The Mizuno Wave Sky is a brand new shoe made to take the place of the Wave Enigma. This shoe represents the highest level of cushion Mizuno offers that is mostly foam based.

If you want a higher level of cushion from the brand, you’ll have to move to the models with more Wave technology and less foam.

These shoes ran smooth and had ample cushion for most runs — without losing Mizuno’s signature firmness.

Mizuno Wave Sky General Info

Mizuno Wave Sky – Pair

This offering is to become a top-level flagship for the brand in its full cushion line up. However, as a first-year shoe, they will have to prove to the world that they deserve to be a flagship shoe.

Based off the price point ($150), this is definitely not going to be a cheaper offering from Mizuno. Based off that price and cushion level, this shoe will compete directly with Brooks Glycerin 15, ASICS Nimbus 19 and Saucony Freedom ISO.

When the shoes arrived, I thought the colorway was nice — although very similar to that of the ASICS Nimbus.

It was really quite striking in fact that these two shoes, from different makers and similar levels of cushion, looked so similar.

However, that is where the similarities ended. The Wave Sky had a deeper forefoot, but lower levels of pillowy cushion.

My first run in these shoes was positive. I went for a 5-mile tempo run and these shoes offered plenty of cushion for the workout and didn’t seem to be sluggish at all. I was impressed and happy with the choice.

Mizuno Wave Sky Sole Unit

The Wave Sky uses the company’s Cloudwave technology and advertises the most u4icX foam of any Mizuno shoe. These technologies together promise a soft and comfortable ride.

Mizuno states that the Wave Sky delivers “the most plush and lively feel of any Mizuno shoe ever made,” and to a certain extent this is true. However, I feel as though that designation is still held by the Wave Rider.

One should remember that Mizuno is known for firm cushion, and this shoe delivers that. However, because of the firmness of this cushion, I felt it didn’t quite hold up to runs over 15 miles for someone my size.

This shoe offers a normal 10mm drop, which can be great for many runners. These shoes help keep you pushing forward during your run due to lively energy return on each stride.

This is especially noticeable during the runs of 5-10 miles, especially if you decide to pick up the pace a little during the middle of the run.

The outsole uses deep cuts in the forefoot to help with flexibility, and has thick rubber which offers great traction and protection on all surfaces.

Mizuno Wave Sky – Sole

I was very impressed with how they performed on cement, crushed gravel and even on dirt and grass. Although the traction is not nearly as good a grip as the Brooks offerings (Ghost comes to mind) it is better than most road shoes on the market.

Mizuno Wave Sky Upper Info

Using a traditional upper with seamed construction offers a lot security throughout the upper. The overlays work well to lock the midfoot and heel into the shoe and keep your foot from moving.

However, this is also where the shoe let me down, as the secure heel and midfoot never splayed out into a wide and roomy forefoot.

Mizuno Wave Sky – Top

Instead, the forefoot stayed tight and never let my toes widen out as I enjoy. This is ok when I am pushing the pace, but on normal relaxing runs, I found this to be annoying.

The upper is constructed well, and uses great materials, including a very breathable mesh. This mesh lets air in, but keeps the dirt out. These materials make for a very comfortable feeling on the foot and keeps your feet cool on most any run.

Mizuno Wave Sky Conclusions

Mizuno Wave Sky – Heel

The Mizuno Wave Sky is a promising debut from the company. The combination of cushion, liveliness and breathability made the shoe a very intriguing option.

However, where the shoe fell short, it was a little too much for me to get over. Specifically I was surprised about the narrow toe box which made me feel little uncomfortable past 13 miles.

Mizuno is well known for their firm cushion, and as I stated before, this shoe delivers that. However, that firm cushion just wears out my feet after a while.

These held up longer than most other Mizunos for me — about 13/14 miles before it was too much. However, they don’t hold up to the cushion that the Wave Rider provides — or that of the Brooks Ghosts/Glycerin.

The Wave Sky are a very promising debut, and I look forward to see how they update the shoe. Specifically I hope they add some room to the toe box, as this would alleviate a lot of the negative sensations I had while running in them.

However, for a first model, Mizuno seems to be close to having a keeper here.

We thank the nice people at Mizuno for sending us a pair of Wave Sky to test. This did not influence the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.