Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure Review
By Andrea Myers and David Salas
Mizuno Hyperwarp PurePrice: $299.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 4.9oz, 139g (men's size 9), oz, g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 34 mm heel / 30.5 mm forefoot
Drop: 3.5 mm
Shoe Purpose: Super Shoe
Pros: One of the lightest super shoes available, highly propulsive ride, good outsole grip on wet roads or tight turns
Cons: Not for runners with medial stability needs
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is super shoe that is immediately one of the lightest on the market. In men's size 9 it is sub 5 ounces. The shoe has a gently rockered ride that propels aggressively off of the forefoot. The shoe will be a 5k/10k racing flat and down for most, but one could argue there is enough cushioning to go the full marathon distance if the shoe geometry works for you. The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is for those looking for the lightest and fastest option Mizuno has right now.
SIMILAR SHOES: ASICS Metaspeed Ray
PAST MODEL: new model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure fits true to size in my men's 9.5. The forefoot is wide at the metatarsal heads, but it does taper on the quicker side. This was not a problem for me, but if you are sensitive to this, you may want to look at going up a half size to have more space at the tips of your toes. The fit is consistent with most racing shoes. There is not much wasted space, and the shoe is streamlined through the heel and midfoot. The forefoot has adequate volume for swelling accommodation. The tongue is very thin, but it does a surprisingly good job of preventing biting from the laces. The tongue is not gusseted and does require some positioning when donning the shoe, but once it is placed, I had no issues with slippage. The mesh material is very breathable and I had no issues with my feet overheating. There is not a formal heel counter, but there is a thickened piece of material that runs vertically where the achilles tendon is. I had no issues with rubbing or irritation here as it is curved well. The Hyperwarp Pure does have a very secure upper as well. I had no issues with cornering and my foot felt like it was planted firmly on the shoe. The Hyperwarp Pure has a nice upper for a super shoe. The only thing to watch out for is the tapering in the forefoot.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Andrea: The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure fit short in my usual women's 9.5, so thankfully Mizuno was willing to send me a women's 10 for testing. I needed to go up 1/2 size in every Wave Rebellion Pro model and Wave Rebellion Flash 2 and 3, so it wasn't a surprise that I needed to size up in the Hyperwarp line. Even in the women's 10, I only have about 1/2 thumb's width from the from of my big toe to the end of the shoe. The length was not an issue on any of my test runs because the toe box volume is sufficient that I did not experience any pressure on my big toe. The toe box is also wide enough at the ball of my foot that I did not experience any discomfort at my 1st or 5th MTPs, as I often do in shoes that are too narrow.
While I would not call the toe box roomy, it is just wide and voluminous enough that it was comfortable for me. The midfoot and rearfoot are normal width and it was easy to get secure lockdown in the shoe without a lot of lace adjustments. The non-gusseted tongue is very thin and has to be held carefully when donning the shoe to keep it from folding over. A lace loop helps keep the tongue in place once the laces are tied, and even though the tongue is paper thin, I did not experience any irritation from the laces. There is no heel counter and the collar has a small amount of padding. Despite the lack of structure to the heel, I did not experience any irritation or slipping and actually found the heel collar material to feel moderately grippy. The upper material is a thin mesh material with a large overlay that runs the length of the midfoot and forefoot laterally and a smaller overlay in the medial midfoot. While I do not run sockless, I would not recommend this shoe for sockless running because the internal surface of the overlays are rough and would likely cause skin irritation.
Andrea's Typical Size: Women's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Andrea well: Brooks Hyperion Max 1 and 2, Topo Cyclone 2, Nike Vaporfly 3, ASICS Novablast 4 and 5, PUMA MagMax Nitro
Shoes that have fit snug: Altra Escalante 4 (toe box width and volume), Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 and 3 (length), Saucony Endorphin Speed and Pro 1-4 (length)
Shoes that have fit large: Adidas Boston 12 (length), Adidas Adios 8 (length)
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: No
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: No
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not flexible at all
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes, there is no sock liner
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
David: The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is a super shoe that can really fly. Everything about this shoe is aimed at keeping the weight down and preserving responsiveness. The midsole is a full-length PEBA that uses a carbon fiber plate. The weight in men's size 9 is 4.9 ounces. The geometry of the shoe uses a slight rocker, though it is noticeably less than other super shoes out there. In a lot of ways the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure feels like a "traditional" racing flat from the pre-super shoe days with modern day advancements. The shoe is very lightweight underfoot, and really responds when you push off of it hard in the forefoot. The stack height is 34mm in the heel and the drop ratio is 3.5mm. The flatter geometry makes for a longitudinally stiff platform that lives for strong toe offs. The midsole gives enough cushioning for any distance, but the shoe really likes to lean into faster paces. For me this shoe is an exceptional 5k/10k racing flat, with the option of going up to the half marathon or down to the road mile. I enjoy the flatter geometry for turning over on the track and for shorter road races.
