Article by Ryan Eller
Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3 ($250)
Pros:
Upper is straightforward, strong, and comfortable - Ryan
Massive amounts of bouncy energy return from the midsole - Ryan
Cohesive, grippy outsole - Ryan
Cons:
Imposing, exotic heel shape creates unfamiliar strain dynamics on lower leg - Ryan
Midsole stability - Ryan
Long compression/release of midsole - Ryan
Stats
Official Weight: men's 7.9 oz / 224g US9
Prior Version Weight: men’s 7.6 oz / g US8
Sample Weighst:
men’s 7.7oz / 218g US8.5 , 7.76oz / 220g US9.5
women’s 6.3 oz / 180 g US W8
Official Stack Height using World Athletics measurement points
men’s heel 40mm / 36 forefoot (prior version 38/36 with a 2mm drop)
Stack Height (as measured by Running Warehouse)
men’s 61 mm heel / 57 mm forefoot (4 mm drop)
Platform Width: mm 85 heel / 70mm midfoot / 110mm forefoot US M8.5
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Ryan: Three iterations in, and it’s clear that Mizuno feels that this chamfered heel design is the way to go. While the color scheme is much more tasteful this time around, it still looks like someone took a meat cleaver to the rear of the shoe.
Standing still with this midsole shape beneath you feels quite strange, and essentially makes you want to get moving and shift your weight forward.
The upper is beautifully done on V3 of the WR Pro, with a single engineered mesh teaming up with both lateral and medial underlays to create a very capable lockdown and a secure fit.
The underlays extend from beneath the insole all the way to the eyelets, so they aid with delivering lace tension as well. The lace tension from top eyelet is smartly routed rearward to the heel through a separate layer of reinforced fabric. This all amounts to impressively distributed lockdown forces — which you’ll come to realize are mandatory given the ride this thing delivers.
There’s a surprisingly solid toe bumper up front, which shapes the forefoot nicely and keeps it from feeling baggy (I’m looking at you, Vaporfly).
There are enough perforations distributed throughout the entire upper so that breathability is top notch.
The tongue is a minimal flap of suede-like material which works well enough with the flat, textured laces to prevent any real lace bite. My size M9.5 fit me true to size, and the toe box didn’t feel overly narrow.
Midsole & Platform
Ryan: Here’s the obvious reason we’re all here. The midsole is as exotic as they come. Clearly trying to flout the stack height rules and extract as much performance as possible, I give Mizuno credit for yet another bold (crazy?) design. The bounciness of the midsole is rivaled perhaps only by shoes which don’t meet racing regulations (the WR3 Pro actually does), such as the Adidas Prime X. The midsole foam changes to Enerzy NXT, a TPEE foam with the carbon infused plate now wider.
The midsole compound is not only soft and bouncy, but also explosive. In conjunction with the almost completely rigid plate, the vertical energy return may be the highest I’ve ever felt. There’s no getting around the stability issues that come along with this architecture, though. Running Warehouse measures the stack height at 61mm heel / 57mm forefoot while the official WA measurement points and Mizuno spec have it at 40/36.
With the split heel design used here, initial impact feels almost bottomless but isn’t as stable as most of its competitors.
The transition of the shoe also suffers because of the extra time taken to compress and release a midsole of this height.
Unfortunately, the conclusion I had to draw regarding the midsole is — like that one extra slice of cake — that it’s just too much of a good thing. Sure, it’s a hoot to bounce around with energy return like you’ve never felt before, but it doesn’t feel natural enough to endure for truly long runs. The exuberant energy return from this wild midsole was concentrated just in front of the heel, in my experience, as opposed to other shoes which distribute it more evenly and in a more controlled manner. After two runs, I had a bit of ankle soreness which I rarely experience otherwise.
I’m fairly sure the geometry is to blame here, and while others may have a different foot strike which avoids this problem, I felt it wasn’t worth the injury risk to continue wearing them for a prolonged amount of time. My foot strike is a fairly neutral, midfoot one, so I didn’t expect the heel to feel as dramatic as it did, but the bevel certainly concentrates the impact forces further back than does a traditional one.
Darn, this is a fun shoe, though.
Outsole
Ryan: I commend the decision to go with full midsole coverage and a fairly uniform tread pattern here.
There are already plenty of moving parts at work thanks to the WR 3’s massive midsole — and an overly complicated outsole didn’t need to add to the action. This design makes for a smooth transition and delivers confidence inspiring grip to compensate for the wily foam attached to it. I just wonder how long the prominent nubs near the toe will last… the answer is usually: “not very long”.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Ryan: For my first drastic understatement of 2025: the ride of the WRv3 is pretty unique. There’s a dramatic compression that occurs just in front of the heel upon impact. The cushioning sensation is definitely more pronounced in this specific area than it is in a more standard design. From there, the rest of the midsole compresses and the stiff plate engages but is somewhat muted by the high volume of the stack. This geometry certainly favors a mid/forefoot style of strike – I don’t think heel strikers should even consider this one. The latter part of the transition is smooth and snappy, and comes with a huge release of energy loaded up in the heel.
The ride is centered around the explosive energy dynamics of the rear of the shoe, and scores 10/10 on energy return. There are drawbacks to be had, however. Stability takes a hit thanks to the wily, split-heel stack, and its abnormal, beveled shape takes a lot of getting used to, in my opinion. For me, it put some extra ankle strain on my feet which I felt increased injury risk.
