Mizuno Neo Zen: First Impressions

Neo Zen: Quick Facts

What’s the Neo Zen all about?

In the daily trainer space, we often use the word "fun" to label shoes that offer an experience that’s exciting to lace up and enjoyable to run in. Enter the Mizuno Neo Zen (a.k.a “Mystery Shoe”), a new model from Mizuno that easily earns its place in this fun daily trainer category. Designed with versatility and comfort in mind, the Neo Zen builds off the Neo family of shoes, in particular the Neo Vista that was released earlier this year. The Neo Zen implements some of the key technology from its older sibling, while carving out its own identity as a flexible and bouncy experience.

Georgia’s first thoughts

When I first slipped on the Neo Zen, the most noticeable difference was how much better it fit my foot compared to its older sibling, the Neo Vista. The Neo Vista often put too much pressure on the top of my foot, but the Neo Zen felt much more comfortable and accommodating. Underfoot, the Neo Zen is responsive, and will fit nicely into my rotation for easy runs, up to 60 minutes, as well as faster-paced efforts such as tempo runs. It offers a smooth ride, with a seamless transition from landing to toe-off, even with its more flexible forefoot design.

While I’ve always enjoyed running in the Asics Novablast, I think the Neo Zen may be slightly more durable for me—though this will depend on the type of surface I’m running on. I’ve heard that it can feel a bit slippery on loose gravel, but that’s something many shoes experience these days. Overall, the Neo Zen brings a fresh, exciting edge to the Mizuno brand, keeping them competitive with other major running shoe companies. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Mizuno has in store over the next 12-18 months.

Josh’s first thoughts

I can honestly say this shoe exceeded my expectations. Originally, I had ruled the Neo Zen out from making its way into my rotation, as I thought it would lack support in the areas I need. Noting that a light weight shoe does compromise in overall support, the Neo Zen runs pure under the foot. I rate this high with cushioning, and the response rate was more than expected considering the shoe doesn’t feature a plate.

Breaking this down to its core. It's light, cushioned and responsive. I found this shoe great on progressive runs, but the Neo Zen was ideal on intervals for me. The main reason being, I have a lot of confidence when rolling the legs over between efforts. The shoe remains stable which at times can be missing from lighter models in the market now. I'm confident in saying the Enerzy nxt supercritical foam is going to hold up well against direct competitors. It really is a resilient midsole, which is very surprising considering the cushioning it offers on the weight it comes in at.

For me, I’d limit Neo Zen to 60 minute runs. But to warm up and cool down for a 40-45 minute session, it was absolutely fine. It’s not a long run shoe for me. It would need to be stiffer through the forefoot, which would compromise its unique position in the market.

There are three key features in Neo Zen:

1) Soft, but bouncy Enerzy nxt midsole

The Neo Zen leverages the same Mizuno Enerzy nxt midsole technology we saw in the Neo Vista, but takes it a step further by infusing it with nitrogen. As a result, the immediate step in feel and first impression of the shoe is much softer underfoot. Although the foam does compress easily, there is a sense of return and bounce to this midsole which I find really engaging and elevates the “fun” factor. 

For me, I think the Neo Zen midsole shines on easy runs, but given how lightweight and bouncy the ride is underfoot, I don’t think this shoe will struggle to move into some faster paces!

2) Smooth Speed Assist geometry

We’ve seen more brands explore this space recently, offering daily trainers that have some more forefoot flexibility to complement the stiffer, higher-stack shoes (e.g. super trainers) used by many runners. The Neo Zen fits right into this space - there's no plate in this shoe and it allows some more ‘natural’ foot movement, it’s a shoe that doesn't force you to move in a certain way. 

The overall transition of the shoe from footstrike to toe off is assisted by the Smooth Speed Assist geometry, which gives the Neo Zen a subtle and smooth feel. While it's not the most stable shoe underfoot, I'm glad to see Mizuno have created a wide midsole platform which makes it relatively stable given how soft the midsole foam is.

3) One piece knit upper 

The soft, knitted one-piece construction offers decent breathability in my opinion. One thing I did notice immediately when sliding the Neo Zen on, was how accommodating the fit was in terms of depth and volume, particularly through the forefoot. I would still say it runs true to size, but I was surprised with how relaxed the fit was, especially considering how the midsole performs. I think this upper will work really well for people that like a less structured feel, just don't expect a really dialled-in, foot hugging fit!

Nathan’s first thoughts

I really like what the Mizuno Neo Zen has to offer, it's a lightweight, fun daily trainer and a shoe that has a distinctive feel from the brand's more traditional daily training shoes. I think it provides an experience which complements some of the stiffer high stack shoes on the market. My first thoughts on what the Neo Zen compares to are shoes such as the Asics Novablast 5, New Balance Rebel v4 and the soon to release Adidas Adizero Evo SL jump to mind. It's a shoe that's protective, bouncy with some forefoot flexibility and it's something I’d grab for easy jogging!

About the author

Nathan Pope - Runner and Shoe Nerd

I'm really passionate about running footwear and how shoes can be used as a tool to get the best of your running, whether that be general fitness or performance.

My favourite event is the marathon. I feel as though the marathon is the ultimate test both physically and mentally! It requires careful planning both within the race and during the training block and it can be super satisfying when it comes together on race day.