Sole design and material make all the difference, and meeting a runner’s needs is often no easy task, since each type of sole requires a different design and type of rubber. That said, manufacturers have made advances in the creation of a versatile trail running sole that were unimaginable only a few years back.
Enter Japanese brand Mizuno, which made a ground-breaking decision when it came to this crucial element of its shoes: to partner with the rubber experts, the French tire manufacturer Michelin, in the design and manufacture its soles.
The result is a sole made with Outdoor Compound, the leading compound on the market after decades of R&D in the car-racing and cycling world, paired with the most tested designs around. Michelin drew inspiration from the materials and design of two of its tires to create the soles for Mizuno running shoes:
Wild Mud, mountain bike tires famous for their grip, endurance, and excellent ability to clear mud, were translated into the sole of the Wave Mujin shoe, designed for long and ultra distances, and Wave Daichi, a slightly lighter and more dynamic model.