Anyone here use Mizuno Wave Riders and switch to another shoe. I like these shoes but I am only getting around 250 miles per pair and I am thinking of switching brands but I am not sure which one is comparable. So if any of you changed shoes, what did you change to?
Thanks
I loved the wave riders, but the broke down very quickly. I now run in asic nimbus 10’s and really like them. They are extremely durable.
Older series Riders (ie, 10 or 11)…usually from the discount table 
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I changed to Karhu. Will never go back.
I went from Riders to DS Trainers (asics), and never, ever considered going back to Mizuno.
have you gotten significantly higher mileage from other similar shoes? are you a bigger runner? heavy hell striker? I ask b/c Mizunos are among the best running shoes IMHO and 250 miles is very low for a trainer. If you are looking to switch b/c you don’t like the fit or feel, that is one thing, but unless you’ve ended up with a string of bad shoes (highly unlikely) I don’t think you’re going to get significantly better mileage just by changing shoes.
However - some other thoughts. Similarly classified shoes would be the Asics Nimbus, Brooks Defyance or Ghost and Saucony Grid Trigon. In general I find Brooks and Saucony to be slightly less firm than Mizuno, and Asics more “squishy” or cushioned. The Adidas Sequence shoes get pretty good marks and I race in the Adizeros which I like but haven’t run in their trainers.
I have been using Mizuno exclusively. I was fit in them at a running store and fell in love with the shoe. After around 250 miles I start having pains in the bottom of my foot along the PF causing me to stop running for a week or so.
I weigh 175 and I am a heel striker.
I’ve moved to the adidas adizero boston (as a training and racing shoe) and have been pleased. good mileage out of them, and great balance of cushion and light weight
x2 on the asics nimbus.
doing well with them - i actually alternate btwn the wave riders and the nimbi when on roads. i wear brooks cascadias on trails.
in an earlier similar thread, a lot of people recommended a saucony model, whose name is escaping me. i actually have a pair downstairs which i had to stop wearing because they were too narrow for me.
also - i wear the wave rider 11s, although i preferred the 10s. lots of people like the 12s a lot, not me.
I typically get 400 miles out of my riders.
I also run in the Elixer and Saucony Fastwitch
jaretj
i used to do all my training in the Riders but had the same issue with them breaking down too quickly. I’m ~165 lbs. I switched to the Defyance and think they’re the bomb.
I’ve been running on the Wave Riders for many years and now alternate between them and the Saucony Pro Grid Ride. The Sauconys feel very similar but are narrower (particularly in the forefoot). I actually prefer the Sauconys but the narrowness sometimes leads to blisters on long runs. I have heard that the new Pro Grid Ride II is a bit wider, which may solve the problem. The Wave Riders do seem to wear quickly and the fit has been inconsistent over the years.
I have been wondering why and what was causing my Mizuno WRs to wear out so quickly…I have gone through several pairs now in around 200 mi or so, give or take. I am 5’7", 125 lbs, mostly a midfoot striker but tend to heel strike as I get tired, and I am surprised at how fast I am wearing through pairs, the heels esp.
I tried Asics a couple of years ago but they just never felt as good as the WRs. However, at this rate, I’m going to have to find another brand. Bummer 'cause I really like the Mizunos.
I liked the waverider 9’s the best. I’ve even ordered a couple on line but they’re hard to find. I’m a heavier runner (200lbs). I recently started to train after a long time off and wore an old pair of WR 9’s… big mistake cause I had plantar fascitis for about 2 weeks. Not really helping here with the shoe selection but maybe I’m having the same problem with too many miles on them.
I ran in wave riders for 6 years or so, kept stocking up on the old models. Hate the 2007 and newer models and can’t find the older models anymore so had to go and find a different brand. Tried the Saucony Pro Grid Ride- they were way too wide for me and the back of the shoe came up too high and irritated my angles. Maybe this is an issue with smaller sizes since my husband really likes his ProGridRides. Am now running in the Brooks Ghost, which is ok, but not as good as the old WRs. Also will do my shorter runs in Asics Speedstars.
You may want to try the new Mizuno Precision, it is similar to the old WRs.
Z
Newbie here
So another post on Wave Rider 12’s. More Specifically Wave Rider 9’s Vs 12’s
I was in wave rider 9s for a while through a long stretch of low volume runs. Less than 5 miles per run.
Upon training for IM I obviously boosted my mileage and although my WR9 were trouble free, they required replacing. I went for the 12’s. As an indication of how long I was in for the 9’s, I missed out on WR10 WR11.
So the training for IM was ok and at the end of it my legs were expectedly thrashed. Fast forward to now and I am having some recurring left hamstring issues which only occur when I run in the WR12’s…Switching back to the 9’s does not aggrivate the problem.
Thoughts? Is there any issue with the WR12’s and me? Thinking it might be the movement of the waveplate and the waveplate in my 9’s is pretty thrashed.
Back to the OP
I have got 200 miles in a pair of Asics Cumulus. The heal was looser and there was much more padding under the fore-foot. The Cumulus is a lot more shoe than the WR12.
I didn’t like the extra padding cuz it made my toes fall asleep and it took 80 miles of shorter runs to break it down. I did my longer runs in different shoes untill they felt better.
Now they are fine and show little signs of wear. The heal got a little snugger too.
I was worried about the Asics so I bought a pair of WR12’s but they are still in the box. I’ll break them out when it’s time to replace the Asics.
jaretj
I agree with the Saucony ProGrid Ride 2 suggestion, but, as I think some other posters have mentioned, the Ride 2 will likely feel quite a bit softer and less responsive than the Wave Rider. If you want to stay with the more responsive shoe, you might try the Brooks Defyance or maybe even Glycerin. Also, if you want to stay with Mizuno, you could give the Wave Creation a try. It’s significantly different from the Rider, with more heel and more cushioning, but it should also last longer for you. Of course there’s about a $30 difference between the two so you’ll need to get longer out of it… Two other shoes you might consider are the Nike Air Pegasus and the Nike Lunarglide. I actually find my Lunarglides to fit a lot like Mizunos. Like the Sauconys, the Nikes will probably feel a fair bit softer to you than the Mizunos.
The Asics Cumulus may be a good bet for you. Asics Nimbus may be too cushy for you if you’ve been in the Rider, unless others are suggesting that you get more miles out of it. I get my requesite 500-600k out of my Cumulus, no prob (am 150lb).
Other options
Adidas- Ride
Saucony - Triumph (The Saucony Ride may be an option, but may not last as long).
Nike- Lunar Glide (Super light and comfy. Will be much softer than Mizuno but at least will be light).
I too switched to the DS trainer and racer (I am much lighter). I would suggest you work on your foot strike to get each one to hit under your body instead of way out front. That in itself will yield a better running form and less wear or tear on the shoes (most importantly, good form equates to easier speed).