RYAN: Alright, so I have to be honest — even though I’m Mizuno Boy, I was never supposed to be on this review. The fine folks at Mizuno sent Robbe a US M7.5, which we’ve both kind of accepted isn’t really his shoe size anymore, because it fits my US M8 foot perfectly — so maybe we’re both just smaller dudes than expected. I, however, cannot hold that against Mizuno, because it just keeps working out in my favor.
As for actual perks of the Neo Vista 2, I have to say that I agree with pretty much everything that Meg and Lindsay have said. This shoe is bouncier than before, it’s better looking than before, and I think it’s more breathable, too, at least on cooler days. I like 99% of the all-white colorway that Mizuno sent us, only knocking a point because it badly bears the stains of a nasty run-in with Robbe’s morning coffee. Again, not Mizuno’s fault, but now I have one shoe that looks like a soft-serve twist cone.
Underfoot, I think everything about the Neo Vista 2 works pretty much perfectly. I loved the two layers of Enerzy NXT foam on the original, and the addition of nitrogen in version two is just better. It’s got a little more pep to its step, yet the platform is wide enough and thick enough that I don’t feel like I’m about to roll an ankle. I hardly notice the Wave Plate — which is mostly there as a stabilizing agent — and I haven’t had much of an issue getting pebbles or other debris stuck in the midsole cutout.
But, while the Neo Vista 2 is mostly a case of steps forward, I think it has one or two steps back, too, so let’s keep going.
Shop The Shoe – Men
Shop The Shoe – Women