Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low Review: Turning Heel

Introduction to the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low

RYAN: How many times have I called myself Mizuno Boy at this point? Honestly, I don’t know, but it’s becoming as much of my identity here at Believe in the Run as Chad’s is The Clydesdale. At this point, I think I’ve reviewed as many Mizuno running shoes as anyone else on the team, and that includes Thomas and Meg, who have been at this for much longer than I have. So, you better believe I’m back for another round.

This time, though, I’m takin’ the show solo. If you think back to about a year ago, you may remember that I took Mizuno’s Wave Rebellion Pro 3 — then called the Wave Rebellion Pro Beta — for a spin around the mean (very lovely) streets of Amsterdam for my fastest 26.2 miles to date. There was a lot for me to like about that shoe, from the eye-catching, yet disguised colorway to the monumental stack of foam, and I mostly had good things to say about it.

Unfortunately, though, Mizuno’s signature feature — the super-aggressive heel bevel — also proved to be its undoing. It was just far too steep to work with my heel-striking stride, and it turned a buttery smooth first 16 miles into a stop-start last 10 until I hauled myself across the line. Sure, I was happy with my shiny new PR, but I was left with more than a few questions about what I could have done with more traditional geometry.

Enter the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low — a semi-update to the marathon racer that cuts the stack and flattens the heel, giving me exactly the experience I wondered about. It sticks with the bulk of the same formula, using an Enerzy XP midsole (made of supercritical TPEE) sandwiched around a carbon-infused nylon plate and an upper that feels exactly like the one I laced up last year.

But, with such a drastic departure from Mizuno’s tried and true geometry, I started to wonder if the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low would swing too far in the opposite direction. I wondered if the loss of the steep heel would render the shoe just a bit too flat and counteract the science that the Mizuno team had spent so much time explaining to me before my race. So, I laced up and headed out onto the streets of Baltimore to get my answer.

Here’s the lowdown on whether or not you really can get low.

What we like about the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low

RYAN: I know I loved the zebra-like look of the original Wave Rebellion Pro 3, which is probably one of the most distinct designs in Mizuno’s recent Beta launch pack, but I think the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low looks even better. It swaps the loud stripes and bright green details for a white upper, a black logo, and some red and purple accents, and it comes out looking so much cleaner. If ever there were a Mizuno shoe after Meg Murray’s heart, it would be this one.

It’s still a decidedly Mizuno design, with subtle waves that stretch across the Enerzy XP midsole, but I thoroughly enjoy that it’s just a bit more… wearable. I don’t feel like I have a zoo on my feet, just a clean, straightforward racing machine. There’s also just not a whole lot to dig into with the overall look of the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low — it’s clean and unfussy, and I’m all in on the style.

The more important part of Mizuno’s mid-year update is that it managed to refresh its racer without completely sacrificing the components it worked so hard to combine. I already mentioned that the shoe rides on a stack of Enerzy XP foam, which is a supercritical TPEE compound, and I think it feels almost exactly like the original shoe — just, well, less of it. There’s still a pretty good amount of bounce as I pick up the pace, and the carbon-infused nylon plate feels about the same, too.

Of course, I can’t go any longer without talking about the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low’s key change: its much-reduced heel bevel. When I say it makes a world of difference while running in this shoe, I’m not exaggerating. I no longer feel like I’m landing on the front of my foot while walking around, nor do I feel like I would fall backwards if I were to lean back on my heel.

I didn’t do very well in high school trigonometry, but I would have to say that the angle of the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low is no more than half of what its Beta sibling used. As a result, I haven’t felt nearly as beat up at the end of my longer runs, nor do I feel like the shoe has started to work against me as my form has broken down.

Mizuno’s unchanged upper is more good news, as I always thought the Wave Rebellion Pro Beta’s breathable mesh was one of the best I’d tried on. If not for the slightly modified geometry, I would have guessed that the upper is exactly the same one used on release versions of the Wave Rebellion Pro 3, right down to the pattern of the weave and the accent colors.

One last note: Mizuno’s application of G3 rubber feels like it hits the sweet spot of full coverage without feeling bulky. It sits more like an open mesh across the bottom of the Enerzy XP, protecting it from the ground but not adding too much weight. Just be careful about landing on shards of glass or sharp rocks — they could probably poke through the gaps.

What we don’t like about the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low

RYAN: Interestingly, I think the change in geometry for the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 comes with one unexpected quirk: I can’t always figure out the ride. I think the shoe feels absolutely brilliant while gliding down hills, packing plenty of bounce and a soft landing every time, but it feels just a little bit dead on climbs. It feels kind of like I’m landing flat on the hill, pushing me a little bit up and a little bit backwards rather than forwards.

Otherwise, I don’t think there’s much to take issue with here, though the recently teased Mizuno Hyperwarp line might swoop in to steal the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low’s lunch. That trio appears to be built on a similar geometry, but picks up a new formulation of foam that I expect will offer a bit more excitement than the previous Enerzy XP.

Final thoughts on the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low

RYAN: At the end of the day, I’m glad I asked Robbe to hook me up with the Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low. Do I think it keeps up with the Metaspeeds and the Vaporflys of the world? Not quite, but it’s also about $50 cheaper these days. I’d say that’s a pretty worthwhile discount if you’re looking for a fast enough shoe to tackle local 10ks and half marathons, and the swap to a lower heel means you won’t feel like you’re breaking an ankle when you go around a sharp turn.

That said, it remains a somewhat specialized tool. The heel is still unique, and it still might not fit perfectly into your stride at the back half of a super long run when your form breaks down. I think the overall fit and geometry are much improved over the original Wave Rebellion Pro 3… but I’d also bet that’s a shoe that not many of you have run in.

If you’ve been itching to try Mizuno’s racers, this is the shoe to do it in, though I’m not sure it’ll sway you from the likes of the Saucony Endorphin Pro or another elite racing shoe that might be on sale.

You can pick up the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 Low for $229 from Running Warehouse (featuring free shipping and 90-day returns) by using the button below.