Mizuno Wave Horizon 6 Performance Review

When Mizuno sent over a couple of stability models from their 2022 lineup earlier this year, I was hesitant because I’m not a runner who needs a stability shoe. But if you read my review on the Mizuno Wave Inspire 18, you’ll know that they sported a minimal touch of stability, and quickly became a regular in my rotation. However, the Mizuno Wave Horizon 6 didn’t result in the love-at-first-run feeling that its counterpart did.

Pros

Upper

I’ve got to hand it to Mizuno, their uppers have been extremely dialed in and the Wave Horizon 18 might be the best of the bunch that we’ve tested. The Smooth Stretch Woven Mesh upper not only looks great, it just works. The stretch that it provides allows natural movement throughout the footstrike while not feeling overly tight or needing any time to break in. Drew had a similar good experience with the Mizuno Wave Sky 5 which uses a similar upper. 

Outsole

While not as tacky and grippy as the blown rubber on the Wave Inspire 18, the Wave Horizon 6 still gives runners a durable outsole with a ton of coverage. It’s nice putting miles into a shoe and not seeing any wear and tear. But all that rubber means extra weight…

Cons

Weight

This is a maximum cushioned stability shoe, so it comes as no surprise that it’s on the heavier side, but unlike a lot of shoes today that seem to drop weight once you get them on and running, the Wave Horizon 6 felt heavier to me on foot than it did in hand. 

Fit

I don’t know if it was the narrower toe box or the fact that I generally reach for neutral running shoes (or the combination of both), but the fit around the forefoot was unbearable. I felt my big toe and pinky toe constantly feeling compressed from the fit of the shoe. I think the pinching was more due to the midsole feeling narrow than the upper (hence listing the upper as a pro). The Wave Horizon 6 will most likely come in wide so you can grab the wide version if you’re worried about the forefoot fit.

Mizuno Wave Horizon 6 Summary

While the recent Mizunos coming through our doors have been fantastic, this is a model that I can’t get behind. If you’re a Mizuno fan and want some stability, I’d highly recommend the Wave Inspire 18 – a much more versatile offering. If you are intrigued by the Mizuno Wave Horizon 6, try it on and let me know what you think, I’d love to hear some other opinions on this shoe.

The Mizuno Wave Horizon 6 will be available soon at Running Warehouse and Mizuno.