Like you Meaghan, I initially thought this was the Neo Vista since I didn't know about a Neo Zen. I love my Neo Vista and have run 3 marathons in them, BQ'd in one. Obviously I am not very fast, just old. 😆 In any event, having lost my love this year for the NB performance line, I am now a Mizuno convert and definitely think I will go for the Neo Zen for my easy and recovery days. Great price and weight too.
Also bought these in Japan and have put about 25km on them so far. The beautiful thing about these shoes is that they encourage me to be mindful of my running form. After about 6k, I feel I am able to hit my stride and get my feet moving in a way that makes these just pop. I don't know if I'm actually faster; my pace is about the same as my Asics Novablast 4s during my Zone 2 base runs (at about 6m/km); but I FEEL faster, and fresher near the end of longer runs. It's FUN to run in these. Addictive, even. The lack of heel stability actually forces me to be more aware of my striking, and when I get it right, it's just amazing. Highly, highly recommend these shoes. I have yet to take them on faster tempo runs or do speedwork, but I imagine they will also perform well. I feel like these would be a pretty decent half marathon race shoe too. I'll have to see how they compare to my Magic Speed 3s when I turn up the pace.
Neo Zen is wider and have baggy upper compared to Neo Vista better half size down for narrow feet. I have the same opinion as Thomas, i found the laces-system weird, mizuno made the wrong savings, hope this gets better in the future. Otherwise I'm convinced of the midsole so far, let's see how long it will last. Thanks for the review
These are the kind of uppers that either fit or they don’t. If they fit, you’ll love the shoe. If they don’t, you’ll hate it. Pretty cool how light they are getting TPU midsoles by infusing nitrogen. Love to see it.
Hey, I have a suggestion for your scoring system. I’d ditch the “form” part and just include that bit in the “function” section instead. I’d replace it with “value”, which is obviously self explanatory. I get value ruins the 3 “F’s” you’re going for with the new system but it’s close enough. I do prefer your new system to the traffic light system previously but I think form and function are too close to each other to be mutually exclusive Overall great, informative review though and happy new year!
Kind of want to try this shoe out of curiosity, but a bit concerned about it being too soft for me. The Novablast 5 feels like kind of the limit for me in terms of Squish.
I am 6'2" and 206lbs. They are squishy, but "poppier" and have more snap than the Novablast 4, which is a bit stiffer, but feels somewhat less responsive. Depending on your pace, once you get going, even as a larger runner, the Neo Zens are awesome.
Nice review guys. I have about 40 miles on mine and I absolutely love this shoe. I prefer it over my Novablast 5’s and that’s saying a lot. Only major drawback is the lack of speed due to the softness but if i’m being honest, i’m picking a plated shoe for any hard effort anyway so this shoe doesn’t get used for that. I went true to size and it worked out perfectly for me. It’s not as unstable as it looks since it has a wide base and the logos on the upper do provide reinforcements where you need it. You’re also gonna get lots of compliments for the secret colorway when you’re out on your runs (A nice little plus). Highly recommend this to anybody as well!
Hey. The Rebellion Flash 2 is firmer, more responsive and has more of a rocker feel in my opinion. I also prefer the upper on the Rebellion Flash 2 for running faster and in more sharp turns. Lars
i have taken it on back to back 10k runs and it was amazing. so fun and very responsive and i loved the fit and the response. I would take this over the novablast 5, Adidas SL2, rebel v 4 or the mach 6. the only shoe better is the evo sl right now.
Does it have some side walls to help with stability ? Or the stability is only handled by the foam without a Mizuno's plate ? More stable then the Neo Vista ? Thanks.
