Mizuno Wave Impulse Women's Review

Comfort - Score: 3.4

With Wave cushioning in the midsole and a bootie construction, the Wave Impulses provide a low to the ground ride with a sleek fit that drew mixed reviews from our team. Even though Michelle found the cushioning to be quite minimal, she gave a thumbs up for comfort. She explained, "These shoes definitely had less cushioning, but they allowed me to really feel connected to the court. The fit was narrower (more of a European fit) and reminded me a bit of ballet slippers, but I didn't have any issues with that. I stayed in my true size, and after wearing them for a few hours I had no issues with comfort or fit. They were snug for sure, but I actually didn't mind, and I enjoyed them in the gym as well. Lastly, while it wasn't detrimental to me, they did run a bit hot in my opinion."

Brittany isn't new to Mizuno, and although she expected the narrow fit, she had to make some sizing adjustments. She said, "After playtesting the Wave Exceed Tour 3s, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of fit. Although the Wave Impulses continued the trend of being on the narrow side, they weren't as long as the Exceed Tour 3. When I slipped the Wave Impulses on my feet the tight fit caused some pressure points and discomfort. Since the length was average to a tad short, I was able to go up a half size. The cushioning was minimal underfoot, and it left me wanting better comfort as I moved around on the court. I did add custom insoles, which gave me a little more cushioning and support, especially in the arch area."

Tiffani also encountered some sizing issues. She described, "As I slipped my feet into the Wave Impulses I immediately knew they were a bit too narrow for me. However, unlike the Wave Exceed Tour 3s, the uppers of the Impulses had enough give and broke in enough that my feet didn't hurt. The Impulses also ran short, so I wore a half size larger than my normal size. Aside from being a little on the small side, the Impulses had minimal cushioning, especially in the forefoot. While I like a low ride while I play, the cushioning was a bit too minimal. These shoes felt quite firm underfoot, so I didn't like to wear them off court. The ventilation and arch support felt about average to me."

Julie agreed, adding, "The Mizuno Wave Impulses have a narrow fit, and I had to go up a half size for the shoes to fit me perfectly. I think the firm underfoot feel is something we all agreed on. The cushioning was minimal and responsive at the expense of comfort. This kept me low to the ground as I played, and I felt quick moving around the court. Unfortunately, I experienced severe arch pain that impaired my experience with these shoes. After about 30 minutes on court I started to feel sharp pain on accelerations, which prevented me from finishing my hitting sessions. I think some cushioning could have fixed the issue, offering a plusher feel and better step-in comfort."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.9

Most of our playtesters were pleased with the stability of the Wave Impulse shoes. Michelle explained, "The tighter fit helped with support and stability. I felt very locked in with the upper. The shoes opened up a bit as the playtest went on, but they remained supportive. Stability was fairly solid for me too. There were times I was worried I'd tip over on a very aggressive move out wide, but I never lost my footing. The shoe has a nice outrigger that helped with confidence on quick cuts."

Tiffani had similar sentiments. She noted, "The narrow fit and the bootie construction of these Wave Impulses hugged my feet and provided all the stability and support I needed. These shoes didn't have any extra bulk, so they felt like they moved with me effortlessly. The wider platform of the outsole worked well with the glove-like fit to provide a sense of support and stability on most of my movements. I only noticed minimal toe jamming on quick stops."

"Support and stability-wise, there were no complaints on my part," added Julie. "These Wave Impulses are solid shoes with flexible uppers that provide great support. The sock-like design and narrow fit kept my feet locked in as I played, and I didn't experience any sliding inside the shoes. I never felt like my ankle was rolling over when I moved aggressively, and I always found myself well balanced in these shoes. They were also very responsive when changing directions, which helped me stay nimble and recover quickly."

