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The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own.

Check out my new kicks!!! I figured marathon week was the perfect time to tell you about the shoes I plan to wear for my 26.2 mile journey through the boroughs of NYC on Sunday. You may remember my love of the Mizuno Wave Rider 17? When I first tried those babies, I had just recently made the switch to neutral shoes after coming back from an injury. I’d tried on a bunch of brands and had a pair of shoes I liked enough, but when my new Mizunos came in the mail, it was love at first step! I had a GREAT first run in them! I felt light, fast, and totally at ease.

It’s always nerve wracking to try out a new shoe, but I have to admit as much as I loved my 17s, I love my Mizuno Wave Rider 18 EVEN MORE!! They come in at a super light 7.8 ounces (for the women; 9.2 ounces for men) with a 12 mm ramp, and they fit like they were made for my foot! They have just the right amount of flexibility. They are known for their double fan wave which helps absorb the shock of, ya know, your foot pounding the ground for 3 hours at a time.

Finding the right shoe can be SO overwhelming! Am I the only runner who still doesn’t understand shoe specs? Here’s what I do know for sure, the right pair of shoes makes you excited to lace up. They can be the difference between you wanting to run and feeling like you have to run. I tend to have a lot of aches and pains, especially in the foot/ankle area following a long run, but I have felt so good in this pair of shoes. The best I’ve ever felt, in fact!

They arrived just as I started to go into taper, and I was having reservations about wearing them for the marathon, but they have felt so awesome that I have no doubt that they will be the perfect shoe to take me to the finish line! Added bonus? LOOK HOW PRETTY THEY ARE!!! I love the design and color combo. You can check out all the color options here.

So if you’re a neutral runner and you’re looking for some new kicks, I would highly, highly recommend the Mizuno Wave Rider 18! I converted quite a few friends when I fell in love with the 17s, and (I know, I know, I’ve said it like 7 times because I feel so strongly!!) the 18s are even more incredible!

PS: If anyone else was like me and had trouble with blisters in the Wave Rider 17 (wasn’t a big deal, and was fixed with body glide), I just wanted to mention that the slightly new fit has completely solved that for me, so if anyone else experienced that in the previous model, don’t let that deter you!

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The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own.

You guys, I have the hardest time with shoes. Can we talk about the fact that I own, like, 10 pairs of running shoes, and literally no fancy, dress-up shoes? It’s ridiculous. It seems like practically every other month I convince myself that it’s time for new running shoes, but I can spend hour in DSW and still come out empty handed.

Although I buy running shoes all the time, I definitely tend to stick to what I know. I had 7 versions of the same pair of stability shoes until my PT suggested I switch to a neutral shoe, and then…same story. Many versions of the same neutral shoe, but when I received the opportunity to try something new, I jumped at it! My normal shoes definitely don’t have that super-light, speedy feel, so I was excited (and a little nervous) to try something different.

The verdict? True love. I took these babies out for a little spin just 3 days after my century. I thought my legs would feel like lead, but the entire run felt GREAT! I’m still struggling with figuring out all my many aches and pains, and getting the perfect combination of tricks together so that my anti-runner body hates running just a little bit less (my mind loves it, my body just is slow to get with the program…). This run truly felt that way–no pain, I felt great, and I ran way faster than I expected–that’s always a plus. 😉

Here’s the stats in technical lingo:

U4ic midsole delivers lightweight, resilient cushioning.
Dissolving upper fit with new DMF execution and soft, supple mesh materials.
SmoothRide Engineering for a brilliant run.
Lateral Forefoot Sculpting for smooth touchdown and transition.
Blown rubber forefront with deep flex grooves for optimal flexibility and cushioning.

Let me translate:

OMG SO LIGHT!!! Wait? Are there shoes on my feet? Oh yeah, but they only weigh 7.8 ounces. That makes up for the 7800 ounces of Thanksgiving food in my stomach, right?
Oooohhh I can wiggle my toes! It feels wonderful and soft up there!
Yay!! These feel great–no clunkiness.
I have no idea what that actually means, but it probably helps make the shoes feel so awesome.
Flexible, yet supportive.

So would I buy an other pair? Heck, yes! My only slight discomfort was that due to the flexibility/fit of the shoe on my foot, I got a small blister on my pinky toes the first 2 runs. However, I gave myself a bit of time to get used to them and break them in, and that’s no longer an issue! I feel like it was just a small, personal thing that most likely won’t happen to others, and honestly, I love them so much, it was totally worth breaking them in. Not to mention, almost any new shoe requires a few break in runs.

The Wave Rider 17 will be released on December 5th in lots of pretty colors to choose from. If you’re anything like me, that is a total selling point! 😉 They would make a great gift for any neutral shoe runner in your life, or a nice Christmas present to yourself! I honestly didn’t think I would notice the difference with this new design and light weight (I mean, I’m not breaking any records over here), but I really did. My feet felt…lighter, and ya know what? I freaking loved it.

Mizuno Wave Rider 18 Review

Mizuno Wave Rider 17 Review

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