I normally enjoy a soft shoe, but I found the Vista's too soft. My biggest issue though, was with the upper. I just found it made my feet far too hot, so I sold my pair on. I'm not sure I'll pick these up as I'm loving those Evo SL's as my daily trainer right now. Cheers guys 🫶🏻
@LequinWade Have you run in the Adios Pro 3's? If so they are exactly the same. If you haven't then I would describe them as being responsive! It's a perfect mix of not being too firm but has just the right amount of squash to really get you going. I absolutely love my Evo SL's got about 55 miles in them already so I can tell I'll be buying a second pair when Adidas start releasing them in more colours. Hope that helps
I hope you'll include on feet shots for all the reviews, people who wear running shoes casually, like me, want to see how they look on feet before buying. Thanks
Which running shoes are your favorite for casual wear? I find it difficult to pick a proper walking shoe from modern running shoes due to specific qualities like weird rocker, high toe box area etc.
@@proudbacteria1373 so I know feet are different (mine are wide) and personally I like a rocker, but my absolute favorite from my collection, for wearing casually, are: - Brooks Hyperion Elite 3 (which I wore all over Monaco with no issues, so I'm sure Elite 2 is also ok), Onemix Light Armor or Tupo, Joma R3000 - for the carbon plated ones - and Asics Novablast 3, Altra Paradigm 6, Li-Ning Shadow Essential, or even the Ultraboost 19 or 20 - for no plates or big rockers I do know those models are not new, but from what I can tell, the latest New Balance Rebel, the Asics Novablast 4 and any adidas with Lightstrike Pro should be ok
I’m not sure how it can be called a solid daily trainer when it was agreed it seems best for just easy miles and recovery runs (and not ideal for picking up the pace)?
I love picking up the pace in them. I think many people reserve that type of training for a plated trainer nowadays though. But the Zen has had plenty of pop for uptempo paces
I will be SO GLAD when the industry works through this 'You want a soft shoe? Hold my beer' phase and gets back to making FIRM YET CUSHIONED and SUPPORTIVE shoes. Good thing I stocked up on Superblasts.
Totally agree with this! Novablast 4 was awesome. Tried the NB5 at my local Asics shop and it’s WAAY too soft for me. It didn’t feel like it had the responsiveness like the 4, 2, and 1… notice I left out the 3 because that shoe felt too soft and died quickly for me. I’m so tired of the super soft, max stack marshmallow shoes. #MakeRunningShoesResponsiveAgain
Mizuno is definitely on the comeback trail. Starting to make some interesting shoes that look good. Mizuno is finally not boring
Always an underrated company.
Like you Meaghan, I initially thought this was the Neo Vista since I didn't know about a Neo Zen. I love my Neo Vista and have run 3 marathons in them, BQ'd in one. Obviously I am not very fast, just old. 😆 In any event, having lost my love this year for the NB performance line, I am now a Mizuno convert and definitely think I will go for the Neo Zen for my easy and recovery days. Great price and weight too.
Also bought these in Japan and have put about 25km on them so far. The beautiful thing about these shoes is that they encourage me to be mindful of my running form. After about 6k, I feel I am able to hit my stride and get my feet moving in a way that makes these just pop.
I don't know if I'm actually faster; my pace is about the same as my Asics Novablast 4s during my Zone 2 base runs (at about 6m/km); but I FEEL faster, and fresher near the end of longer runs. It's FUN to run in these. Addictive, even.
The lack of heel stability actually forces me to be more aware of my striking, and when I get it right, it's just amazing.
Highly, highly recommend these shoes.
I have yet to take them on faster tempo runs or do speedwork, but I imagine they will also perform well. I feel like these would be a pretty decent half marathon race shoe too.
I'll have to see how they compare to my Magic Speed 3s when I turn up the pace.
I'm always 1/2 size down in Mizuno booty uppers - Neo Wind & Neo Vista with the Neo Zen on the way! Very excited for these to arrive this week
Neo Zen is wider and have baggy upper compared to Neo Vista better half size down for narrow feet. I have the same opinion as Thomas, i found the laces-system weird, mizuno made the wrong savings, hope this gets better in the future. Otherwise I'm convinced of the midsole so far, let's see how long it will last.
Thanks for the review
I’m still loving my pair of Neo Vista, so I look forward to trying these out!