Because of a past ankle injury, Brittany had a slightly different outlook on the Wave Impulse's stability. She said, "With a bootie construction and a narrower fit, the shoes held my feet snuggly even after going up a half size. Toward the end of the playtest the uppers were starting to loosen up, and I wasn't getting as secure a fit as I wanted. The biggest thing for me was the ankle stability. When I was making quick stops the upper would stretch, and my feet would slide over the edge more than I like. Although I never had any issues with toppling over or rolling an ankle, I was more aware of my shoes when playing."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.2

Durability wasn't the main design goal for the Wave Impulses, and may have been sacrificed to make them lighter. That being said, some of our testers were satisfied with how well the shoes held up given their weight. Tiffani described, "I'm not experiencing any excessive wear, especially considering how light these shoes are. Although they won't be the most durable option, the Impulses are right in line with other lightweight shoes, like an adidas Ubersonic or Nike Vapor."

Brittany concurred with that assessment. She added, "As expected with lightweight shoes, the outsole durability on these was average. I am not the hardest on my shoes, but after wearing them 10-plus hours on court I was already starting to see some smoothing underneath my big toes. However, the toes have held up well since then, and I don't see any severe wear and tear."

"Durability wasn't great for me," Michelle said. "I saw some solid wearing on my outsoles after two weeks (10 hours or so) of play. The traction slowly began to get compromised because of this, and I found that the shoes got fairly slippery by the end of the playtest. For me, this was the area of the playtest where the shoes just didn't hold up. "

The amount of wear on Julie's shoes was more severe than the rest of the team. She explained, "Durability was a bit disappointing for me. I didn't play more than six hours with the Wave Impulses on my feet, but the outsoles started smoothing after my first two hours on court. However, I drag my feet a lot, especially on returns, and I haven't noticed any sign of wear at the forefoot, so toe durability was definitely a positive."

Traction - Score: 3.8

Our team didn't find any issues with the traction of the Wave Impulses, and they felt confident moving aggressively. Tiffani commented, "I love it when I'm not thinking about the traction. It means that I don't need to worry about slipping or getting stuck to the court. I had no issues with the Impulses here, and my movements all felt natural on the court. It's a thumbs up for me in this category."

Julie appreciated the traction as well. She said, "The Mizuno Wave Impulses found the perfect balance between grippy and slippery! The outsoles had enough give that I didn't feel stuck on court, while offering enough grip to ensure I wasn't sliding when I didn't want to. I had the ability to push off the court and recover fast, as well as adjust around the ball without feeling any sticky discomfort from the outsole."

The praise continued from Brittany, who added, "I had no issues with traction. In fact, I didn't even notice it, which is a good thing! I think this was a combination of the modified herringbone pattern and the low-to-the-ground feel. The shoes gripped the court when needed, but I never felt stuck."

Michelle thought the Wave Impulse's traction felt great at first, but she noticed it becoming more slippery as the outsole wore down. She described, "As I mentioned, once the rubber started wearing out the traction of these shoes dropped. Initially, I didn't have any issues with the traction level. They were not too sticky or too slippery, but once the rubber began wearing the traction became a bit slicker than what I prefer."

Weight - Score: 4.3

With a 10.9-ounce weight (size 8.5), the Wave Impulses fall firmly into the lightweight category, much to the delight of Brittany. She said, "I tend to favor lightweight shoes, and the Wave Impulses perfectly fit my needs. They were light and fast, which let me feel speedy on the court. This was definitely the highlight of the playtest for me."

"I loved how connected to the court I felt in these shoes, and that paired perfectly with their light weight," added Michelle. "They felt speedy, and I always felt like I was on my toes and ready to move fast in them. They never felt bulky or heavy to me at all."

The low weight was a highlight for Tiffani as well. She said, "The Wave Impulses felt very light on my feet. As I mentioned earlier, these shoes don't have any excess bulk to them. I was impressed by how secure I felt moving around the court considering the weight of the shoes. However, I wouldn't mind a bit more cushioning and would happily take the extra weight for more protection under the balls of my feet."

Julie added to the chorus of praise, saying, "I enjoy light and speedy shoes, and I think the Wave Impulse fall right into both categories. I moved quickly around the court, and I felt light on my feet without losing stability."

Overall - Score: 3.7