Mizuno Neo Zen Review 100.6 Miles

My size 12's came in weighing: Left 9.7 Ounces, Right 9.7 Ounces
Sample size weight: 8.3 Ounces
Heel Stack: 46MM
Drop: 6MM
Upper:  Knit Sock fit is soft, lightweight, breathable, and eco-friendly with at least 90% recycled linings and laces
Neutral shoe
X10 Rubber outsole
Price: $150 USD (Colorway shown is limited series and has $10 up fee)

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the sock knit upper, but for me, Mizuno has done a great job with the design.  They have a tab where the laces tighten down that keeps any lace pressure from hurting the upper part of your feet.  The upper is breathable and for me, provided a good lock down.   I had no heel slippage and the upper never felt to big. 

I have seen some other reviewers note they needed to size down, so this is something to consider based on your own feet.  I had no hot spots, no rubs, no slippage during my runs.  If you are someone that needs "a little" extra room, but not a wide, this may be a good shoe for you as it allows flexibility in it's fit. 

Putting the shoe on was probably the oddest experience of the shoe for me. The pull tab was used to "snap" the shoe into place.  It took a little getting used to if you aren't used to this type of knit upper.  By mile 100, I was very used to slipping these on

The X10 rubber has been very resilient and has not been a hinderance to the runs.  Sometimes the rubber outsole can disappear quickly (Altra for me), deaden the bounce of the foam by being thick and dense or having massive coverage.  These are all to balance different aspects of the design of usage intended.   The rubber  coverage on this shoe seems to be well balanced where it provides durable protection, but does not deaden the bounce of the foam. 

For this shoe, the rubber has been very durable through 100 Miles.  Most of the miles have been on concrete and black top, but there were some dirt/gravel miles in there.  The outsole has shown little signs of wear, which is a huge plus for me as someone who can wear out outsoles pretty quick.

I only got to run a handful of miles in wet conditions and had no issues, but most of the miles were on dry surfaces. 

MIZUNO ENERZY NXT is a nitrogen-infused foam with resilient supercritical TPU, creating a lightweight/responsive foam.

My experience: My first slip into the the shoe, I knew the first run in these was going to be fun.  I was 100% correct.  This shoe absorbs the force of the body extremely well and propels the foot back through the stride.  It has become one of my favorite midsoles when I want bounce in my step.  The only other shoe I have run in with this kind of fun, is the Adidas Evo SL.   

There is a large slab of the foam.  My only slight concern is after 1 of my long runs (I ran a 13.2 mile and a 16 mile long run in them) I did notice a bit of foot fatigue.  I'm not sure if it was the shoe or maybe something else (I'm not getting younger), as I didn't have that feeling after the other run, but it is something I would be aware of if I were going to go longer than 16 miles.  It may also be an effect of just the amount of stack underfoot. 

The geometry of the shoe makes for a very smooth transition through my stride.  Mizuno states the geometry is designed to reduce the pressure on the calves and provides a solid base for quick turnover.   The Foam and geometry were a true delight to run in.  I found it easy to pick up the pace and the the quick turnover was true for my runs. 

I had a good feeling I was going to like this shoe, but I didn't know I was going to like it as much as I do.  I have it up there with the Adidas Evo SL, Superblast, Mount to Coast R1R for me.  It met my expectations of fun perfectly, with a bit of wild mixed in.  

What I wouldn't use this shoe for, is obstacle course running.  I would not want to make any quick cuts in my running on this shoe.  With the amount of stack and lack of support around the ankle, I did make sure to take caution on turns.  I would probably choose something else for a full marathon, only because I have concern that the amount of foam may tire out my feet by the end. 

With that said, I would use this shoe for pretty much anything else.  Tempo, easy, long runs, short runs, fun runs, intermittent, fartlek (I actually think this shoe is superb for changing gears), I would use this shoe for it all.  

For me I am defining a long run in this review as something under 20 miles, just to clarify my note on not using it for a marathon, but using it for a long run.  It is possible, that over time I would work into using it for a marathon

Just want to give a shout out to my local running store where I purchased these shoes.  They have a great staff, are very supportive of the local running community, actively interact with local running groups and host a fantastic Tuesday beer run.  If you are ever in the Houston area (Katy suburb), I strongly advise stopping by and checking them out 

https://www.goodtimesrunningco.com/

https://www.instagram.com/goodtimesbeerrun

The shoe is a very strong recommend based on my experience and review of 100 miles.  It hit my goal of being a fun shoe with some wild mixed in.