Customer Reviews Mizuno Wave® Paradox

The top of this shoe between the laces and the toe tip felt extremely low; there was no wiggle room to flex your toes up. It already seemed to be pressed against the top surface of my big toe, so that would have become an issue trying to run in them. I am a 5'4", 115-lb pronator who does not have wide feet. After years of wearing the Brooks Adrenaline GTS, last year I switched to the Mizuno Wave Alchemy and loved it; after reading that the Alchemy was being discontinued and replaced with the Paradox, I ordered this shoe. It does not feel like the Alchemy; it does not provide the same amount of stability or cushion. I returned them.

Finally found a narrow, supportive sneaker! Have been trying on sneakers for a year without any luck-no local retailers carry narrow. Thought to order a couple pairs on Zappos hoping one would work- they all did! If you need a narrow shoe, this is the way to find it!

Having 2 pair of Wave Inspires, and not seeing what I wanted when I needed my next pair, I decided to try these new ones. Out of the box, I wasn't too sure, as they are much more stiff than what I'm used to. I held on to them for a while before deciding to give them a run. Much to my surprise, I found them not only more stable, but very light on my feet, and actually felt like I had more energy during my run. If you're used to a soft mesh shoe, these will take you out of your comfort zone. And for pronators, they do seem to do the trick.

I always get my shoes at Zappos because of narrow feet. These shoes, however, are so tiny! I could barely get my feet into them. I do not even know what size to order but would like to have a pair. Unusual for Zappos.

I have had these shoes a year, running about 10 miles a week and have loved them. They provide good stability and shock absorption but they are not squishy like my Asics. Also I have managed to make the transition to landing on the front of my foot instead of striking heel first and I will give some credit to the shoe construction in enabling me to do this. I am definitely replacing my old pair with the same shoe. I wear an 8½ regular shoe but usually size up half a size for running. The size 9 has worked well.

I have narrow feet...size 12N and these are the only sneakers I can wear. Lightweight and so comfy! I bought 2 more pairs after the first pair worked out so well.

I love these shoes! I was looking for supportive running shoes - I have over-pronating feet and these are a dream! I was always a Nike fan but they do not offer the support I need so I was led to the Mizunos. They are narrower in the footbed like Nikes but have a much higher and more supportive cut around the ankle and better arch support. I would definitely recommend these.

I am a beginner in terms of running. I'm always looking for running shoes with good support for severe overpronators because I don't want any injuries. I have worn Brooks shoes (Ariel and Addiction) and they were both good, but I like these ones even better. In comparison to the Brooks, these are cuter and they feel lighter and more supportive. I ran for 40 minutes (which is a lot for me) in these brand new shoes, and I completely forgot that I was wearing new shoes. They were very comfortable. Having said that I don't think these shoes are for everyone. I have feet that are on the narrow side. The fit is just right for my feet but these shoes would not work for chubbier feet.

I have plantar fasciitis with nerve pain/swelling. I have been searching high and low for a pair of shoes that will support many hours on my feet working. I am a small business owner, who goes from baking all night, to selling all day at farmer's markets. I also teach part-time. I spend a lot of time on my feet! I wear these with the blue superfeet insole. After the first day, I came home with considerably less foot/hip/back pain. If you are like me, and find yourself on your feet for 18+ hours without sitting down, you will like these shoes.

Just LOVE these sneakers. I bought them because I needed a wide sneaker ever since I broke my toe. This sneaker lasts me through my long 12 hour night shifts. PLUS, everyone compliments them all the time ;) Finally found a great pair!

I am a sever over-pronator and am for some crazy reason training for a 10-mile run. I needed good, sturdy shoes as I tend to get stress fractures in my ankles. The combination of slowly increasing my workouts to these quality shoes has led me through the first half of my training without damage so far (knock on wood). They don't feel squishy or tight like some running shoes, but they provide stability and are fairly light weight (for stability shoes). It took about two runs to get use to the new shoes, but I have to say that I do not regret this purchase. I will likely buy a second pair to see me through my full training program and the final run. Mizunos do tend to last, after all.

I've had 9 pairs of Mizuno wave alchemy shoes (I am a severe over-pronator). Was worried this shoe, which is the replacement this year, wouldn't be as supportive from reading online reviews. I love it. It's just as supportive as the alchemy, but lighter and more streamlined.

I have been wearing the Mizuno Wave Alchemy for about six years now and I love those shoes. Unfortunately, they were discontinued so this is where I ended up. I went through four different pairs to find the right fit. (Thank you, Zappos, for your free returns!) I usually wear a size 8, but I ended up with a size 8½W. The toebox is too tight in these shoes,but getting the bigger size in a wide seems to help. I have only worn them twice, but they seem like a good substitute for my former favorite shoes.

