I got the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3 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 last year 1.31. This year I ran a 3.25 marathon and my fastest half marathon this year was 1.37. I’m a heel to mid foot striker, 186 cm high and 72 kilograms.
My current easy run pace is between 5.40 and 6.00 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. So now you know at what paces I tested the shoe.
What does Mizuno say about this shoe
Enjoy smoother, faster, and more comfortable runs with this shoe loaded with Mizuno’s technology. It features SMOOTH SPEED ASSIST technology for ideal gait, MIZUNO ENERZY XP midsole material for lightweight softness and energy return, and MIZUNO ENERZY NXT at the bottom midsole for a more stable running experience. This shoe will help you maintain a steady rhythm and gait for everything from practicing for competitions to running for pleasure.
Let’s find out more about the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3
Till today I ran mora than 100 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review, I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and one or two long runs. I used the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Falsh 3 on two easy runs, two longruns with segments at marathon pace, two tempo runs and two interval sessions with 3 minute repeats at faster paces.
Fit of the shoe and upper
The shoe fits me true to size. Since the fit of the upper is more like a race day shoe, it could run a bit short for some and if you plan to use the shoe during marathon training or for longruns over 25 kilometers, I would maybe even go up half a size. Just to get a bit more room in the toe area of the shoe.
The upper itself has a race shoe vibe but it’s thicker than in race day shoes. There is a little bit of padding in the heel and the heel cup is quite stiff and provides good lockdown. The tongue is not attached to the upper but there are some lace loops on the tongue that help keep it in place.
I had a bit of heel slippage on my left foot during my first two runs. It was probably because of the shoe setup, more on the topic later. A good way to avoid it is to push your foot into the heel cup and then lace the shoe.
It’s not the most comfortable shoe to wear. But it’s not supposed to be super comfortable. This shoe is a super trainer, that can also be used as a race day shoe. And for this purpose, comfort is not the most important part.
There are two inner reinforced parts in the midfoot area, that help with the lockdown. I’m not sure, how runners with wider feet will get along with the upper. Probably about the same way as with other super trainers or race day shoes. Therefore I would suggest to try the shoes before buying.
Despite the fact, that the upper is not the thinnest, breathability is very good. I had no issue with overheating. From my experience, this upper works well in dry and wet conditions.
Midsole, Outsole and performance 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 Wave Rebellion Flash 3 is a double layer midsole with a WAVE PLATE between the two layers, that extends into the forefoot. The top layer is Mizuno’s Enerzy XP foam, their top end foam, that is also found in race shoes. The bottom layer, Enerzy NXT to provide stability.
It works great straight out of the box. There is no need to break the shoe in. Because of the shoe setup with the cut at the heel of the shoe, it felt strange walking around in the shoe before my fisrt run. Since I’m a heel to midfoot striker, I need to admit that I was a bit sceptic before my first run in the shoe.
To be honest it felt a bit strange during the first two kilometers. But once I figured out how to run in the shoe it became fun. So even if you are a heel striker you can use this shoe. Just make sure that the lockdown is really good. Otherwise four feet can move slightly forward in the shoe and it will feel strange.
The ride is best described as bouncy with a fast transition from impact to toe off. I think that the unique geometry of the shoe, together with the smooth speed assist, provide the feeling of fast transition. Despite being a heel striker it works great for me.
I could’t find specifics about the wave plate. However I don’t think it’s a carbon plate. It feels more like some sort of a PVC plate, not super aggressive like a race shoe setup. I can feel bending the plate and then getting some energy back during toe off. The energy is directed more forward and the faster I run in the shoe, the more I get back from the midsole.
Probably it comes down also to the fact, that at marathon pace or faster I land on my midfoot, the area of the shoe with most midsole foam. This is the sweet spot of the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3. A running shoe for midfoot strikers.
Despite the unique design of the shoe I had absolutely no issues with stability. Even while running through some tight corners I could keep my pace and I never had the feeling that the shoe was not providing me enough stability.
Every running shoe has a purpose. And I can say, that the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3 ticks of quite a few boxes for me. It’s a super trainer and should be mostly used for faster training runs. It’s not my first choice for easy runs and I would not use the shoe for recovery runs.
Not the whole outsole has rubber coverage but the grip was good in all conditions, dry and wet. It’s a road running shoe and I would not recommend using it on trails. During two of my runs I was running some kilometers on hard forest paths and roads but the grip was not good. After more than 100 kilometers in the shoe, there is no visible wear on the outsole.
The shoe best performs for me during runs from 10k up to marathon pace. If you are a runner who’s looking for a good and durable training shoe, that can be used during 10k and half marathon races, you should at least consider the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3.
How will I use the shoe
To a certain degree I already answered this question. So next week I will start a training block with 2 – 3 treshold sessions a week. And the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3 will be my go to shoe for some of these training sessions. Especially the shorter once with faster paces.
On the other hand, I will not use this shoe during my easy runs and on my longruns, if they will be just at easy pace.For such runs there are better options on the market, even within the Mizuno running shoe lineup, like the Mizuno Neo Zen or maybe even the Mizuno Neo Vista 2.
Would I recommend the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3
For sure the shoe is a modern super trainer with a very good midsole setup. However, due to the unique design, the shoe is more suited for midfoot strikers. I also see this shoe as a great option for runners that weight a bit more, since the dual foam setup is not the softest. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a stability shoe. But it is amongst the most stable super trainers.
If you are looking for a long lasting and reliable super trainer, that you will use during your faster workouts and maybe even your races, you can’t go wrong with the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3.
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