The Mizuno Wave Inspire range comes back for its 7th year with a 2011 update. As the most popular stability shoe from Mizuno, the legacy that the wave inspire 7 has to live to is very impressive. There has been a complete revision of the mid and upper sole for the Dynamotion fit. Both female and male specific models are produced by Mizuno through their principles of gender engineering design.
The most important feature of any running shoe from Mizuno is theMizuno Wave. This is a small plastic plate sandwiched into the shoe's midsole to disperse shock and provide stability. In the wave inspire 7, this plate is specifically designed to control overpronation. This is a phenomenon that occurs when the foot of a runner rolls to the inside too much thus exerting extra pressure on the arch and foot. The same wave plate used in the Inspire six is used in the Inspire 7.
The biggest change that has been introduced to the sole of the inspire 7 is the new last introduced by Mizuno. The shape is basically the shoe's shape and determines how the foot fits in. In previous versions, a roomier last has been used by mizuno with the resultant shoe being loose fitting however, this has been tightened a bit to provide an arch and heel feel that is more secure. A new compound for the midsole, christened the AP+ has also been introduced into this and this provides extra cushioning against compression. The heels still feature the Mizuno VS-1 cushioning foam. The female version has an altered heel to improve transition and curb overpronation.
The two new features on the upper of the Wave Inspire 7 are easily noticeable. The mesh used by Mizuno is very breathable and open to aid in keeping the feet cool in almost all conditions. The concentration of the overlays is also more towards the shoe's heel. Also included is an improved collar tab for Dynamotion that has been introduced by Mizuno to help the collar of the shoe keep in contact with the shoe at strike, where maximum stress is exerted on the upper. The flex eyelets used are to aid the shoe keep up with the foot's motion. The orthoclase sock liner used in the wave inspire 6 is maintained in the 7.
Having already run in the two, four, five and six wave inspires, I can unreservedly say that this shoe is the best of the lot. As someone whose arch is flexible, I always prefer using shoes with a strong arch support. I was therefore much in love with the narrower wave inspirer's from earlier versions because they felt made for my feet. While recent variations were quite good on their own, I rarely used the m over long distances due to the lower arch and wider last used on them.
This 2011 update is a hit.
Many fans of Mizuno Running Shoes have been waiting for this shoe; it has everything, arch support, a great fit, superb transition and light weight. Mizuno knew that any mistake on this update would have been a disaster and therefore paid great attention to detail when designing the Mizuno Inspire 7.
