Mizuno Be – When is a sports shoe not a sports shoe ?

A non-running shoe for runners.

I went to the product launch for the mizuno Be.

Another running shoe? Another groundbreaking technology that’s not too dissimilar to the rest? Right?….Wrong.

I was pleasantly surprised. Very impressed in fact. We tried the shoes and listened to a convincing presentation by a former triathlete-cum-bio-mechanical expert.

So “What is the Mizuno Be?”

Firstly it’s NOT a running shoe but it is a shoe for ‘proper’ runners. It is a shoe that a runner would wear when not running. It delivers muscular benefits when walking around.

It looks like a nice pair of ‘casual’ sports shoes…you know, the kind you don’t wear for sports. And, as I say they look quite nice.

But lurking behind the facade of sports-shoe normality is a rather unusual inner sole. Essentially the inner sole and base of the shoe is designed to make your foot muscles work in ways that are beneficial to developing (activating) the muscles that runners need to avoid injuries – like those common to the achilles.

The key elements of the design are that: the inner sole underneath your toes is missing; and the heel is a lot lower than other shoes. These two factors cause all sorts of bio-mechanical jiggery pokery.

The benefits this delivers are:

1. Reduced injuries;

2. Increased performance from activation of key muscles used during the powerful ‘toe-off’ phase of the stride; and

3. Will aid strengthening muscles prior to a migration to forefoot strike from heel-strike.

Does it work? Well I’ve go no idea as I don’t have a pair! Would I buy a pair? I might actually. It’s my birthday soon.

Why would I buy a pair? Well, the 3 benefits above are exactly what I am looking for and I was convinced by the presentation – albeit a bit to biologically-technical for me.

Who would buy them? Well any vaguely serious runner with £80 to spare, I guess. That’s a rather large market. Good luck Mizuno.

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8 thoughts on “Mizuno Be – When is a sports shoe not a sports shoe ?

  1. They do sound interesting. And £80 is cheap for running shoes. My new Mizunos cost me £110 last week. Sob.

    1. Hi Debi…they are NOT RUNNING shoes ie not to be run in. They are to be used normally to activate muscles in normal (non-running) use. Take them off when you run and put running shoes on. that’s why it’s a rather different idea. Non-running shoes for runners!

      1. Ah doh, I didn’t read it properly did I?! Still sound interesting. Yes expensive but I’ve seen worse!

  2. Have you guys ever heard about walking barefoot?
    Or if not, about the vivobarefoot shoes? They actually have a much nicer range of casual shoes for everyday use. Good to see other brands recognise the importance of our feet biomechnical features!

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