Great work on the new studio! Your reviews look fantastic.
These are the kind of uppers that either fit or they don’t. If they fit, you’ll love the shoe. If they don’t, you’ll hate it.
Pretty cool how light they are getting TPU midsoles by infusing nitrogen. Love to see it.
I am a big fan of Mizuno's golf gear 💙 Beautiful.
😎 J.
Hey, I have a suggestion for your scoring system. I’d ditch the “form” part and just include that bit in the “function” section instead. I’d replace it with “value”, which is obviously self explanatory. I get value ruins the 3 “F’s” you’re going for with the new system but it’s close enough. I do prefer your new system to the traffic light system previously but I think form and function are too close to each other to be mutually exclusive
Overall great, informative review though and happy new year!
Appreciate your thoughts! We'll run with this for a bit and then reevaluate, but always open for suggestions (of which value is a valid one).
I agree, it’s not ideal. Tbf, the scoring system was never broken IMO. Ginger runner has been doing his same thing for years and it just works.
Well I'm definitely excited to try mines
great review.. look forward to your new videos..keep up the good work 👏
Kind of want to try this shoe out of curiosity, but a bit concerned about it being too soft for me. The Novablast 5 feels like kind of the limit for me in terms of Squish.
Same ? I am 210 lbs and 6’1” and was curious but probably wont try as suspect will be too soft.
I am 6'2" and 206lbs. They are squishy, but "poppier" and have more snap than the Novablast 4, which is a bit stiffer, but feels somewhat less responsive. Depending on your pace, once you get going, even as a larger runner, the Neo Zens are awesome.
Nice review guys. I have about 40 miles on mine and I absolutely love this shoe. I prefer it over my Novablast 5’s and that’s saying a lot. Only major drawback is the lack of speed due to the softness but if i’m being honest, i’m picking a plated shoe for any hard effort anyway so this shoe doesn’t get used for that. I went true to size and it worked out perfectly for me. It’s not as unstable as it looks since it has a wide base and the logos on the upper do provide reinforcements where you need it. You’re also gonna get lots of compliments for the secret colorway when you’re out on your runs (A nice little plus). Highly recommend this to anybody as well!
is the secret colourway only limited to certain countries or a limited time? coz i only fin d basic colours here in australia
@ I got mine directly from Mizuno!
@@Mikee013 dam mine doesnt sell the secret colourways :(
Hi my recovery pace is about 4:30/km up to 4:50/km. Is this shoes good for that pace?
@ for recovery runs yes! For faster efforts no
Neo Vista are almost perfect for me. One thing I had to give up on. Little support and too soft on the ankle. This one looks same unfortunately
¡¡¡¡Happy New Year!!!!. Like from Spain.
If you could only buy one shoe which one. Neo Vista or Neo Zen ?
Vista
Vista
Mizuno's been knocking it out of the park lately. Do you know how it compares with the Rebellion Flash 2?
Hey. The Rebellion Flash 2 is firmer, more responsive and has more of a rocker feel in my opinion. I also prefer the upper on the Rebellion Flash 2 for running faster and in more sharp turns.
Lars
How does it compare to the Novablast 5, which is also soft and bouncy?
The foam on the Novablast is a bit more versatile for faster runs but I prefer the Mizuno personally.
@@Mikee013What's nicer about the Neo Zen midsole?
@ for me it’s much more fun and squishy
@@Mikee013 Agreed.
i have taken it on back to back 10k runs and it was amazing. so fun and very responsive and i loved the fit and the response. I would take this over the novablast 5, Adidas SL2, rebel v 4 or the mach 6. the only shoe better is the evo sl right now.
Nice, wait for the NV 2 😃
Between 2 shoes this and Novablast 5?
Zen for me (softer ride)
Does it have some side walls to help with stability ? Or the stability is only handled by the foam without a Mizuno's plate ? More stable then the Neo Vista ?
Thanks.
The heel feels pretty stable for such a soft shoe. More stable than Neo Vista. The Zen's foam is very bouncy in a good way.
