Mizuno Wave Horizon 7 Review
By Bach Pham and Matthew Klein
Mizuno Wave Horizon 7Price: $169.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 11.8 oz, g (men's size 9), 9.9 oz, g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 41 mm / 33 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Premium Stability Daily Trainer
Pros: Well integrated medial post and guidance, well-cushioned, slightly higher volume
Cons: Heavy, better for walking than running
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Mizuno Wave Horizon 7 returns with a 2mm of additional stack height, nudging the shoe over 40mm of foam in the heel. The shoe remains relatively unchanged, providing a very unique form of stability through its wave design which features a firmer U4iC layer below, a softer Enerzy layer on top, and a bouncy Enerzy Core wedged inbetween. A rubber wrap on the medial side help provides a great deal of support without directly being intrusive with a post. This remains a good shoe for walking, standing, and easy runs.
SIMILAR SHOES: ASICS Kayano 30, Brooks Glycerin GTS 21
PAST MODEL: Mizuno Wave Horizon 6
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Mizuno Wave Horizon 7 fits me true to size in my normal US men's size 10. The fit is slightly wider throughout with a little extra volume. The upper is a comfortable stretch woven mesh that gentle stretches with the foot. The forefoot is slightly wide with the additional mild stretch from the upper. This transitions into a similar slightly wide midfoot. This is offset by a strongly gusseted, medium-thickness tongue that locks the foot down well. I did not have to tie down the laces that much to get a secure fit. This continues into a normal-width heel with a fairly large and stiff heel counter. There is moderate heel collar cushioning and despite the stiff counter it did not bother me. However, those with haglund deformities and heel sensitivities should be cautious. The inner liner of the upper is fairly average but has tolerated some sockless miles. The internal toe guard is flexible but caused me some mild toe abrasion while going sockless, so I would highly encourage the use of socks with this shoe.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: Saucony Guide 17, ASICS Kayano 30, Hoka Gaviota 5, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Nike Ultrafly
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Saucony Kinvara 14
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Altra Timp 5
Bach: The Horizon 7 fits me really well in my typical Men's Size 9.5. There's a bit of volume all-around the foot that makes the shoe very comfortable on foot. Even with the volume, the shoe does a good job of locking the foot down. Like Matt, I didn't have to do anything special to lace up the shoe. There is a very stiff heel counter that wraps the heel. The tongue is mildly padded and stays out of the way. The length feels spot on. The insole is removable and average in thickness.
The upper in general is a nice balance of comfort and not feeling too overbuilt. I didn't have any hotspots or issues with cold or warm weather. Based on Mizuno's website currently, there is no wide model unfortunately. Runners with very wide feet may struggle to find a good fit. The volume, as-is, is great for standard feet but I think would be verging on snug for wide foot runners. Narrow-footed male runners may want to test out the women's version if they want a snug fit. The shoe's fit feels close to the Saucony Guide 17 and a bit roomier than the Wave Inspire 20 and Asics Kayano 30.
Bach's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Bach well: Nike Pegasus 40, Saucony Guide 17, Mizuno Wave Inspire 19, Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, Nike Structure 25
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Asics Kayano 30, Puma Electrify Nitro, Brooks Hyperion, Hoka Clifton 9 GTX
Shoes that have fit large: Hoka Gaviota 5, Reebok Floatride Energy X
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: Tiniest flex in the forefoot and stiff throughout
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Not Really
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Above Average
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Mizuno Wave Horizon 7 is a daily running and walking shoe. The combination of the Enerzy Core and Enerzy foam provides a highly cushioned ride that provides a touch of firmness with a surprising amount of resilience and bounce. This makes the shoe feel lighter than its listed weight, although the size and volume of the shoe are still noticeable. There is an 8 mm drop that has been consistent throughout the series despite being rare for Mizuno. It feels like an 8mm drop shoe, not feeling too high or too low. There is a small posterior lateral heel bevel that despite not being large, transitions fairly well. This is likely due to how well the foam compresses, so their is a fairly smooth heel transition. This moves into a stable midfoot while the forefoot also provides a smooth transition.
This is due to an early rocker, which is important due to the forefoot being fairly stiff. Despite the fairly smooth transitions and slightly bouncy ride, the Horizon 7 is only good for easy and recovery efforts. The weight is definitely noticeable with any pace changes, making it best for slower efforts. Because of its stable setup, it also doubles as a great walking and standing shoe.
In exchange for the higher weight, the Horizon 7 has the durability of a tank. I have 40 miles on my pair and there is no wear on the outsole. I expect an above-average number of miles out of this shoe as long as it is used appropriately. The Horizon 7 is best for road miles, although its design allows for some softer surface wear. Avoid rocks and gravel though because the small hole in the rearfoot to show the Enerzy core is an easy place for rocks to get stuck.
