Mizuno Wave Inspire 12 Review

For 12 years the Wave Inspire has catered to the runner who needs extra support underfoot. For many years, the line offered a snappier, faster feeling shoe than rival entries.

Now the Wave Inspire has abandoned the shoe weight loss wars and weighs in beefier than perhaps ever before. This year’s model gets a redesigned midsole and upper.

Mizuno Wave Inspire 12 General Info

When I unboxed my test pair of Wave Inspire 12s, I immediately could tell that this shoe felt heavy in the hand. My suspicions were confirmed when I tried one on alongsidelast year’s Wave Inspire 11.

My shoe scale only put a figure to what I already knew; this shoe has put on some weight! My pair arrived in the bright blue and lime color scheme regularly found on Mizuno shoes.

The Wave Inspire 12 gets a new upper and midsole as well as some interior changes. The fit is still classic Mizuno; fitted in the heel and mid foot with an open toe box.

Mizuno Wave Inspire 12 Sole Unit

Mizuno Wave Inspire 12 – Sole

As always, the core of any Mizuno shoe is the wave plate. This is a plastic plate that works like the suspension system in an automobile.

It gives the shoe rigidity, shock dispersion and a measure of torque resistance that other shoe designs struggle to equal. It also contributes to the characteristic firm ride that Mizuno shoes are known for.

The Wave Inspire 12 features a carryover wave plate from last year but the rest of the midsole is updated.

It seems that Mizuno has changed the heel geometry in the Wave Inspire 12, deleting the SR Touch foam wedge and replacing it with a new compound called U4ic X.

This ties in with the rest of the midsole build which is comprised of Mizuno’s U4ic foam. The overall result is that the Wave Inspire 12 leans out a bit more laterally than the 11 did.

Essentially this means that the shoe will provide a greater wedging effect, or stability, than before. Mizuno has also added an additional layer of foam under the sock liner.

I’ve only seen this once before in a Mizuno; the Wave Nirvana 4, I believe. Even then, it was only found in the heel portion. Now, in the Wave Inspire 12, Mizuno has given the shoe the full length cushioned last treatment.

I’m guessing it’s a 65 durometer foam but I can’t be sure as it isn’t marked in any way. You might think of it as a memory foam top liner that you can place above the mattress in a bed. Same principle.

The outsole still features Mizuno’s X10 carbon rubber heel for abrasion resistance while the balance of the outsole gets a softer blown rubber. The outsole is also slightly less curved than the Wave Inspire 11.