This geometry does make my calves work a little more, and it does give me some reservations to take this shoe beyond half marathon. Though the shoe has less rocker, there is a lot of cross sectional area under foot. For a super shoe of this weight, this shoe runs surprisingly stable and grounded. I really enjoy how wide the platform is through the forefoot. Especially when turning over, it is nice to have a trusty platform to slam my foot into. The traction underfoot is also good. I can trust it in nearly any racing situation I will find myself in. The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is a shoe that really likes to go fast, and if you are someone that likes the "lightest and fastest" thing out there, this will be appealing.
Andrea: The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is an incredibly lightweight super racing shoe that has a moderately compliant and highly resilient ride. As I have been testing all three shoes in the Hyperwarp line (Pure, Elite, and Pro), the features that stood out to me the most in the Pure were its extreme light weight and that it had significantly less resistance to pronation as compared to the other two models. While the platform is very stiff longitudinally, the wider lateral sole flare makes it very easy for me to progress loading from my lateral midfoot at initial contact to my 1st MTP joint at push off. The only other shoe that has a similar feeling for me is the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0, and the Hyperwarp Pure actually has a stronger feeling of being pushed medially for me, which is a feature I greatly appreciate in both shoes. As a result, I have greatly enjoyed testing Hyperwarp Pure in a variety of workouts. I have used it for tempo runs ranging from half marathon to 5k pace and a couple 10 mile runs around marathon pace.
The shoe has performed well at all paces, but definitely feels the most lively at faster paces. For me, I think its racing sweet spot for me would be 5k-half marathon distances, similar to how I felt about the original Nike Alphafly. I felt that the ride of the Alphafly would be too aggressive for me for the marathon distance, and I feel the same about Hyperwarp Pure. although I would be more likely to try the Hyperwarp Pure for the full distance as compared to Alphafly 1, because Alphafly 1 felt even more explosive and less stable than the Pure. The Pure feels particularly well suited for lateral midfoot landings thanks to its wider base and large lateral sole flare at the base of the 5th metatarsal. There is a fair amount of compliance at initial contact, but the most pronounced sensation for me is the immediate transition to loading of my medial forefoot and a highly propulsive push off. This feeling is the same at marathon pace to 5k pace, with the difference being the midsole feels even more responsive at faster paces. I have used the shoe for easy running during warmups and cooldowns, and while I didn't have any issues doing so, I would not choose to use the shoe for easy runs due to its highly propulsive ride. The low stack height and moderate heel bevel make the shoe feel like its stated 3.5mm drop. The ride of the shoe feels more midsole-driven than geometry driven in that the forefoot rocker is not particularly large, but instead the stiff platform and highly responsive PEBA midsole provide the shoe's propulsive ride.
I have 25 miles on my pair and there is mild visible wear on the exposed midsole sections and minimal wear on the rubber outsole portions. The shoe provides good traction on wet roads and on tight turns. I would expect average durability from the Hyperwarp Pure.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is definitely a neutral racing shoe, but it runs surprisingly stable. The shoe has a wide base platform underfoot that is especially noticeable in the forefoot. The sole flaring is integrated in the heel and forefoot well without being overly done. The upper lockdown is great and I had no issues with foot translation or slippage. The traction is good enough to tackle any reasonable super shoe footing. The lower stack height also gives a slightly more grounded experience than most super shoes that are currently on the market. Especially for a "light and fast" priority, this shoe runs very stable.
Andrea: The Hyperwarp Pure is a neutral racing shoe. The stiff platform and wide base provide a more centered feel at initial contact than one would expect in such a lightweight shoe. The shoe features a large lateral sole flare that runs the length of the shoe, but is most pronounced in the midfoot and forefoot. This creates noticeable guidance into pronation, which will work well for runners like myself who need this feature, but will not work for those who need any resistance to pronation. The only feature of the shoe that counters the large lateral sole flare is the 3D shape of the plate, which has an exposed vertical component in the medial midfoot. Without this feature, the shoe might be too medially biased even for runners like myself. The sole flaring becomes more balanced medially and laterally in the forefoot, so those with forefoot specific stability needs do well in the shoe.
Thoughts as a DPT: From Wave Rebellion Pro to Hyperwarp
By Andrea Myers
I continue to be impressed by Mizuno's racing shoe innovation over the past few years. First, with the Wave Rebellion Pro line and now with the Hyperwarp line, Mizuno brings new solutions to how to make a fast racing shoe. The Wave Rebellion Pro line leaned heavily into extreme stack height and heel bevel design to make racing shoes that were very clearly designed for midfoot strikers. The Wave Rebellion Pro 1 and 2 were favorites of mine and while I loved the ride of Wave Rebellion Pro 3, I found it too tall (61mm/57mm) to trust for racing, particularly anything with turns. Another drawback of the Wave Rebellion Pro line was that it wasn't particularly lightweight for a racing shoe, with v2 weighing 7.6oz and v3 7.7oz for a men's 9.
