Mizuno Wave Exceed Light Tennis Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.9

Our playtesters had mixed opinions regarding the comfort of the Mizuno Wave Exceed Lights. Chris found these shoes very comfortable and breathable, although they were a tad wide for his narrow feet. He said, "Requiring no break-in, the Wave Exceed Lights felt comfortable on my very first outing to the courts. The mesh uppers not only offered lots of ventilation, but they also flexed and moved well with my feet. My narrow feet had a smidge too much room since the shoes fit a generous D width, but I was able to lace them securely enough to prevent too much sliding around and rubbing inside the shoes. I have high arches and could not feel the shoes under my arches, but the shoes flexed with my feet and I had zero issues."

Agreeing with Chris, Mark thought these shoes felt soft and comfortable, from the midsole to the uppers. He said, "From the first try-on, Mizuno's new Wave Exceed Light provided my feet with 360 degrees of cushioned comfort, as I felt the upper material was as soft as its midsole cushioning. For my middle-of-the-road width of foot, the fit was slightly on the wider side, but I was still able to get a good secure hold. Although I tested the Wave Exceed Light during the hotter summer months, breathability proved to be sufficient. Lastly, like most tennis shoes, the arch height is low, and although I have a high-arch foot type, I never felt any sort of strain or stress relative to that aspect of these shoes."

On the other hand, Michelle and Tiffani found the cushioning to be somewhat minimal. Michelle was pleased with these shoes when she tried them on, but she experienced discomfort during her first hitting session. She explained, "The first thing I noticed with these shoes was how incredibly light they were the second I went to put them on. From there, I got my feet in the shoes and found them to be fairly comfortable underfoot, but on the narrow side. With shoes so light, you can probably imagine the cushioning is more minimal than other shoes on the market. The uppers felt comfortable and breathable, and initially I had no issues here. My biggest comfort complaint may be a support problem. I found that the insides of my feet, especially at the medial side of my toe box, began to ache about 30 minutes into wear, and beyond."

Tiffani added, "Like the Wave Exceed Tour 5s, these Wave Exceed Light shoes felt a little snug through the toe box for my wider feet. The uppers felt pliable, though, so although the shoes were tight on my feet, they weren't too painful to wear. These shoes felt pretty minimal underfoot, and I was left wanting more padding. I wouldn't want to wear these for long drilling sessions on court. I thought the Wave Exceed Lights were average in both arch support and ventilation."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.4

Our playtesters found the Mizuno Wave Exceed Lights to be reasonably stable for their weight. Chris felt that these shoes did a good job preventing ankle rolls. He noted, "I found decent support from these shoes because they moved well with my feet. They were very flexible, so not stable in a traditional sense, but the fact that the shoes worked with my movements had me feeling confident to play all out. I also sat low enough inside the Wave Exceed Lights that I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle."

While the Wave Exceed Lights weren't quite as stable as Tiffani would have liked, using the last eyelet helped give her a bit more confidence on court. She said, "These shoes are quite light, and I wished for a more stable, secure feel on court. I can't fault them for performance, but the shoes didn't instill confidence because they are so low cut. I used the last eyelet to get a better fit around the ankle, and that left my shoelaces very short. I wasn't sliding around inside the shoes, so support was fine for me."

Mark added, "I am still able to use foot speed as a weapon, so I depend on shoes that will hold my feet in place during abrupt directional changes. For a tennis shoe that weighs in at around 11.7 ounces (men's US 10.5), the Wave Exceed Light is reasonably supportive. That said, this is the one area of the playtest where the upper's high degree of comfort did not provide quite enough support for me."

Although the Exceed Lights guard against ankle rolls, their support level caused issues for Michelle during competitive play. She said, "These shoes lacked a bit of support for my feet. It wasn't noticeable at first, but after 30 minutes of drilling, it became evident. I don't think I ever felt unsupported or worried about twisting an ankle, but my feet got sore and did ache after wear. They don't have a ton of stability either. I would reserve these shoes for teaching, social doubles or a fun hit with a friend rather than serious drilling or match play."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.8

Our playtesters found the outsole of the Mizuno Wave Exceed Lights to hold up well throughout the playtest, especially considering how light the shoes are. Unfortunately, some testers noted wear on the toe guard within the first hitting session. Michelle described, "I wore the white option, and after an hour on the court my toe guard was already showing wear. Luckily, this seemed to be more cosmetic than anything, but it did continue to mark and show signs of wear as the test went on. For how light the shoes are, I was actually shocked at how well the outsole held up. I assumed I would blast through them quickly, but they are more durable than I expected."

