As the Sayonara is, somewhat ironically, farewelled many of us were left with the thought; “well what shoe do I run in now?”

I have been a Wave Sayonara devotee since day 1, I have run through multiple pairs of the 1’s through the 4’s and loved them all. BUT if I am truly honest, I preferred the earlier models with their more minimalist design. As the model progressed it moved more ds a traditional shoe and slightly away from its origins of the true ‘tracer’ by adding some plushness to the upper, adding stack height etc. So the whispers of the Wave Shadow and what it held had me excited. After months of Shadow boxing (yup, that was a cheap shot) with the thoughts of running in these I finally got my hands on a pair. In short, they remind me a bit of the Wave Sayonara 1. They are quite a firm shoe under foot, exceptionally responsive and very much a ‘tracer’ (a category of shoes that will be a racer for those in a more traditional shoe but could be used as a main shoe/mileage shoe for those who prefer a little less in their shoe). FEEL:

  • Firm and stable in the rearfoot
  • Smooth ride through to toe off
  • Excellent, ‘snappy’ toe off
  • For the forefoot striker they will be a touch softer in feel, much to my personal liking.

FIT

  • Pitch/Drop 8mm
  • Stack Height 17mm
  • Weight 253g
  • True to length, moderate-narrow rearfoot and midfoot
  • Good forefoot room: a seamless forefoot gives the feeling of space and is very accommodating - It also limits pressure points which is excellent
  • Definitely NOT one to shy away from if you have a narrow forefoot

Who will like these:

  • Sayonara fans should definitely try these (especially those who liked the earlier Sayonara models more than the later ones)
  • Anyone who is looking for a responsive racing shoe that is currently in something like the Wave Sky or Wave Rider
  • People looking for a lightweight shoe to do mileage in

by David Lipman

Follow him on Insta @dlipman5
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