The Hyperwarp line completely abandons the extreme heel bevel and high stack height of the Wave Rebellion Pro and relies on significantly lighter weights, a wider, more stable base, and 3D plate design to give each shoe its desired characteristics. In the Hyperwarp Pure, we have an incredibly light weight shoe at a relatively lower stack height (34mm/30.5mm), with a 100% PEBA midsole, and an aggressive, medially biased ride. While the Wave Rebellion Pro 1-3 was best for midfoot strikers who could take advantage of landing on the apex of the extreme heel bevel, the Hyperwarp Pure will be more versatile thanks to its smaller heel bevel and wider base. Its 3.5mm drop, moderate midsole compliance, and medial bias will make it best for those who land further forward (but not necessarily at the apex of the heel bevel) and do not require any medial guidance features. Its significantly lighter weight, at 4.9oz for a men's 9, is a significant improvement over the Wave Rebellion Pro line and will be noticeable over any racing distance.
The lower stack and medial bias of the Pure may limit its use for many runners to 5k-10k distances for most runners, but some runners will be able to use it for half to full marathon distance if they have the biomechanics and strength to run long in an aggressive shoe. For most runners, the Hyperwarp Elite will be a better marathon distance racer (review coming soon to DOR).
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I am really happy with the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure, though I do have some recommendations. The upper does taper quickly in the forefoot. Though I didn't have any issues, I know there will be people out there that will have to size up because of it closing in on the tips of their toes. I would also like the shoe to be a touch more rockered. The flatter geometry makes for a shoe that feels great at faster paces, but it does lose some versatility as you take the shoe longer and longer distances at pace. The cushioning is adequate for half marathon and beyond, but the aggressive geometry won't work for everyone at those distances.
Andrea: I am very impressed with Mizuno's new Hyperwarp line and I am most impressed by the weight and ride of the Pure. Like other extremely lightweight super shoes (ASICS Metaspeed Ray, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2) it sacrifices medial stability for speed and responsiveness, which is a typical feature of a lightweight racing shoe, even back in the non super shoe racing flat days. My main recommendation is for Mizuno to clean up the sizing. I am often between sizes in racing shoes, often needing to go up 1/2 size. Even after going up 1/2 size, I am not sure that I have enough length in the shoe for it to be comfortable for a full marathon. I am lucky that Mizuno allowed me to send back the 9.5s they sent me and get 10s, but for the majority of runners who purchase their shoes, they need sizing to be predictable and consistent. Otherwise, I have greatly enjoyed testing the shoe and would not hesitate to use it in my next 5k (or up to half marathon if I was currently racing those distances).
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is an incredibly lightweight super shoe for those that want something slightly more aggressive on their feet. The Hyperwarp Pure is under 5 ounces in men's size 9, but has enough cushioning for any distance. The geometry of the shoe is a bit flatter as well, as this shoe really likes to pushed in the forefoot. I find this to be great for the mile up to 10k, with the option of going up to the half marathon. I do notice that my calves work harder in these than other super shoes, but these turn over and have more responsiveness than other super shoes. The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure also runs surprisingly stable thanks to the sole flaring, stack height, and outsole traction. Those wanting a light, fast, and slightly more aggressive super shoe definitely got it here.
Andrea: The Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure is a sub 5 oz super shoe with a strong medial bias and and propulsive ride. It will be best for those who do not have any medial stability needs and particularly for those like myself with lateral stability needs. It is the lightest and most responsive of the three Hyperwarp models and will be best for 5k-half marathon distances for most runners. Some runners will be able to use the shoe for the marathon distance if they do not have medial stability needs and can handle the highly propulsive ride for that distance. Runners who are between sizes will likely need to size up a half size for length.
GRADES
David
Fit: A- (The upper has great lockdown with decent comfort. The forefoot tapers quickly and might rub on some peoples toes, causing them to go up a half size.)
Performance: A- (Incredibly lightweight and responsive when loaded. The flatter geometry takes some appeal away from the half marathon and marathon distances, but the cushioning is good enough to go for it.)
Stability: A (Wide base platform with good sole flaring. Outsole traction is good. Upper lockdown is very good. No concerns here.)
Value: A- (Those wanting something that is very light and responsive have it. I do think the geometry may take away from some longer distance appeal, but for short distance and those that agree with the geometry will love this shoe.)
Personal: A- (I love this shoe for 10k and down. The flatter geometry feels great turning over, though I'd like a touch more rocker for longer distance appeal.)
Overall Design: A-
Andrea
Fit: B+ (Runs short, requiring me to go up 1/2 size, which still resulted in a tight toe box. Comfortable toe box width and volume, but definitely not roomy. Tongue requires attention to keep from folding over when donning the shoe.)
Performance: A (Extremely light on foot, moderately compliant at initial contact and extremely propulsive push off. Medial bias works well for my mechanics. Performs well at 5k-marathon pace but feels best at 5k-10k paces.)
Stability: [neutral] B- (A medially biased shoe, which will limit the number of runners it will work for, particularly at longer distances. The wide base and balanced forefoot sole flare do provide a fair amount of centering, but the large lateral sole flare the the rearfoot and midfoot is the most noticeable feature of the shoe.)
Value: A (At $300, priced the same as most top line super shoes, but weighs over an ounce less than some of them.)
Personal: A (For me, tied with the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 for best long distance super shoe I've tested this year.)
Overall Design: A
SHOP | SUPPORT DORMizuno Hyperwarp PurePrice: $299 at Running Warehouse
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