Bach: I have been a big Mizuno Wave Horizon fan for a good while. The Wave Horizon 5 was my first taste of the series. At a time where stability mostly meant posted stability shoes, the multi-layer strategy of stability in the Wave Horizon 5 along with comfortable ride made the shoe a go-to for me for both running and everyday activities. It was also the last shoe I really took north of 200+ miles with another year's worth of walking because of how much I enjoyed the shoe. The last edition upgraded the foam and greatly lightened the shoe in the rearfoot, but still came in a little heavy and a bit firm.
Now at 11.8 oz, it's still a chonky shoe as our David Salas would call it, but on foot the weight actually feels really nicely balanced from front-to-back. The added stack height definitely adds a touch of softness directly underfoot (although it doesn't feel the stated 41mm in the heel that Mizuno lists).
On the run, the Enerzy Core provides a little bit of bounce during the run, but only modestly so. The shoe does have a mild rocker that helps it roll along nicely. I thought it was a solid ride once you got in rhythm. With the weight, this definitely serves best as an easy day, recovery shoe. Most of my runs are just that though, and I was happy to get a lot of miles in the Horizon 7 without much complaint. The shoe turns over well and I enjoyed logging both regular and longer miles in the Horizon. If you are sensitive to weight or have only run in lighter shoes, this will probably feel like too much, but if you have been running in stability like the Adrenaline from Brooks I don't think you'll notice the weight too much here at all.
The outsole is built to last, and does a great job of gripping road. I took the shoe on a bit of gravel and grass as well, but the shoe feels a bit more plodding in those surfaces. I would definitely stick to road or well-groomed dirt.
Like past models, this continues to be a killer walking and standing shoe and one I'd be happy to use for those purposes daily on top of runs.
STABILITY
Matt: The Mizuno Wave Horizon 7 is a moderate to higher-level stability shoe. It features a medial post-like rubber material that runs from the posterior-most aspect of the heel to the anterior-most aspect of the forefoot. This is noticeable along the entire medial arch, providing a greater post feeling than prior versions. It is not overbearing but is there. The arch height is actually on lower side, so those wanting stability and posting without an aggressively high arch will do well here. The Horizon 7 features a fairly wide base with a straight last and a midfoot that does not narrow at all. There is a central groove in the heel and midfoot that acts like a large guidance line. There are mild sidewalls in the heel/midfoot transition on the medial and lateral sides. These are not super noticeable but are present. The forefoot rocker and relative stiffness also add to forward guidance at the front and those who need at least a moderately stiff forefoot will do well here. All these elements add together to provide a centered ride throughout the length of the shoe. Those who want a mild to moderate post-feeling will enjoy this shoe while all the elements come together to provide a well-integrated, higher level of stability.
Bach: The stability of the Wave Horizon 7 features a diverse amount of strategies that come together as one. There is first a dual layer wave midsole. The firmer bottom layer of midsole provides the first layer of stability, featuring waves that go higher in certain parts of the shoe, stiffening those areas. The softer top layer fills in those gaps to provide the comfort. The next layer of stability comes from a rubber wall that wraps up the medial side. It does a great job of preventing the foot from caving in while also just being out of the way since it is not embedded into the midsole and directly underfoot like a traditional post. All of these components are also built on an extremely wide base that feels stable on every part of the foot. A mild forefoot rocker brings it all together and helps you move forward really well.
Despite a shoe that looks scary, everything is integrated really nicely and for my flat feet has never caused any issues while providing a good level of stability. The upper security is also great, providing just a lot of confidence from top-to-bottom. I didn't have any issues with the stability elements and my flat feet. The interior itself is fairly flat with no arch bump. All of the stability is underneath the foot with the elements discussed above.
Culture Corner: The Pros and Cons of Stability Diversity
By Bach Pham
The Wave Horizon series gets a lot of credit in-house from the team for getting ahead of the game and focusing on stability strategies that companies have all swapped to in the past two years. Their mild guidance through the waves and use of width for stability over a post was a standout when I joined Doctors of Running in 2021 and continues to be an effective design today.
The current wave design was first introduced in the Wave Horizon 4, replacing the more posted stability system that remained in the Wave Inspire series until last year. This led to a major differention between their stability models that was rare for the time.
Just as recent as 2022, most shoes in the market were posted stability shoes. Jumping into the wayback machine, we found that a staggering 80%+ of the stability market then composed of posted footwear. That completely shook in two years, with the majority of shoes now being focused on geometry and guidance. Legacy stability shoes like the Saucony Guide, Asics Kayano, New Balance Vongo and more have all made the transition to non-posted methods.
We are all about variety at Doctors of Running. It is good for the market to have a growing array of options to match the large and varying needs of runners. As we've called out in recent stability reviews though, we also support keeping some forms of posted stability as an option for the small, but important population of runners who have benefit most from this method, as it is a tried-and-true option that we get emails weekly about as these options become fewer and fewer by the day.
