Weight 328g
Evaluation Mizuno has another hit on its hands with the light, everyday Maverick. It’s a little more basic than the awesome £70
Wave Rider, but it’s nevertheless built for smoothness, stability and performance. The key to its success – apart from a super fit and a good feel for the ground – is a new variation on the rippled plastic Wave plate that sits sandwiched into the midsole of Mizuno’s shoes for cushioning and stability. The Maverick’s Wave is rubberised on the lateral (outer) side for a soft heel-strike, and plastic on the medial (inner) side for stability – and because the two sides are interwoven, the running motion stays smooth and natural.
While some weartesters liked the Maverick for speedwork and even racing, most runners will simply find it a perky, effortless shoe for all but perhaps the longest training runs. One weartester who runs in the Asics 2000 series and the
Saucony GRID Omni wrote, “Even if I weren’t testing the Maverick, I would still reach for them before the others.” You don’t need much more recommendation than that.
In short The Maverick isn’t a miracle shoe – it has a basic, sub-£70 feel – but weartesters had nothing but praise for it. It’s about as light as an everyday shoe can get without sacrificing cushioning and stability.
Try it if you liked Adidas Supernova (£70);
Nike Air Span Triax (£65);
Asics DS Trainer (£80)
