Mizuno Wave Hitogami

The Hitogami is Mizuno’s latest racing shoes that is suppose to be the replacement for the Musha and Ronin models. I do have a pair of Wave Ronin, which was a wonderful racing shoes. And when I first read about it late last year I was really looking forward to try them out.

After a few sessions of tryout on the shoes (both in training and actual racing) I must say that I am quite impressed with the outcome. I think that many whom has experience with the Musha and Ronin will agree with me that the Hitogami is not just a replacement , but also packed in with plenty of improvement after combining the goodies from both of its predecessors.

Being one of the lightest among the Mizuno Wave lineups, the Hitogami weighs in at about 8oz in men’s size 9.

The platform measurement  has a stack height of 23mm heel – 14mm forefoot, which can be translated to a 9 mm heel to toe offset. Those who like racing shoes but dislike the 'too flat' feeling will definitely appreciate this.

The Hitogami is designed with a breathable and cool air mesh uppers which allows it to maintain a high level of breathability and this is very helpful to keep the foot cool and airy.

The Hitogami comes with Mizuno's new cushioning compound called U4ic where the midsole foam provides fantastic lightweight cushioning. Even though I find them a bit noisy when I make my landing but the cushion proves to be providing great support.

The sole is made out of X-10; which  is a durable solid rubber compound that are placed in areas that receive the most impact to help prolong the life of the shoe and improve traction.

In terms of design and aesthetics, this racer reminds me very much of the traditional Japanese racing flats that is built on fast, low-slung ride. There isn't any pronation support feature seen anywhere in this shoe at all, but all the time when I ran in them, I am quite happy with their stability.

The name Hitogami takes its inspiration from Japanese Kabuki theatre. Hitogami means Human God - human (hito) and gods(gami) in Japanese. And in the opera, the Kabuki actors don face paint to transform themselves into Hitogami.

And I am sure you will agree with me that its a cool name, I read from somewhere that the idea of transforming an average person..i.e. a teacher, an accountant or even chef into a speedy god in a road race over the weekend. Sounds familiar?

In simple words  the Mizuno Wave Hitogami is a shoe that's light, low and stable. It makes you want to run fast, which makes it a perfect choice for racing or fast training days.

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Mizuno Wave Ronin 4

This is Mizuno Wave Ronin 4 and the Mizuno Ronin series has always been looked upon as aggressive looking road racing flats. The Ronin 4 is no exception. I'm not going elaborate too much about the technicalities of this pair of shoe, but let me start by saying that this baby can really kick butt.

Living up to it's intimidating look and reputation, the Ronin 4  is really a comfortable and light weight (weighs in at 7.0 oz for a men's size 9).  However, as a sock-less runner, I find the wide heel cup of the Ronin 4 a bit annoying, but it should be OK if you are wearing socks. I corrected that by tightening up the laces.

Design for speed-work training or racing, you will notice that Ronin 4 is built with a semi-curve shape.

Cushioning system is based on Mizuno Wave which consists of an elastic, thermal plastic wave running from the heel to the midfoot, creating an incredibly springy and well-cushioned ride. I found that the Ronin 4 is a highly responsive shoe despite it's firm cushioning, making it an excellent pair of racer for long distance races. When you put it on, this very minimal firm cushioning makes you feel fast. No superfluous cushioning to slow you down. But yet, when you pick up on speed you can feel the comfortable ride, absorbing every hard landing you take. Nevertheless, I think this shoe is good for any types of races from 5K to a full marathon.

Flex controllers are placed in high flex areas on the outsole to act as miniature wave plates to increase flexibility and reduce weight. And at the heel and forefoot area, the material is actually made from durable carbon rubber for enhanced traction. I find the grip on wet road is really amazing.

Who wears the Ronin 4?  Franklin Chepkwony of Kenya on winning the Zurich Marathon 2012 (Switzerland) in a time of 2:10:57. Franklin wears the Wave Ronin 4 racing flats. And now me! :)

There is a promotion on the Mizuno products until 26 October 2012 at the World Of Sports Outlets. Do check them out.