Our Thoughts on the Mizuno Neo Zen After 100 Miles
The Mizuno Neo Zen is a fun and bouncy daily trainer. Priced at $150, it is very competitively priced in this category. It features a full bed of Mizuno’s new Enerzy NXT foam in the midsole, a boaty rocker, and a booty style upper. Here we will provide an overview of the Neo Zen and let you know our thoughts after 100 miles.
The Neo Zen is a new, fun, highly cushioned, and bouncy daily trainer from Mizuno. Here at Supwell we have enjoyed it for its ability to provide a unique and fun ride and we have now gotten it up to 100 miles. Below, we break down five reasons why the Neo Zen has become a hobby jogger favorite—and let you know how it’s held up after 100 miles of use.
Mizuno Neo Zen
What We’ve Enjoyed About the Neo Zen:
The Fun, Midsole Foam
Mizuno debuted their new supercritical TPU foam in the Neo Zen. It delivers an incredibly unique, fun, and bouncy ride in a daily trainer that retails for $150. Is it not too soft like many of the new foams, but rather provides a really nice, cushioned ride. It’s not the fastest shoe or the most plush and comfortable shoe, but it definitely provides a protective, fun ride for racking up the miles on tired legs. The Neo Zen has consistently made our list of soft and bounciest shoes, and it is hard to imagine it getting dethroned by anything else anytime soon.
The Durability
After 100 miles, Yowana has had no issues with durability in his pair. Meredith has her pair up over 200 miles with little sign of wear on the outsole and the foam still feelis just as energetic and bouncy as it did out of the box.
High Mileage Cruiser
One of the common problems with shoes with softer foams is that there is some foam fatigue after about an hour of use. This is not the case at all with the Neo Zen. We’ve known hobby joggers to take it out for up to 30 miles at a time. It holds up really well to high mileage training and long time on feet. It never bottoms out and is highly protective.
The Light Weight
Mizuno has managed to pack 46mm of fun, bouncy foam in the heel of the Neo Zen while keeping it really light weight. It comes in at 8.3 oz in a Men’s size 9, which is about the same as the lightweight Adidas EVO SL and even lighter than the ASICS Novablast 5. It also has a very lightweight and breathable upper, which makes it great for the warmer months.
.png)
The Rocker
The Neo Zen has what we here at Supwell like to call a floaty, boaty rocker. If you are a heel striker or a mid-foot striker, you will really enjoy how the rocker just rolls you along through your stride, making running feel easier and more fun.
Some Things to Know About the Neo Zen:
Baggy Fit / Upper
While we are not bothered by the booty style upper, some people have found it to be problematic and ill-fitting. We’ve heard many people going a half size down to ensure a proper lockdown. Yowana has his Neo Zen in his true-to-size Men’s 10.5, but Meredith, Content Manager at Supwell, went down a half size. If you have a narrower or lower volume foot, you might consider going a half size down. On the flip side, it is very accommodating for people who have wider feet.
The Stability
With the high stack of foam (46mm in the heel and 40mm in the forefoot), lack of a structured upper, and soft midsole, the Neo Zen can feel unstable. If you have stability needs or tend to pronate or supinate, you may want to consider another shoe with some more inherent or built-in stability. The ASICS Novablast 5 and Salomon Aero Glide 3 two really great options.
Asics Novablast 5
Salomon Aero Glide 3
.png)
If you've enjoyed this 100 mile review, check out our other recent 100 miles here:
Supwell Shoe Matcher
Whether you're looking for a reliable easy run shoe, pampering comfort on recovery days, a long-run cruiser, or a race day weapon, check out our Shoe Matcher tool to get matched. We've done the extensive testing, so you don't have to.
Find your next running shoe
Answer a few questions to find the best shoe based on your preferences and goals
