This is the first Mizuno shoe I've ever owned. I've owned quite a few running and trail running shoes in my lifetime, including those made by Nike, New Balance, Merrell, and Adidas. I've developed some opinions on each brand, and thought it would give some perspective on my review of this shoe. I wear size twelve, have narrowish feet, and longer toes.

Nike: Fits well, but wears out faster than New balance. Is a great shoe for folks like me with narrower width feet.

New Balance: Moderately good fit, moderately good life span. Good for cross trainers, but not my ideal shoe for running.

Merrell: Extremely well made--the best of the bunch, but tend to have high arches. These shoes easily outlast the competition, but they don't make a true running shoe (although their trail runners can't be beat).

Adidas: My least favorite. I feel like I'm swimming in them, probably because they're geared for people with wider feet than I have.

Comparatively, these Mizuno's fit more like a Nike (perfect for me). They're extremely light, breath spectacularly, so much so they won't really work for outdoor running once the temperatures fall below 50f or so. They are balanced, have good arch support but not too much, and are comfortable to wear for hours at a time. Since I bought them in winter and I live in Chicago, I've really only used them on a treadmill, but I expect they're just as comfortable on pavement.

They seem to be a good quality shoe. Reading other reviews before I purchased, it's clear they're well liked by many, and are rated well in quality, so I expect that they will last as long as other competitively priced shoes.

Overall I am very pleased with them, and find the all black styling to be aesthetically pleasing. I intend to update this review as I have more experience with the shoes.