I got the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite for the purpose of testing and review from Mizuno Germany. However, I haven’t got any suggestions what I should write about and Mizuno doesn’t have control over this review. As always I will try to give my honest opinion of the shoe.
Before I will write about the shoe a few facts about me, that are important for the review. I’m mostly a half marathon and marathon runner. My best marathon time is 3.15, my fastest half marathon time 1.31. Last year I ran a 3.25 marathon and my fastest half marathon last year was 1.37. I’m a heel to mid foot striker, 186 cm high and 74 kilograms.
My current easy run pace is between 5.40 and 5.50 min/km, my longrun pace between 5.20 and 5.40 min/km, my tempo pace between 4.40 and 4.50 min/km and I run some faster 1 kilometer repeats at 4.10 min/k pace and 400m repeats around 3.55 min/km. So now you know at what paces I tested the shoe.
What does Mizuno say about this shoe
Engineered for elite, sub-elite and competitive runners, the Elite version uses a dual layered midsole for added protection, without compromising on weight. Still weighing just 170g, the Elite provides a slightly more protective experience to its Pure counterpart.
The top midsole uses a lightweight version of MIZUNO ENERZY XP, and the bottom midsole uses the standard version of MIZUNO ENERZY XP, that is slightly firmer than the lightweight variation. The combination provides for a soft yet balanced racing experience that suits a wider audience of runners to the Hyperwarp Pure.
Let’s find out more about the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite
Till today I ran more than 100 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review, I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy and recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and one or two long runs. I used the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite on one easier run, just to get a feeling of the shoe. After that I did two treshold sessions, two faster and shorter interval sessions, one hill rep session and two longruns in the shoe, one 24k and the other one 26k, both with some faster kilometers at the end.
Fit of the shoe and upper
On my first runs I got the feeling, that the shoe fits a bit short. I still have the impression when step into the shoe and walk in it. However, as soon as I start running and pick up the pace, it felt just fine. Race day shoes are ment to be snug.
The upper itself is the same throughout the Hyperwarp series, from the Pure to the Pro. It’s very breathable, made from woven mesh. There is a little bit of structure in the toe area and just enough padding in the back of the shoe to ensure a secure fit throughout the run.
The tongue is not attached to the upper, but there are two lace loops on the tongue that help keep it in place. And the laces are perforated and stay in place. There’s no chance they will come undone during your runs.
Once tied up the upper feels very comfortable for a race shoe. While running I never thought about the upper or the lockdown. I had no heel slippage, hotspots or blisters.
Midsole of the shoe
First a bit about the midsole. For a lot of runner the most important part of a running shoe. The Midsole of the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite is a double layer midsole made of Mizuno’s Enerzy XP foam. The upper part the lightweight version of the foam and the bottom part the standard version of the foam. Between the two layers of foam there is a full length 3D shaped carbon plate.
No need to break the shoe in. It works great straight out of the box. When I tried the shoe for the first time I almost had a feeling that there is a negative drop, especially if you put more weight on your heel. My first though was that it’s not going to be super stable and that I will need to be more on the front of my feet while running.
But it’s a stable shoe. The platform is quite wide and has no cutouts. Even through some tighter turns it felt good.
Performance of the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite
A while ago I published my review of the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pro. I don’t want this to be a comparison, rather my thoughts on the performance of the Elite. Since I know that a lot of you are interested, how this two shoes compare to each other, I promise I will compare them in one of my next posts.
While walking in the shoe for the first time, I thought it’s on the softer side. But as soon as you start running in the shoe, it doesn’t feel super soft. I did not sink into the foam, probably because of the slightly firmer bottom layer and the carbon plate.
The drop is with 3.5 mm (according to Mizuno specifications) on the lower end and the shoe itself promotes a midfoot strike. I know I’m a heel striker at slower paces, but even on my easy runs I could feel landing more on my midfoot. Despite that, I did not need to adjust my running style. On all the runs I did so far, I was in control of the shoe.
The ride itself is best described as fast with good energy return and just the right amount of bounce. The transition from impact to toe off is fast. Even while I was running at faster paces, I could feel that I could go even faster, if I had stronger legs.
When running at faster paces (marathon pace, down to 5k pace) I could feel a nice bounce just below the balls of my feet. Would say, it’s the combination of the two midsole foams and the carbon plate. I could really feel the energy return from the midsole.
Once you get up to your desired pace in this shoe, it’s actually easy to hold the pace. The shoe itself is lightweight and there’s a smooth transition from impact to toe off. With all the midsole material in the forefoot area you get a good response. Therefore it feels natural and easy to hold the pace.
Outsole of the shoe
Today, after running more than 100 kilometers in the shoe, there is no visible wear on the outsole of the shoe. As the other two shoes in the Hyperwarp series, the outsole is made of Mizuno’s G3 rubber and provides excellent grip.
There is no sliding and slipping through tight corners, not even on wet surfaces. On one of my longruns, I ran about 2 kilometers on a dirt road and even there the grip was good. But please don’t use this shoe on dirt roads and trails. It’s a road race shoe and it should be used as such.
How will I use the shoe
It’s a race shoe and the lightest race shoe I have ever run it. So next up a half marathon and also my sping marathon. Could be, that I will do maybe one or two more workouts in the shoe and probably one more longrun. After that I will decide if I will maybe go half a size up for the marathon, just the get a bit more room in the toe area.
Other than that I would also use this shoe for my treshold intervals, hill reps and all the faster intervals. The foams used and the bounce work really great for me running style.
Would I recommend the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite
It’s a modern Super Shoe, designed for a variety of runners and a super shoe, that can be also used at slower paces. You can easily do an easy warmup in this shoe, before starting with your race, your tempo run or your faster intervals.
To be honest, I don’t know, how long the upper midsole foam will stay bouncy as it is right out of the box. Therefore I would recommend to consider this as your race day shoe and the shoe you use during your key workouts.
If you are looking for a lightweight race shoe, that can handle any distance from 5k to the marathon and you like a shoe that’s bouncy, you can’t go wrong. Yes, the drop of the shoe is on the lower end and it feels a bit different to shoes with a 6 or 8 mm drop. However, there is more foam under the forefoot and therefore you get more response back from the midsole during toe off.
I am an ambassador with Top4Running, the number one online store for runners in Europe. If you want to buy a pair of Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite running shoes (or any other Mizuno running shoes), please use this link to support the Run and Smile community.
Use the code: Roman for an additional 5% discount on most Mizuno items in the store.
