Mizuno Philippines had a test run for its latest release, the Mizuno Wave Enigma 6, at the SM Mall of Asia last April 19, 2017.
The Wave Enigma 6 is specifically designed for runners with neutral pronation. Unlike its brother, the recently released Wave Rider 20, the Wave Enigma 6 boasts added cushion and support. Being a neutral runner myself, I was anticipating on how the shoe will deliver.
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| (Mr. Mickey Regala, Marketing Communications Supervisor of Mizuno Philippines, introduces the Wave Enigma 6) |
Here are my initial impressions with the new Mizuno Wave Enigma 6:
1.) WEIGHT
The shoe weighs 11.2 ounces. In my book, that means that the shoe is leaning on the “heavy” category. When I first tried the shoes, I immediately noticed the tad difference between its weight and the pair I was wearing earlier. It was understandable since the Wave Enigma 6 is beefed up with 2 different cushioning systems and the outsole has a full X10 blown rubber coverage. One shouldn’t expect that trainers like this would be as light as other performance shoes.
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| (The Wave Enigma 6 utilizes a full X10 hard rubber outsole coverage) |
Here’s the good news: During the actual test run, the weight of the Wave Enigma 6 was barely noticeable. I felt it but it didn’t have any significant effect on my strides nor pace. I have yet to see how the shoes will fare in long slow distance runs and sprints.
2.) FIT and UPPER
It was a perfect lockdown.
My heel sat pretty well within the heel cup of the shoe. The toebox of the Wave Enigma 6 gave my toes a spacious room to wiggle around. I didn’t have any issues with the midfoot since the mesh wrapped around my feet just fine. It wasn’t too snug (which I often dread in some brands). The plush feel of the tongue and ankle collar was superb as well.
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| (The tongue and ankle collar of the Wave Enigma 6) |
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| (The upper mesh construction of the Wave Enigma 6) |
The upper construction of the shoe, which is composed of a breathable stretch mesh, is the result of Mizuno’s Dynamotion Fit technology. Mizuno aims to build a pair that will adapt to the natural motion of the feet. The Wave Enigma 6, in response to this, actually allowed my feet to move naturally while running. When it comes to fit and upper construction, this pair will not disappoint.
3.) SOLE
This is the part in which I had mixed reactions. Right after I wore the shoes, there’s one striking observation that came right in my head. It was VERY FIRM. I had other pairs that were softer. This one seems to beg differently.
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| (The Wave Enigma 6 features different technologies in its midsole) |
The Wave Enigma 6 didn’t feel soft as I expected it would be. In some cases, that’s also a good thing. Other brands invest on comfort by adding some kind of additional “cush” on their products’ midsoles. The result? You have a shoe that eats up additional energy in every stride and erases ground feel. Having a shoe with excessive cushioning can be disadvantageous.
Also, there’s a lot of going-on in its midsole. It gave me the impression that the shoe focuses on providing that balance between premium cushioning and responsiveness.
I was right.
According to Mickey Regala, the Marketing Communications Supervisor of Mizuno Philippines, he explained that the shoe features 3 materials in its midsole: The Parallel Wave plate, U4ic and U4icX midsole foams.
The Parallel Wave plate is the plastic-like material in between the midsole foams. This patented technology of Mizuno aims to equally disperse the shock received by the foot during the impact phase. My guess is that this plate plays a huge role in the Wave Enigma 6’s overall firmness, responsiveness, and ride.
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| (The Trifecta: The Parallel Wave Plate in between the U4ic and U4icX foams) |
The wave plate was then compressed with different midsole foams. The U4ic (white) is placed on top while the U4icX (orange), the softest midsole foam of Mizuno, is located at the bottom. I was curious on how these 3 different materials will work out together in the test run.
Here’s the answer: The Wave Enigma 6 was equally responsive in all trials I did during the test run: drills, easy pace, race pace, and sprints. The overall ride was great and the cushioning was adequate. Despite the weight penalty, the shoe performed well. Just a slight improvement on the sole comfort will be great.
4. PRICE
The Wave Enigma 6 comes with a hefty price of Php 7, 495. It’s quite expensive. With different brands offering cheaper alternatives in the market, choosing this shoe will be a dilemma.
5. PERFORMANCE
This article will be fully updated after I log more mileage in the shoes. Stay tuned for the performance review.
[I would like to thank our friends in Mizuno Philippines for providing us a pair of the Wave Enigma 6. This did not affect the results of the initial and performance review]
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