mizuno waverider 18 review
**Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received these shoes to review and was compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.**
One of the things I am looking forward to most post-pregnancy is getting back into serious training. I will admit that I'm definitely enjoying the "no pressure" running that I am doing now and just kind of going with the flow, running whatever is comfortable for me currently. But, I have that longing to be running hard again and it's really hard for me to admit that running is incredibly hard while pregnant.Anyway, I haven't really even started thinking about racing or training post-pregnancy yet, but I know that when it comes to hardcore training, I need to be equipped with the right shoe for my training.About a year and a half ago, I switch to a lightweight training and racing shoe and fell in love. It was absolutely the perfect feel for my feet. Earlier this year, before I got pregnant, I started training with two pairs of shoes in order to extend the life of my shoes. However, I was training with the same shoe, just in a different color. So, while they looked pretty and I'm still using the same 2 pairs of shoes, it wasn't doing anything to really change or improve my training and racing.What I really need is a shoe that I can wear daily or every other day that will not only make me a faster runner, but also help improve my running efficiency. As someone who has worn the same brand of running shoe for the last 10+ years of running, I was pleasantly surprised with my first few runs with the Mizuno WaveRider 18s.
The Mizuno WaveRider 18s are a lightweight, neutral running shoe that is made to fit the foot and running style of a variety of runners. I will admit that my first run in these shoes I wasn't quite sure that I liked them. But, it was mostly because of my foot structure and the fact that the shoes I am use to have less of a heel lift and are quite a bit lighter than these shoes. It was... different.However, my second run in the WaveRider 18s and I was starting to change my tune a little bit. I really liked the way they forced me to land on my forefoot instead of on my heel with each foot strike. I have been working on this for several years now, but it has always been forced (although it is becoming much more natural now). These shoes made it automatic for me, where I didn't have to think about how I was landing. Plus, I felt like my foot was completely supported with each foot strike. Definitely confidence boosting!
The WaveRider 18s are considered a lightweight running shoes, yet I found them to be a bit heavier than my current running shoes. However, this is something I really liked about them. Because I am used to something even lighter, a heavier shoe can definitely be an advantage in my training. And the next day, switching back to my regular shoes, I could definitely feel the difference in a very good way! Had I worn the WaveRider 18s the day before a race and then switched to my "racing" shoes the day of the race, I think I would feel like I was flying no matter what speed I was going!
So, I feel like I found the shoe that can really help me get back to my previous speed post pregnancy. While this could definitely be another runner's every day running shoe, for me, the WaveRider 18s would be something that I could see myself wearing on some of my shorter, easier runs, as well as training runs just before a race. I think they will for sure make their way into my training!