Mizuno Hayate 2 Shoe Review
The Mizuno Hayate 2 (‘hayate’ means ‘fresh breeze’ in Japanese) is a responsive and nimble trail shoe that it suited for soft-packed technical trails and speed runs on days off from heavy mileage. Mizuno has stripped the shoe down to be one of the most lightweight trail-running shoes on the market. This, at just 7.2 oz for the women’s model.
The upper is supple and lightweight. This makes for an extremely comfortable toe box, even though the shoe fits slightly on the narrow side, like many other Mizuno’s. The heel counter of the shoe is on the shallow side. I could accommodate my custom orthotic, but I had to utilize a heel-lock lacing technique. This helped prevent my heel from slipping out of the little heel counter that was left.
The midsole uses Mizuno’s trademark ‘Wave’ technology for cushioning and inherent stability. The X-lug outsole provides secure traction on many surfaces. The large X-grooves in the midfoot allow for the forefoot and hindfoot to move independently of each other to adapt to variance in terrain. The dependable outsole of the Hayate 2 has been an ideal shoe for my runs in the Lynn Valley area of the North Shore.
Overall Impression
If you’re a runner looking for a lightweight and agile option for technical trails, this shoe is for you. Visit a Kintec location to try the Hayate 2 today!
Happy running!
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