The explosion of stability shoes with new stability mechanisms also provides a new challenge though, one we're already seeing pretty often in our inboxes from longtime stability runners: what shoes now work for stability runner's needs? The one positive of when stability shoes were all posted and a fairly definitive segment was being able to parse out levels of posting. With so many different forms of stability in the market that vary greatly in levels, there's a lot of room for interpretation of how stable a shoe is and importantly for whom. The answer isn't clear as our recent episode on ranking stability showed that even in-house our interpretations of stability can vary from person-to-person. We'll do our best at DOR to parse out how stable each shoe is in relation to one another, but that feeling could be different depending on the runner and their specific needs underfoot.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The Horizon has continued to have improvements in stability with the slightly larger post and well integrated elements that make it a higher level guidance and stability shoe. The increased stack height gives the shoe a little more bounce. However, the weight is noticeable. Many Mizuno shoes have taken a step backward in the weight department in the last few years (except their racing shoes which have gotten lighter). 11.8 oz for men's size 9 is extremely heavy and over an ounce heavier than many of its competitors (Glycerin GTS 21, Kayano 30). Without sacrificing the excellent stability, I would like to see Mizuno drop some weight and return to being the lighter shoe company it once was. This is a durable, tank of a shoe that knows its place as an easy/slower running/walking shoe. However, there are still areas it could be lighter. Obviously the easiest thing would be to talk about newer foams, although how those impact stability are a different question that many companies are still working on. A larger heel bevel would provide more sculpting to the rearfoot and reduce the need for so much posterior-based weight. The upper could always be lighter, as the current one is comfortable but a little heavy/thick. These are small changes that could add up to getting under 11 oz, which is a reasonable goal at this point.
Bach: The call for change in the Horizon series from us continues to be the same recommendation we give annually: weight savings. Mizuno has done a nice job of balancing the weight of the Horizon out throughout the shoe (the Horizon 5 was very rear-heavy), but now they need to work on finding ways to trim the weight throughout. Foam weight is certainly the first obvious area, but I do believe there's some room in the upper and outsole to trim back as well to take the shoe down into the 10oz range which would really open the shoe up to great training. A foam that might be really interesting to incorporate in the series is their new sustainable foam seen in the Wave Neo Ultra which did manage to lighten that highly cushioned shoe while having some firmness for stability. There is definitely a cost reduction that would need to happen to make this possible, but I would love to see that foam integrated into the series if it can keep its current price point (or better!). The other option is to just lean in on being an easy day cruiser and continuing to improve comfort. Adding an richer insole is one area that more comfort could be added to amplify cushioning without taking away from the stability.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Mizuno Wave Horizon 7 is for those who want a slightly wider, well-centered, higher-level stability shoe with medial stability for easy/slower running and walking efforts. There is a little extra room for those who need it while still being secure. Those with normal to slightly wider feet will likely do best in this shoe. Performance-wise, this is best for slower running and for those who are not bothered by a heavier shoe. Stability-wise, those with lower arches (or who are sensitive to high-arched shoes) who want a wider-based, straight-lasted, well-centered stability shoe with a medial post-like structure that goes through the midfoot and heel will do well. The slightly higher price tag is justified by the great durability and you will definitely a ton of shoe that will last a long time. It could lose some weight, but for those who want an incredibly sturdy shoe, the Horizon 7 may fit the bill.
Bach: The Wave Horizon 7 is for runners who want a daily trainer with a lot of medial stability for both running and walking. As the market shifts in the variety of stability offered, I do believe this has moved up in terms of where it sits in level of stability with shoes like the Adrenaline GTS and 860 series which feature prominent stability. This is the least intrusive of the three though, and I think one of the better options for flat feet runners with higher levels of stability needed. The price point is a bit high, but also close to premium stability trainers in the market now. I do think the Horizon 7 is a slightly more comfortable, better moving ride than the Horizon 6, but if you are looking to stay budget-friendly the 6 is still a good pick up right now as a lot of elements remain intact. If you want flat out the best of the two models though, the 7 is the way to go.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: A- (Comfortable stretch woven upper that provides a little extra volume and stretch with good security).
Performance: B/B+ (Heavy but slightly bouncy sole takes the edge off. Best for easy and recovery miles ONLY).
Stability: A [Moderate to High Stability] (Heel/Midfoot medial post with wide base, appropriate stiffness and well centered ride)
Value: B+/A- (A little expensive but the trade-off is extremely durable, well-centered stability shoe).
Personal: B+/A- (I keep reaching for this shoe as it fits me well but the heavier weight limits what I can use the shoe for)
Overall Design: B+/A-
Bach
Fit: A- (Decently generous fit for standard feet while maintaining security)
Performance: B (A bit singular for running, best for easy, recovery, and slow long efforts)
Stability: A (Great stability integration throughout)
Value: B/B+ (For just runners, it is a bit pricey for just easy run training, but if you plan to use it for walking and standing it is a great addition and hits the B+ for value)
Personal: A- (Still a big Horizon fan)
Overall Design: B+
SHOP | SUPPORT DORMizuno Wave Horizon 7Price: $169.95 at Running Warehouse
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