Mizuno Wave Momentum 3 Performance Review

Mizuno has been one of the top names in volleyball shoes for a long time. Their flagship line, the Wave Momentum series, are great shoes and extremely popular among all levels of volleyball players. The newest iteration, the Wave Momentum 3 takes the same concept but adds a few key upgrades. Is this the best Wave Momentum ever? Is this the best Mizuno volleyball shoe right now? Read on to find out.

Pros

Cushion

The Mizuno Wave Momentum 3 uses a Foam Wave tech specifically formulated for volleyball players. It’s meant to absorb the impact when you land, and help with stability and responsiveness when you push off of the shoe. It isn’t the softest foam underfoot, which is good for bounce and stability. It isn’t as great for impact protection, but for most players it’s more than enough to keep your joints happy. 

The Mizuno Enerzy Core is where the midsole really shines: A puck-shaped drop-in of foam with a higher energy return that sits under the ball of your foot. This core provides a very quick, bouncy feel to the shoe. It’s perfectly placed to align with the part of your foot that is meant to strike the ground on the last step of your approach, and it really elevates the way the shoe feels to play in.

Lockdown and Stability Upgrades

The lockdown and stability received pretty big upgrades with the Wave Momentum 3. The bootie upper is the same as the Wave Momentum 2, but Mizuno added a better heel-lock and the lacing system wraps your midfoot more efficiently than before. That wavy-looking foam wall on the lateral part of the midsole also does a great job of keeping your foot in place inside of the shoe. 

On a related note, the stability got a major upgrade. In my Wave Momentum 2 review, I noted that despite not feeling unstable, my ankles would start to get sore after playing in them for awhile. This would imply that my ankle was doing more stability work than it does in most other volleyball shoes. Mizuno directly addressed that in the Wave Momentum 3.

The forefoot is wide with an outrigger, just like in its predecessor, but the heel of the outsole is widened slightly on both the inner and outer edge. The most noticeable upgrade is in the midfoot, where there’s a noticeable outrigger-like structure on both the lateral and medial sides of the shoe. These changes absolutely worked and the Wave Momentum 3 is very stable because of them.

Traction

Mizuno always has great traction. Their rubber compounds are great, and the traction pattern on the Wave Momentum 3 has been updated. I tested these on both wood and plastic, clean and very dusty courts. I did need to wipe the outsoles a lot on dustier courts, but when I didn’t, they still kept traction even if I wasn’t hearing that satisfying squeak.

Cons

Impact Protection

For some players, the Mizuno Foam Wave midsole might not provide enough impact protection. My feet didn’t hurt, but I was testing these at the same time as the Nike GT Jump 2 (which feels like you could fall off a building and land on your feet), and they felt noticeably more firm.

I tried switching into some other shoes for a comparison that didn’t involve the most extreme cushioning setup I’ve ever tried, but most other shoes still felt a little softer underfoot. This isn’t always a bad thing, since impact protection often comes at the price of bounce. For most players, this setup is ideal: enough impact protection that your knees and feet won’t hurt, but the shoe is still very bouncy. If you’re heavier or have issues with your feet, knees, or back, however, you should probably opt for something with a little more cushioning. 

As a quick tangent, this is one of the main differences (for now) between basketball shoes and volleyball shoes. They both need to be bouncy, but where basketball has a running aspect between the explosive movements, volleyball is mostly just the explosive movements. This means that dedicated volleyball shoes (especially Mizuno and Asics) tend to have very responsive foam that is just cushioned enough to protect your joints. There is a future where shoes can do both, though.

Wave Momentum 3 Summary

The Mizuno Wave Momentum 3 was going to be a popular volleyball shoe no matter how it performed. Luckily, its performance backs it up. With a few key improvements over its predecessor, Mizuno has made a sneaker deserving of its pre-destined popularity. If you’re a volleyball player who loves Mizuno, or you play on one of the many teams that Mizuno sponsors at all levels of the sport, don’t hesitate to pick up the Wave Momentum 3.