The Mizuno Neo Zen is a high-stack, modern daily trainer that marks a clear departure from Mizuno's traditional design language. Unlike the plated Mizuno Neo Vista and Mizuno Wave Rebellion, the Neo Zen strips away the classic Wave Plate entirely, allowing its supercritical ENERZY NXT foam to deliver a soft, bouncy, and unencumbered ride. Designed for comfort and mileage over speed, it pairs a high stack height with a surprisingly low weight, offering a compliant yet responsive experience that shines at easy to moderate paces. With a smooth rocker geometry and a sock-like upper, it's built to provide plush protection for long runs and recovery day, making it a standout option in the daily trainer game.
Our Verdict
The Mizuno Neo Zen is a fair option for marathon racing, especially for runners prioritizing comfort and protection. Its soft and bouncy midsole, combined with excellent cushioning, helps absorb shocks across long distances. While the lack of a plate limits stiffness compared to super shoes, the low weight for its category and natural rocker geometry make it a viable option for runners who aren't concerned about elite performance.
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Midsole is amazingly plush.
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Very lightweight for its class.
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No carbon plate.
The Mizuno Neo Zen isn't optimized for shorter races where other shoes with snappy toe-offs and firmer midsoles shine. While it's relatively light and delivers decent energy return, the forefoot is quite sloppy at high turnover paces and lacks the stiffness and precision needed to feel truly fast at these distances. It's best reserved for slower efforts in these distances or for runners seeking max comfort over peak performance.
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Surprisingly bouncy midsole.
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Very lightweight for its class.
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Foam is overly soft.
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No carbon plate.
The Mizuno Neo Zen delivers satisfactory energy return, especially for a daily trainer. It's especially dynamic in the heel, where it feels more reactive. Runners who land further back will get the most out of this setup, while forefoot strikers may find it less engaging. Overall, this makes for a fun and bouncy ride for daily runs, but it's not energetic enough to truly pick up the pace.
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Surprisingly bouncy midsole.
The Mizuno Neo Zen has remarkable cushioning. It provides excellent underfoot protection in both the heel and forefoot, making it highly forgiving for most runners regardless of their strike pattern. Despite its plushness, the foam doesn't feel mushy or overly slow to rebound, offering a rare combination of comfort and liveliness in the modern trainer category.
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Midsole is amazingly plush.
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Balanced cushioning suits most strike patterns.
Despite its tall stack and soft midsole, the Mizuno Neo Zen manages to deliver surprisingly adequate lateral stability. The super wide outsole base helps keep things steady, though the soft heel and lack of plate may not be ideal for runners needing structured stability. Still, it holds up reasonably well for most people on most of their runs.
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Very wide base.
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Foam is overly soft.
- 6.8 Marathon Racing
- 6.3 5K/10K Racing
Performance Usages
- 7.1 Energy Return
- 8.9 Cushioning
- 6.8 Lateral Stability
Changelog
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Mizuno Neo Zen in men's US size 9, as indicated on the label of our unit. The specific colorway shown here is Black/Raspberry. This model is available in multiple colorways, including White/Frontier Blue, Hint of Mint/India Ink, Black/White, and a Mystery Camo edition featuring a unique patterned design. Wide versions are not currently offered. Most of our review results are valid for all variants, though the design section applies only to the model we tested. We expect other size and gender variants to perform similarly.
Compared To Other Running Shoes
The Mizuno Neo Zen is a modern daily trainer built with a high stack height and a supremely soft, reactive midsole that delivers a uniquely plush yet energetic ride. For easy days, daily miles, and recovery runs where protection and comfort are key, it stands out as a compelling choice. It offers a more cushioned and bouncy experience than most modern trainers in this category. In terms of intent and feel, it's closest to the ASICS NOVABLAST 5, though the Neo Zen is softer and lighter. Another comparable model is the Nike Vomero 18, which also uses an energetic foam (ZoomX), but feels firmer and less cushioned overall.
