The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno.
Jessica and I love our Mizuno shoes. I've been a huge fan and completely in love since I got my first pair of Mizuno Wave Elixirs in September 2010. Since then, I've run 3 marathons, a bunch of halfs and thousands of miles in Mizunos. I have 7 pairs - the Prophecy, the Creation, Wave Elixirs and Ascent (their trail sneaker).
The latest addition to my collection is the new (released today!) Wave Sayonara. It's a lightweight everyday training shoe that makes speed more accessible. For me, Mizuno already equals comfortable (serious comfort - like my feet are running in fluffy clouds) and speed. These shoes take it to the next level; they are 7.1 ounces with a G3 SOLE that provides lightweight traction so you feel your connection to the ground without feeling heavy.
I was ready to test out these shoes and, as Mizuno says "wave goodbye to slow and say hello to more energized, mezamashii running" after a month of humid runs in Florida (where I felt like I was running through molasses)! I threw them on and went out for a run. My goal was to run descending miles, with the last mile being 7:30s. My run was stopped when I got BLISTERS on both heels after about a mile. This has NEVER, EVER happened with any Mizuno shoes and I honestly can't remember the last time I had a blister from running. I was really bummed. I reached out to my friend who is a Mizuno tech rep for some help understanding why I got blisters in these shoes. He had a good tip for those of us use to wearing the Elixirs - tie your laces tighter. That did help but I still have the remenants of the blisters so I have to wait until they heal completely before I can begin to fully appreciate the Wave Sayonaras.
I was able to get a few runs in them (with the help of bandaids and mole skin). I LOVE the colors and I like how light they feel on my feet. It's very easy to increase cadence and turn over your feet for a fast run. They don't have the toe spring (the curl at the top) so while they are roomy, they feel a bit more secure.
I'm in a new town - Portland, Oregon (!) and have yet to find a track and am enjoying just crusing around the city during my runs. To get my interval workout while exploring the city, I did this fun and easy speed workout:
I'm looking forward to a lot more #brilliantruns with the Wave Sayonaras and all my other Mizuno sneakers! Have you tried out Mizuno's sneakers? Tell us which ones in the comments below.