Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3: 300 mile Review
About Me:
6' 2", 168 lbs, midfoot striker, and competitive HS runner. US Size 12 with a narrower foot. Easy Pace: 7:00-7:40 per mile. Around 50 miles per week right now. 1600m: 4:26, 5k: 16:28
Usage and Purchase:
Got these back in March from Running Warehouse for $160. Great deal then, even better now: they are down to $115 USD. They were cheaper than the Vomero Plus at the time which was the other shoe I was considering since I was replacing a pair of Vomero 18s. Pretty much was a case of you know what let's try something very different and very fun. Picked them up for Easy Runs and Long Runs, use them about 4 days a week with runs between 4 and 12 miles and variety of paces.
Fit:
It's a race shoe first, and because of that it comes with trade offs. The upper is narrow throughout the heel and midfoot and tight to your foot. The toebox is surprisingly tall for a race shoe but still is not very high volume. Wide feet stay away, but my slightly narrow feet love the fit. Upper is extremely breathable even in the summer. I'll soak the upper in my Endorphin Speed 4 after workouts but the upper in these stays dry which signals to me that the airflow is enough to wick away sweat and keep my feet cool. Even though it's narrow and breathable, the fit is still comfortable with just enough padding that nothing digs into your foot. Length is TTS.
Midsole:
This is where the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 is a gift (assuming you are a midfoot striker). The heel bevels results in 60+ millimeter heal stack if you land right on the midfoot. I don't think it's possible to use for heel striker's since it'd be very awkward but could force a heel striker to land midfoot. Forefoot Strikers get no benefit from the midsole design. That's the con for this design, it only works for certain people.
But, when it works, it's magical. The amount of foam underfoot is unreal. The shoe is around 8 oz (Runrepeat) which is significantly lighter than other shoes with this much stack height so you get the best of both worlds, lots of foam without feeling like you are picking bricks up with your feet. The platform is narrow but as long as you don't have any stability needs and don't make too tight of turns, it's not noticeable. The shoe is fairly stable for a 60mm behemoth. The shock absorption on landing is amazing, it makes my joints feel way less pain and stiff than previous shoes like Vomero 18s and Novablast 5s. Both my Endorphin Speed 4 and my Metaspeed Tokyo Edge both feel like they have more pop and energy return but the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 is still much better than my previous daily trainers.
Outsole and Durability:
Keep them on the pavement. Off road is a no go for these shoes, the outsole is peeling off a little because of my off road adventures in them. But the grip feels great on the road. Been stuck in some storms with them and was never worried about slipping. Wouldn't run on Ice but fine for wet pavement. The full coverage outsole is a really nice plus for these as well. The bottom of the shoe looks less worn than many of my other shoes through 300 miles and you don't have to worry about ruining the foam itself.
320 miles in and the foam still feels like it has life in it. A little less pop but not nearly as bad as Novablast 5 or Vomero 18 through 300 miles where I had to retire them since they felt like bricks and were making my knees hurt from the impact. I wouldn't be surprised if I take them to 400+ miles which is 100+ miles more than I usually get out of a running shoe.
Versatility:
I've done runs anywhere from 9:00 per mile on recovery jogs down to 5:25 for 3 minute pick ups during a long run workout. They handle everything on the road. I wouldn't push them faster than 5:00 since they are so tall and too much slower they will get weird. Anywhere between though on a road is great!
Concluding Thoughts:
This is a shoe where it either works for you or it doesn't. If it works for you (like it has for me) you'll be begging Mizuno to make an update with a new foam to boost the energy return while keeping the same amount of softness and same geometry. If it doesn't, you'll either feel super weird running in them or feel like they won't do anything for you. Overall, they make my daily runs a little bit more fun and keep me running without as many niggles and pains and have lasted me longer than any of my "standard" daily's I've had before. At the $115 current price, I don't think you can get a better shoe for long runs if the geometry is okay for you. Right now for me it's the hard decision between another pair of these and a pair of endorphin elite 2s for my next daily/long run shoe.