s not coming from the cushioning.

There’s a reason this shoe is in it’s 27th iteration. It checks off a lot of the boxes for a daily trainer.