Within Mizuno's lineup, the Neo Zen marks a significant evolution. Since 1997, the Osaka-based brand has been a pioneer in the systematic use of Wave Plates, incorporating them into most of its shoes to help stabilize and structure softer foams. That approach still works in performance-oriented models like the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 3, a super shoe, and the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2, a super trainer, where the plate adds a touch of stiffness that helps with pace pickup. However, this philosophy also boxed Mizuno in—something clearly seen in the Mizuno Neo Vista, which tried to position itself as a super trainer but fell short in practice. The inclusion of the plate felt out of place, clashing with the soft foam and ultimately resulting in a ride that was still too sluggish to handle faster paces. While the Neo Vista remained a solid premium trainer for recovery runs thanks to its soft cushioning and protective feel, it didn't fully capitalize on its potential. The Neo Zen corrects those missteps by removing the plate, allowing the foam to move freely and unlock a much more natural and cushioned experience for those days your legs need a break.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best running shoes.
The Mizuno Neo Vista and the Mizuno Neo Zen may look similar at first glance, but they deliver very different experiences underfoot. The Neo Vista includes Mizuno's signature Wave Plate, which adds some structure but ultimately makes the ride feel sluggish and out of place for a shoe trying to act like a super trainer. Its large midsole cutout also gives it a somewhat suction cup-like feel. In contrast, the Neo Zen removes the plate entirely, allowing the soft foam to move more freely and deliver a significantly more cushioned and natural ride. It's also notably lighter, which helps it feel more nimble and efficient on foot. While both are well-suited for easy or recovery runs, the Neo Zen improves on nearly every aspect, making it a smoother and more refined option for daily mileage.
The Mizuno Neo Zen and the ASICS NOVABLAST 5 are both modern, high-stack daily trainers built for comfort and bounce, but they differ in execution. The Mizuno is softer and more cushioned, offering a plush, highly protective ride that's ideal for easy and recovery runs. It also features a sock-like upper that helps save weight and contributes to the shoe's lighter overall build compared to the ASICS. However, this upper comes with a tradeoff—the lockdown isn't as secure, and it has a less accommodating fit that can feel more unstable during longer runs.
The Mizuno Neo Zen and the On Cloudmonster 2 are both modern daily trainers, but they sit on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Cloudmonster is significantly firmer and more stable, offering a structured ride that feels controlled. On the other hand, the Neo Zen is much lighter, noticeably more energetic, and exceptionally squishy, delivering a soft, plush experience that prioritizes comfort and protection. While both are designed for daily training, the Cloudmonster 2 leans toward stability, whereas the Neo Zen excels in softness and easy-day comfort, making it a better pick for recovery runs or runners who enjoy a truly maximalist feel.
Test Results
The Mizuno Neo Zen stands out for its surprisingly low weight given its maximalist design. It's lighter than many other max-cushioned trainers, including the plated Mizuno Neo Vista, which contributes to its smooth, nimble feel on foot. This weight reduction enhances efficiency over long distances and helps the shoe remain versatile despite its size.
The shoe delivers a solid rebound at the heel, providing a lively sensation that adds to the shoe's enjoyable ride. It's not the most explosive feel out there, but there's enough bounce-back to make the shoe feel more dynamic than most daily trainers. While the midsole itself is energetic, the overall design isn't really optimized for picking up the pace, and the geometry favours flow over snap. That said, it remains a fun and engaging option for easy to moderate paces.
The energy return at the forefoot is adequate. While it works well for cruising, it's not ideal for speedwork or racing efforts that rely on more forefoot pop. The foam itself is decently bouncy, but not as much as alternatives like the ASICS NOVABLAST 5. Still, it delivers a smooth and pleasant ride that makes it a fun choice for relaxed daily runs.
The heel cushioning is fantastic. This model provides a plush and protective underfoot feel, absorbing high-impact landings with ease. Whether you're a heel striker logging recovery miles or just want a softer ride on longer runs, the heel offers great shock absorption without bottoming out. It's a highly forgiving platform that helps reduce cumulative fatigue over time.
The forefoot also offers amazing cushioning, delivering solid protection and comfort for midfoot and forefoot strikers. The foam compresses more than in the Mizuno Neo Vista, likely due to the removal of the Wave Plate—a notable and welcome improvement that allows the ENERZY NXT foam to work more freely. The result is a more forgiving and enjoyable ride for daily mileage and longer runs.
The heel is on the soft side, which enhances underfoot comfort but limits stability somewhat. For most runners, it'll feel plush and forgiving, but if you need structured stability, you may want to look elsewhere.
The forefoot is moderately firm. This added firmness up front helps balance out the plush feel of the rest of the shoe, giving it just enough bite to remain stable and predictable. It's not firm enough for truly aggressive efforts, but it does improve control during daily runs and longer efforts at steady paces.