I normally enjoy a soft shoe, but I found the Vista's too soft. My biggest issue though, was with the upper. I just found it made my feet far too hot, so I sold my pair on. I'm not sure I'll pick these up as I'm loving those Evo SL's as my daily trainer right now. Cheers guys 🫶🏻
How soft are the EVO SLs?
@LequinWade Have you run in the Adios Pro 3's? If so they are exactly the same. If you haven't then I would describe them as being responsive! It's a perfect mix of not being too firm but has just the right amount of squash to really get you going. I absolutely love my Evo SL's got about 55 miles in them already so I can tell I'll be buying a second pair when Adidas start releasing them in more colours. Hope that helps
In Japan, I bought Zen and use in long distance (30km nonstop) run. Zen leads less enegy consumption running foam.
where in Japan? I’m headed to Tokyo next week
@ You can buy anywhere in JPN.
how does the fit compared to the Neo Vista? I wear US10.5 in the Neo Vista. What size should I order for this?
10.5 - you can support one of my local stores by preordering it from Manhattan Running Company!
Vs. NB5 ASAP
Hi BITR team! How is the midsole firmness/softness compared to Hoka Mach 6?
@@tubbats6061 softer
When tomas sized down, how was the length? Have the vista and planning on getting the zen eventually. Found the vista a little snug.
🤌
I hope you'll include on feet shots for all the reviews, people who wear running shoes casually, like me, want to see how they look on feet before buying. Thanks
Noted!
Which running shoes are your favorite for casual wear? I find it difficult to pick a proper walking shoe from modern running shoes due to specific qualities like weird rocker, high toe box area etc.
@@proudbacteria1373 so I know feet are different (mine are wide) and personally I like a rocker, but my absolute favorite from my collection, for wearing casually, are:
- Brooks Hyperion Elite 3 (which I wore all over Monaco with no issues, so I'm sure Elite 2 is also ok), Onemix Light Armor or Tupo, Joma R3000 - for the carbon plated ones
- and Asics Novablast 3, Altra Paradigm 6, Li-Ning Shadow Essential, or even the Ultraboost 19 or 20 - for no plates or big rockers
I do know those models are not new, but from what I can tell, the latest New Balance Rebel, the Asics Novablast 4 and any adidas with Lightstrike Pro should be ok
Do the laces rub the ankle bone by the top part of the bootie as with the Neo Vista?
Didn’t notice it on either shoe.
Team, this sounds similar to your NB Rebel V4 review. Between two shoes?
@@FuzzyZouz not as comparable as the NOVABLAST 5.
I’m not sure how it can be called a solid daily trainer when it was agreed it seems best for just easy miles and recovery runs (and not ideal for picking up the pace)?
I love picking up the pace in them. I think many people reserve that type of training for a plated trainer nowadays though. But the Zen has had plenty of pop for uptempo paces
I will be SO GLAD when the industry works through this 'You want a soft shoe? Hold my beer' phase and gets back to making FIRM YET CUSHIONED and SUPPORTIVE shoes. Good thing I stocked up on Superblasts.
Totally agree with this! Novablast 4 was awesome. Tried the NB5 at my local Asics shop and it’s WAAY too soft for me. It didn’t feel like it had the responsiveness like the 4, 2, and 1… notice I left out the 3 because that shoe felt too soft and died quickly for me. I’m so tired of the super soft, max stack marshmallow shoes. #MakeRunningShoesResponsiveAgain
@RobertHarridge Agree. NB4 is an excellent shoe, it was my favorite daily until I got my first pair of Superblasts.
I stuck with Brooks for that reason. I tried NB and can’t do the squish
@@brewlovinrunner Agree. I put my foot in the 1080 v14 and the More v5 and was immediately out on both of them.
@@brewlovinrunneragreed. the new dna tuned foam has felt really nice so far
2:30 mins in and 3 complaints. It’s a no from me. Plus knit uppers are just meh.