Tiffani compared these Wave Exceed Lights to another Exceed model. She said, "The high-tier Wave Exceed Tour 5s really impressed me with their durability, so I was a bit disappointed to see some wear on the toes after my first hitting session in the Wave Exceed Lights. I had about 10 hours of hard-court use on my shoes by the end of the playtest, and the toe area on my left shoe is missing the top layer of material. There's an underlayer that is intact, however, so there isn't a hole yet. The outsoles are holding up better, and I think I would wear through the toes before the outsoles."

After more than 30 hours of court time, Mark's shoes were still holding up. He said, "In my opinion, a tennis shoe that weighs less than 12 ounces qualifies as being pretty light, so I never expect it to last very long on a hard court. To my surprise, the outsole of the Wave Exceed Light was pretty abrasion resistant, and even after 30 hours of use, I still have lots of play time left."

Chris found similar results as the rest of the team. He said, "I was surprised by how well the Wave Exceed Lights lasted considering how light they are. Usually the heaviest part of the shoe is the outsole, so it's easy to trim weight by using less rubber, which often puts a ding in durability. Somehow, Mizuno has managed to make these shoes very light and fast yet still give them durable outsoles. I did see some scuffing to the uppers of the shoes at the toe tip, but it was mostly cosmetic."

Traction - Score: 4.3

Over the course of the playtest, the consensus was that the Mizuno Wave Exceed Lights offer a favorable balance of traction. The level of grip always felt just right to Mark. He described, "This was another part of the playtest where the Wave Exceed Light shone. No matter if the hard court was clean and gritty or had some dirt accumulation, I got the proper blend of grip versus slip with regards to its level of traction."

Tiffani and Chris found the same results in this category during their playtest. Chris noted, "The fast feel of the Wave Exceed Light was complemented by a solid level of traction. I was able to get the grip needed for quick starts, stops and lateral cuts. I liked that there was also enough give that the outsoles didn't feel stuck to the court when I was trying to pivot into a shot or slide out of one."

"I liked the balance of grip and give I got from these shoes," Tiffani added. "I felt confident that I wasn't going to slide too much on the court, and I got a good amount of grip when I went to take off for my next shot. I want to be able to pivot without getting caught up, but I also don't like to slide. I think the outsoles of the Wave Exceed Lights were well balanced."

The Wave Exceed Light's traction didn't particularly stand out to Michelle, but that's not a bad thing. She said, "Traction was just fine for me — no complaints. I didn't slip or overly stick anywhere on the court."

Weight - Score: 4.5

The one aspect that stands out most in the Mizuno Wave Exceed Light is its ultra-light weight. Michelle couldn't think of a tennis shoe on the market that feels lighter. She said, "These shoes are so light! Probably the lightest option right now. I personally would exchange some weight for a more supportive upper, though. I prefer something more in the middle of the weight range when looking for a go-to shoe, but if you are looking for something light and fast, the Wave Exceed Lights are for you."

Tiffani agreed with Michelle, adding, "I would give up some of the lightness of these shoes for additional cushioning. These Wave Exceed Lights were definitely light, but so were the Wave Exceed Tour 5s, and I got better cushioning and more durability with those shoes."

Chris thought that Mizuno hit the nail right on the head when it came to naming this shoe. He said, "The Wave Exceed Lights live up to their name, offering a very light and fast feel on court. It was very easy for me to lace these shoes up, head out for a hit and not have to give them a second thought. For me, it's the sign of a good pair of shoes when I can forget about them and focus on my tennis. I was able to move with confidence, and the Wave Exceed Lights were working with me, unlike stiffer shoes which can dig into my feet or cause slippage inside the shoes at the heels."

Like Chris and Michelle, Mark found these shoes to be super light and maneuverable. He explained, "The Mizuno Wave Exceed Light is around 11.7 ounces (in a U.S. men's size 10.5), which on paper indicates it is a lighter tennis shoe. On court, the Wave Exceed Light proved to be a shoe that leans toward maneuverability, combined with decent support."

Overall - Score: 3.8