Take Two from Mizuno

26 AUG2011

NORTHERN RUNNING GUIDE regular Angela Hibbs knows a thing or two about running shoes. An accomplished runner from the north-east, she boasts a 10K PB of 35:54 and has undertaken a marathon distance in 2:52:50. So when two pairs of Mizuno trainers arrived at HQ, we knew just the person to give them a whirl ...

First up was Mizuno's new neutral offering - the Wave Enigma. With an SRP of £105 these are 'high end' trainers with promises of 'sumptious cushioning' and 'a smooth and sensuous ride'. But how did they fare with our expert?

Angela said: "I cannot fault the overall appearance of the Enigmas, the bonus is that they not only look comfortable and light but they feel comfortable and light as well.

"When I first put them on, the heel area was quite tight but I knew this would loosen up after a run or two when the fabric was worn in a bit (sure enough it did).

"I would use these trainers as my general mileage shoes, they are lighter than most Asics or Adidas shoes and as such they are ideal for my longer runs.

"They also have great cushioning on the front and back of the shoe so you really do get that 'bouncing along' feeling you hope for in a new pair of trainers!"

So they are worth the price tag it would seem - a good looking, light shoe that offers all the cushioning you need for those long training runs.

And onto the next shoe - a lightweight performance racing trainer called the Wave Musha 3. This shoe weighs in at just 230g, which combined with the appealing £65 price tag makes it a good race day option. But what was speedster Angela's opinion:

"These shoes are ideal for track sessions as they are lightweight yet provide the support and structure you need in a good training shoe.

"Again, I cannot fault the appearance of the shoe - the red is eye-catching yet not garish with the green trimings finishing off the look.

"The fit of the shoe is great with the right balance between support and structure while keeping the weight of the shoe very low.

"I wore the shoes on a recent track session and felt the extra bounce I want from a new shoe and I am pretty sure they helped me gain that extra bit of pace to keep my lap times down!

"I wouldn't use these shoes for my general mileage as I certainly require more cushioning for longer feet-pounding sessions - but as I said, they are great racers or speed session trainers and I plan to wear them at my next event!"

For more information about either shoe visit the Mizuno website.