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Mizuno Wave Hitogami Running Shoe Review

The Good

Thomas: The Mizuno Hitogami is my favorite shoe from Mizuno to date. The Hitogami offers what I consider the sweet spot in cushioning. The Mizuno U4ic midsole is firm with a little give to make it feel fast and gentle on the feet at the same time. With more midsole under the forefoot than the Wave Sayonara, the Hitogami gave my mid-strike a nice crash pad. The plastic Wave plate felt the least noticeable in the Hitogami versus the Wave Rider 17 or the Wave Sayonara. For me that is a good thing. These shoes feel light and fast, not racing flat fast, but marathon shoe fast. I wore them on a 22 mile training run and my feet felt great. The shoe feels very stable under the foot with it’s low profile midsole. The Hitogami weighs in at 7.4 oz (men.) That is a good weight for longer faster runs. I had no issues with the fit of the upper. The toe box looks like it will accommodate wider feet, and was very flexible. Normally I hate white shoes, I liked these shoes so much, I didn’t mind the white and actually kinda like the white version of this shoe better than the alternate color way. Lots of blown rubber on the outsole makes this shoe grippy and durable.

Meaghan: This is a sweet racing flat. The first thing I noticed and loved about this shoe was the simplicity. The upper is sleek, simple, and impressive looking. It’s made of a thin, seamless piece of mesh with welded overlays around the midfoot for support. The lightly padded tongue and collar partnered with braided laces create a secure yet comfortable fit. The shoe is narrow, but the mesh stretches well and hugs my wide feet nicely. It doesn’t look like a lot of shoe, and at 6.2 oz, it doesn’t feel like much either, but the U4ic midsole and forefoot rubber provide plenty of support. These shoes feel fast and several aspects remind me of the New Balance 1400, one of my all time favorite shoes.

The Bad

Thomas: This is a solid shoe, the only thing that got on my nerves were the laces. They were ridiculously long and kind of looked like hiking boot laces. Normally the Wave plate in Mizuno shoes feels clunky to me. I barely notice it in the Hitogami. Wait this is the bad section, that would go in the good section.

Meaghan: I don’t love the stiffness that comes with Mizuno shoes. I feel like it takes a few miles to get them to loosen up. On every run. I had the same feelings towards the Wave Hitogami, but I didn’t mind it as much since I prefer a firmer ride with race flats. Also, the shoes lack traction. One morning I took them out in some cold, slick conditions and I was sliding all over the place.

Conclusion

Thomas: I will say it again, these are my favorite Mizunos I have run in. I would put these in the same category as the Saucony Kinvara and recommend runners try these if they are looking for a solid marathon shoe candidate. The ride is smooth and the upper disappears on the foot. Any running shoe that can make me love them in white has to be a solid shoe. If you like a light fast shoe to do your training in, you will like the Mizuno Hitogami. “In Japanese Kabuki theater, actors don face paint to transform into Hitogami-Human Gods. You’ll experience a similar feeling in the Mizuno Wave Hitogami, a shoe that’s light, low and makes you want to run fast. It’s lean enough for racing, but has an efficient, stable ride that makes it a great choice for fast training days.” – Mizuno Website

Meaghan: I’ve worn the Mizuno Wave Sayonara, Wave Rider 17, and now the Wave Hitogami. The Wave Hitogami is (without question) my favorite of the three. This shoe is light and breathable, feels fast on the road, and comes with a secure, comfortable fit. My next race is a 5K in March. I thought I had my shoes picked out… but I may be wearing these.

For more visit Mizuno for more specs on the Mizuno Hitogami.
Check out what Gearist thought of the Mizuno Hitogami
Runblogger’s Hitogami Review

18
Comments

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  1. Jonathan H. says:

    Great review! I think I’ll be putting this on my short list of shoes to try. I certainly think I would benefit from this given Coach Caleb’s training regimen (particularly the long runs that incorporate speed into them). It would be my first Mizuno.

  2. Fai says:

    Guess what. I also didn’t like white shoes before, but after trying on Hitogami this afternoon, it was so comfortable that I just did’t care about the colour. And after getting used to it, it turns out to be a pair of very good looking and sleek shoes too!

  3. Dan P. says:

    I’ve been looking at these for a while and pulled the trigger based on the review. I’ve never had Mizunos before and can’t wait to try them out this weekend.
    Thanks.

    1. Excellent! Please let us know what you think.

  4. A Dublin says:

    What are your thoughts on the Hitogami as a trainer? Is there enough cushion under foot for long runs?

    Currently I wear the Adidas Boston 4s and Adios 2s for long runs.

    1. Absolutely enough shoe for long runs.

  5. A Dublin says:

    Thanks. Would you recommend the Hitogami over the NB 1400v2 or Adios Boost?

    1. For a marathon I would go with either the Adios Boost or the Hitogami. It is tough, I love the 1400v2, but I think it was just shy of a marathon distance shoe for me. Another runner may find it totally adequate.

  6. Christopher says:

    Great review, thanks Thomas et al. In the market now for a new pair of shoes and the Hitogami is on the top of my list.

    I’m a newer runner and am curious why certain shoes are recommended for half-marathon to marathon distance but not shorter (5K). Seems counterintuitive to me, but I am curious to hear the reasoning!

    1. You will like the Hitogami Christopher. I try to get away with as little and as light of a shoe that I can get away with for any distance. For me it comes down to comfort and avoiding injury. When I recommend a shoe for a distance I am saying “for my foot, this shoe will work for this distance.” Does that help?

  7. Christopher says:

    It does, thank you! I’m trying to decide on the 890v4 and Hitogami right now. Training for a half-marathon in September, neutral runner with a light gait, average of 25-30mi/week, 175 lbs. Any thoughts?

  8. Barry says:

    How would you compare the Hitogami to the Elixir in terms of support, fit, feel, cushioning etc?

    1. I have never worn the Elixir so I can’t be to helpful with this one.

  9. Michelle C. says:

    Hmm, reviews like these are making me want to try this shoe. I’ve put almost 100 miles on the Sayonara. I love the speedy feel and the upper is probably my favorite of any shoe I’ve tried, but I often wish for a bit more cushion and will soon be training for my first half. However, as someone who tends to land on the outside of my foot, I don’t want too much height in the forefoot. If this description vs. the Sayonara is accurate, perhaps I should give the Hitogami a go!

    1. Hi Michelle, I prefer the Hitogami over the Sayonara. Both are good shoes, but the Hitogami edges out the Sayonara.

  10. Shannon says:

    Hi, I have the hitogami shoes and they feel great when im running, went into the shop today and looked at the sayonara but they fell longer in length, I wear a shoe size in 9.5 US in the hitogami should I go down a half size in the sayonara? Thanks

    1. To me, they fit they same. I would stick with the same size.

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