22 September 2007 11:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

As the kids start back at school you've probably thought now is your time to get fit again for the winter. If you haven't nevermind, we've been out testing the Mizuno Wave Creation 8's on your behalf. Good or bad? Read on to find out.

Lightweight and comfortable to wear, we found the Mizuno Wave Creation 8's firm under foot compared to our Nike Bowerman.

This according to the manufacturers is due to the "Infinity Wave" technology in the shoe that provides the ultimate in cushioning, rebound and durability by reducing the shoes reliance on midsole foam.

In practice and this means that the heel is suspended on pillars rather than a cushion of foam and apart from the rogue bit of gravel getting suck in the there, gave a good ride.

As for the upper, the mesh design offers good breathability although we found the side swishes only hindered this rather than adding anything other than a bit of design looks.

What is good, for the dark nights ahead was that the Mizuno Wave Creation 8s are very reflective to light and we are sure this made a difference in our night runs.

Verdict

We tested the Mizuno Wave Creation 8s over a number of test runs on beaten path, tarmac and grass, with the best performance felt over a harder rather than softer surface.

The stiffness in the design certainly makes for a more lively run and one that once you get used to (we didn't like at first) makes this a good running shoe.

These shoes were kindly supplied by fitnessfootwear.com.

Score

Review Recap

Made by

Mizuno

Price as reviewed

£95

The good

Firm ride, breathability

The bad

The swishes down the side can get in the way, not elastic laces

Quick verdict

The stiffness in the design certainly makes for a more lively run

Score

• Shop - Fitnessfootwear.com

Recommended articles