Mizuno Wave Impulse Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 3.2

Our playtesters found nice heel cushioning in the Wave Impulse, but they were missing some underfoot cushioning. Since Mark tracks down just about every ball, comfort is always a necessity. He said, "I felt the overall comfort level of the new Wave Impulse AC was good, with the upper's level of comfort slightly eclipsing what the midsole provided. The toe box is slightly narrow, but the material in that area is pretty elastic and opened up nicely, providing a glove-like fit within 10 minutes of wear. The EVA midsole is soft, but not especially thick. While this does keep the wearer more connected to the court, I felt that it limited the Wave Impulse's level of cushioning underfoot. I did like the uni-tongue and extra padding in the heel collar, which not only assisted with comfort, but also helped hold my feet in place. I have a pretty high arch, and although the stock insert of the Wave Impulse AC is on the low side, I had no comfort or support issues wearing them. I also never experienced any overheating with the Wave Impulse."

With his narrower feet, Troy found a comfortable fit in the Wave Impulse. He said, "I found the arch support and the overall fit to work well for my foot type. The bootie construction wasn't so tight around the ankles that it was difficult to slip these shoes on, but it did a good job of keeping my feet locked inside. The width was slightly narrow, which felt good around the toe box and didn't allow me extra wiggle room. The biggest downside when it came to comfort was the minimal amount of padding in the forefoot. The feel was almost board-like underneath the balls of my feet. These shoes also weren't quite as breathable as I would have liked. Considering these Wave Impulses are relatively light, I would have expected better ventilation."

Erik found the Wave Impulse to be comfortable overall, but he struggled when moving aggressively. He explained, "These shoes have very minimal cushioning, and they are a little boardy, especially in the forefoot. The cushioning is not very responsive and does not absorb shock well. The ventilation is okay and the fit is snug, but the uppers do stretch over time, which caused a little bit of foot slippage and toe jamming on really aggressive movements. These shoes are pretty comfortable once they stretch out, though."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

The Mizuno Wave Impulse's bootie construction locked in our playtesters' feet, helping them feel confident and ready to battle. Troy said, "The bootie construction of these shoes and the relatively slim fit did a good job of keeping my feet firmly in place. There was enough rigidity in the midfoot for me to feel confident when making aggressive lateral movements. The arch was slightly on the low side but still offered me decent support. Although the forefoot cushioning was very minimal and not comfortable, the low-to-the-court feel allowed me to change directions quickly without feeling like I would roll an ankle."

Looking for stability when moving aggressively to the ball, Erik thought that the Wave Impulses got less supportive as they wore in. He commented, "These shoes are pretty stable, but when the uppers stretched the support levels went down. The bootie construction hugged my feet, which was nice when moving laterally, but I did have to cinch the laces up more tightly over time."

Unlike Erik, Mark found nice support throughout the playtest. He said, "I felt secure in the Wave Impulses whether I was shuffling side to side, racing to the net, or abruptly applying the brakes. The uppers are somewhat elastic, but not to the point where they allow my feet to spill over the sides."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.9

Our playtesters found the durability on the outsoles of the Wave Impulses to be solid overall. Mark described, "For the extremely aggressive hard-court player there isn't much material that extends up over the top of the toe cap. In general, though, the outsoles were plenty durable and abrasion resistant for how aggressively I move around the tennis court."

While Troy noticed a little wear on his pair, he was satisfied for the most part. He commented, "The overall sole durability was good. The rubber compound held up well throughout the month-long test and was comparable to the Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 3 shoes we recently playtested. There was slight balding underneath the balls of my feet, but nothing significant. Even toward the end of the playtest, the tread held up pretty well."

One of the more aggressive movers on the playtest team, Erik found the durability to meet his expectations. He stated, "These shoes are relatively durable. I did notice a little bit of balding in some high-wear areas, mostly on the toe. The sides of the shoes were showing signs of wear due to sliding on court, This was to be expected, though, because of the synthetic leather upper."

Traction - Score: 4.1

Our playtesters found the Wave Impulses to offer a well-balanced traction level. Erik felt that these shoes allowed him to slide to his shots smoothly on hard courts. He noted, "The traction was solid. I had a nice blend of give and grip, and I really liked sliding in these shoes. This was my favorite aspect of the Wave Impulse. I also had enough grip with these shoes to pivot out of a shot and recover without worry."

The Wave Impulses felt a little tacky to Troy at first, but they smoothed out nicely before long. He explained, "I found the traction to feel a bit on the sticky side out of the box. During the first court session these shoes offered a lot of grip, maybe a bit too much for my liking. After grinding out a couple of sessions on the hard courts, the outsoles broke in well. The tread pattern started to smooth out a bit, and I started to notice an ideal level of give and grip when it came to slamming on the brakes."

Like Troy, Mark thought the traction required a slight break-in to feel perfect. He commented, "All of the time I spent playing in the Mizuno Wave Impulses was on hard courts, and at first they were a little sticky. However, within the roughly 10 minutes it takes to warm up, I was getting the proper amount grip on the court with just enough slip. Even with more than 25 hours of play on them, including a three-match tournament, the Impulses have sustained that same level of traction."

Weight - Score: 4.1

Weighing in at 13.4 ounces, the Mizuno Wave Impulses allowed our playtesters to move quickly around the court while offering some nice stability. For Troy, the weight seemed to improve as the playtest progressed. He said, "These shoes felt somewhat middle of the road when it came to the weight. Technically, these shoes would be classified as 'lightweight,' coming in under 14 ounces. However, at the beginning of the playtest they felt a bit rigid and didn't flex very much, giving them a clunky feel. After about a week of wear they started to soften up and flex the way I like. Overall, the Wave Impulses felt slightly heavier than the number on the scale would indicate, but they never felt like a detriment to my movement."

Mark felt very fast in these lightweight shoes. He explained, " I consider any high-performance tennis shoe that weighs less than 15 ounces to be on the lighter side, and the Mizuno Wave Impulses are considerably lighter than that at a scant 13.4 ounces. Additionally, they aren't just light on paper, but feel very light and speedy on court."

Erik thought that the Wave Impulses felt well balanced. He said, "These shoes feel pretty light to middle of the road weight-wise. They had some nice heft to them, but at the same time, I could move quickly to the ball. Their weight never slowed me down."

Overall - Score: 3.4