Mizuno’s principal contribution towards the minimalist movement is the Mizuno Wave Universe. The words "minimalist movement" refer to those shoes developed in response to the rising awareness of the benefits of running barefoot. Those benefits include ground feel (the body's awareness of its position relative its surroundings due to the sense of feel.), light weight and a low heel (encouraging a forefoot landing.)

I have tried out several of Mizuno’s running shoes.

Mizuno Wave Musha

• The Wave Musha is light weight, 7.8 ounces, features a decidedly minimal heel to toe drop, and minimal support against over pronation. When I obtained these shoes, years ago, I wasn't mindful of the unfavorable impacts of running utilizing a heel strike. I discovered that the Wave Musha worked remarkably well once I began utilizing a forefoot landing. Mizuno doesn't actually market their Wave Musha as being a minimalist shoe, however, when compared with shoes that other companies promote, the Wave Musha is extremely minimalistic indeed.

Mizuno Wave Ronin

• Next I tried Mizuno’s Wave Ronin. Weighing in at 7 oz., the Wave Ronin is similar to the Wave Musha but with no anti-pronation control. The anti pronation control in the Musha isn't conspicuous so, I could barely notice the distinction between the two athletic shoes.

These two shoes are quite well constructed. After the soles in them ultimately wore out, the uppers still seemed brand new. After I had chosen to try out minimalist running shoes, I opted for Mizuno Wave Universe, since I like my other Mizuno Shoes so much.

Mizuno Wave Universe

• If the Wave Musha and the Wave Ronin are minimalistic, then the Wave Universe is yet another category entirely. They weigh only 3.8 ounces, and their soles are extraordinarily thin and extremely flexible. Running in these shoes is comparable to running in your bedroom slippers. They provide protection from the ground that you would like while wearing minimalist running shoes and remarkably little else.

You've got ground feel in these shoes because the soles are remarkably thin. Unlike the Wave Musha and the Wave Ronin, the Wave Universe does not have a heel. The out-sole simply extends covering the heel, ; therefore, it does not have any heel to toe drop. Their most widely used color is red. That is because red is the only color offered.

If you want a truly minimalist alternative to running barefoot, I don’t believe you will go wrong with Mizuno Wave Universe. I believe that running in these shoes are about as close to running without shoes as possible while still wearing shoes.