This isn’t a shoe for everyone, but for those with a forward-biased footstrike and enough courage and patience to try an entirely new style of ride, this has the potential to be a potent choice on race day. I just don’t think that such an extreme geometry will work for most folks without increasing injury risk or having to go through the process of adapting to an unusual ride. What a fun shoe – I just wish it was more practical.
Ryan’s Score: 7.8/10
(Deductions for awkward heel dynamics, instability, irregular forces on lower leg)
Smiles Score: 😊😊😊😊😊
6 Comparisons
adidas Adios Pro 4 (RTR Review)
Ryan: The newest super shoe from Adidas is a lot softer in the heel than its predecessor. While this makes the AP4 more similar to the WR Pro3, these two shoes are still very different. There’s a much more conventional heel strike in the AP4 (as is the case for any shoe being compared here, really), and its ride is more predictable if similarly soft. The Adios Pro upper feels more like a soft brushed fabric as compared to the WRPro’s more mesh-forward approach. Both outsoles have a bit of texture to them and perform well from heel to toe. The Adidas runs about ½ size shorter length-wise.
adidas Adios Pro 3 (RTR Review)
Ryan: My favorite racing shoe of all time, I’ll choose the AP3 over the WRPro3 every time. Despite an unforgiving upper that takes some dialing in to get right, the Adidas AP3 is more stable, quicker to turn over, and a much easier shoe to use especially when fatigue sets in and your form slightly suffers. One could argue that the Mizuno upper is more ergonomic and comfortable, but the performance of the Adidas upper is no slouch. The outsoles of these shoes vary considerably, with the Mizuno relying on one monolithic patch of nubbed rubber, whereas the Adidas goes for a smoother, multi-segmented design. Both fit true to size.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 (RTR Review)
Ryan: The biggest difference here is in the responsiveness of the midsoles. The Brooks HE4 is way firmer and more stable, leading to snappier turnover and less ground contact time. It doesn’t have the wild, signature bounce of the Mizuno, for better or worse. I see the Brooks as a solid choice for anything from a 10k to a marathon, whereas the Mizuno seems purpose built for marathoning — and only for the adventurous sort who is willing to undergo the adjustment period of the Mizuno’s radical ride. On the Brooks, the upper is much airier and less structured as compared to the stronger engineered mesh of the Mizuno. I prefer the grippier feeling of the Mizuno’s more generous and textured outsole. Both fit true to size.
ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris (RTR Review)
Ryan: The Metaspeed Edge delivers a much more traditional and snappier ride. While its heel has narrowed and feels softer than ever, it’s still far more stable and predictable than the ride of the Mizuno. The Edge feels incredibly light and low inertia, whereas the huge stack of the WRPro is more noticeable, especially in how long it takes to compress and rebound.
All in all, the ASICS is a sleek, low-frills marathoner which shaves every ounce to deliver quick turnover through its soft foam and stiff plate. By comparison, I look at the Mizuno as the fully-loaded solution to the same problem, which likes to go about its business in the loudest way possible. I much prefer the ASICS and its purist, easy-to-love approach — mostly because I don’t want to go through learning the ways of the Mizuno with so many more conventional options available.
As for the outsole, the Mizuno offers a more generous patch of textured rubber, making it feel more secure under foot, if not quite as light and racy. Both fit true to size.
Nike Alphafly 3 (RTR Review)
Ryan: Another shoe with a fairly unique ride, the Alphafly is beloved for its massively bouncy and energy-conserving approach. The Mizuno manages to one-up the Alphafly when it comes to delivering outright bounce, although in my opinion it comes at too high of a price. While I don’t necessarily love the mechanical feel of the Nike’s pods under the forefoot, and the variation in the front/rear of the midsole, I still greatly prefer it over the overly-exotic ride of the WRPro. Both shoes use nicely designed engineered mesh, although the Mizuno’s has more structure and better foot containment. My pick here is the Alphafly, as it’s much easier to get used to yet still delivers incredible amounts of bounce and energy return, if that’s your game.
New Balance SC Elite v4 (RTR Review)
Ryan: While the SC Elite v4 is a bit too soft for my liking, I still prefer it over the Mizuno as it is far more versatile and easy to lace and go. The stacks of both of these shoes are on the more dynamic and lively side, but the NB is still more predictable by virtue of its conventional outsole shape. Overall, the NB takes a more casual approach to delivering race-day performance, while the Mizuno really tries hard to stand out. Both uppers are noteworthy for their comfort and ability to contain the foot, despite their tall, lively midsoles. Both also offer generous patches of rubber underfoot, making comparison here a toss up. I personally prefer the SC Elite v4, as it offers smile-inducing rebound but is far more versatile and less finicky than the ride of the Mizno. Both fit true to size.
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE
Tester Profiles
Ryan Eller A hopeless soccer career led Ryan to take up running, and after taking a decade-long break from competing, he is back racking up mileage whenever he can. He calls the 2018 Boston Marathon the hardest race of his life, where he finished in 2:40, barely remembering his name at the finish line. Ryan more recently has a PR of 2:13:27 from the 2024 New York City Marathon and finished 3d American at the 2024 Boston Marathon and 15th overall in 2:14:23.
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