Love the fit of Mizuno shoes! I have narrow feet, and Mizuno narrow shoes seem to mold to my feet perfectly in terms of width. That said, these particular shoes has the ankle cut out a little back of where my ankle actually falls and the arch support doesn't hit in quite the right place, unlike my other Mizunos. Still, it is difficult to do better when trying to find the perfect fit.

Pretty disappointed in these running shoes. I love the way they looked and have owned other Mizuno running shoes in the past. The front of the shoe (toe box) was so tight! I usually wear a 10 in regular shoes and 10.5 in athletic shoes. These 10.5s were too tight across the front, but fit in the middle of my foot and heel, so I couldn't really go up a size or up to a wider width. Nice looking shoes, but the fit was way off for me.

Just a heads up that these are very small in the toe box - much more so than the Inspires or Wave Riders. Back they go!

Oh, how I wanted this shoe to work! Unfortunately, after ordering 2 sizes (thank you for the easy return/exchange Zappos), they still need to go back. I only wanted these for training & walking, but the top of my feet felt very numb while wearing them around the house for a very short amount of time. Sigh.

I bought these shoes because they were supposed to be the replacement for the discontinued model of Mizuno I used to run in. Unfortunately, the angled lacing pattern puts stress directly on my bunion. I tried re-lacing the shoe to skip one of the bottom holes, thus making a straight across lacing, and it did not help enough to relieve the stress on my bunion. These shoes are completely useless to me.

I purchased these as a replacement for my beloved Mizuno Wave Alchemies and was not pleased with the lack of arch support and comfort. I noticed right away that the toe box felt a little snug and rigid but was hoping this would become less of an issue over time. However, my planned 4-mile run turned into a painful 2-mile run with my right arch and hamstring strained the entire time. Seems that this shoe either really works for you or doesn't.

I have normally bought the wave creation but wasn't happy with the latest model of that shoe. I bought these and they seemed like they would be a good fit once they broke in. I agree about the toe box with other reviewers now that I've had them for 6+ months. My feet are narrow so I didn't think it would be an issue but as soon as I put them on my feet actually start to feel numb and the arch support is almost gone at this point. I put on my last pair of wave creation's (2 years old) and they felt like a dream compared to these.

The heels were too wide and the middle of the inner part of the shoe has a piece of material that rubs my foot - I'm sure I'd get a blister if I ran in them as it hurt walking around the house. I think they didn't line the whole shoe to save on weight but it backfired on my foot.

I thought this shoe would replace my worn out Wave Enigmas. Unfortunately, even my standard width Enigmas are wider than the Wide width Paradox. Also, the shoe cannot accommodate a sport orthotic. This makes me very sad. It looks like I will have to go through another marathon shopping trip to find running shoes, and I doubt I'll find anything as nice as a Mizuno.

Warning: these are NOT at all similar to the previous model - the Wave Alchemy - they purport to replace. After wearing the Wave Alchemy for years, and trusting the Mizuno brand, it's really just disappointing to see such a poor substitution. This shoe is completely different, different feel, different performance - everything. And at a higher pricepoint. I haven't had shin splints that bad since I started running 13 years ago. If Mizuno wants to create a different/more pricey shoe by all means do so, that's business, but don't market this as a direct replacement for the Alchemy. Probably going to switch back to Brooks Adrenaline/Ravena at this point and cross my fingers.

I ordered these running shoes after having two pairs of the Mizuno waves thinking the comfort with a severe overpronator foot would be more stable, but disappointed in the support. The material of the sole also feels softer like it would break down more quickly and would have to replace them sooner than would like. I sent them back.

I am so disappointed with these sneakers. I have run with Wave Alchemy shoes for years and came here to Zappos as I always do (love you, Zappos!) for my annual Mizuno Wave Alchemy update, only to find that the Paradox has theoretically replaced the Wave Alchemy. So I ordered them and have been miserable ever since! Much narrower, with no flexibility or give on the top of the foot, I have been trying to run in them for over a month now, only to suffer pain and numbness every time -- I've even taken to keeping the laces barely tied to try to make them more comfortable, but that also makes them less stable. I don't think I can return them at this point, after throwing away the box and using them so much to try to make them work, and I can't afford to buy a different pair right now, so I'm stuck with shoes I hate, feeling betrayed by the shoe company I've been recommending to everyone for years.