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The Mizuno Wave EVO running shoes have a flat sole that is designed for a midfoot or forefoot strike. I have the Levitas style. Let me start out by saying that I love to take long strides and strike with my heel first. Although I am a neutral runner, by toes point out slightly. Striking on the outside of the heel wears out the heel quickly and creates a lot of stress on the outside of the leg. Between the stressed out legs and my capacity for over doing things, I am always injured. I took a chi running class that changed my running technique from leaning back to leaning forward. It seems to help. But I still want to strike with my heels. I was browsing around The Sports Basement one day when I stumbled on the EVO running shoes. I tried them on and they were very comfortable. They were so comfortable that I bought a pair.
My new shoes were nice and comfortable for my first run. I did notice that they seem to be about ½ size large. I am not sure if they are big or they feel that way because they are vastly different from regular running shoes. Without the heel padding, I tend to land more on the center of the foot. I did not alter my stride intentionally. It happened because there was no structure to encourage me to strike heel first. I don’t know if it is good or bad to land mid foot as opposed to landing on my heel. I do know that landing on my heel causes stress on the shin and outside of my leg where landing mid sole causes stress on the calf and inside of my knee. My non-scientific reasoning says it is better to work the calf because it is a larger muscle.
If you noticed my comment about landing on a different part of your foot works different muscles, you may be prepared for the consequences of working new muscles. I took my new shoes out for an easy 3 mile jog. About an hour after my run, my calves started to show their displeasure. Wow! I had a lot of sore muscles. I had sore muscles that I did not know existed. There are a lot of muscles below the calf and around the ankle.
I have been wearing the EVO’s for about two months now with no injuries and no worse for the wear. I am used to the long feel of the shoe and wonder if the shoes run big or it is the way I am accustomed to running shoes. My runs have been between 3 and 5 miles with no pain. I did push the pace on a 3 mile run with no adverse effects.
Things to note:
- I am a neutral runner with high arches
- I do triathlons and run the occasional marathon
- I injure myself 2 out of 3 times that I train for a marathon
- I replace my running shoes every 300-500 miles
- Most of my injuries are running related
- EVO’s are cheaper than regular running shoes
- EVO’s are light
- I love shopping at Sports Basement
- If you try minimal shoes, start with easy runs
- So far, I like the EVO’s and consider them a success. That may change when I get up to the 15 mile runs but I will remain optimistic.
I ordered a new pair of minimalist shoes to try out. They are still sealed in the garage. I forgot who made them but that is part of the fun for reviewing things. I hope they are close to Mizuno shoes for comfort and better for fit. Amazon has them for about $110 but you can find them for $80 at Road Runner sports. If you have not been to a running only store, I highly recommend it.
