Mizuno's new top shoe has been tested by Mike in recent weeks. The Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 3 CC combines great comfort with speed and durability!
Mizuno is making significant progress in the tennis (shoe) world. For example, it was the most worn shoe brand during the 2018 Australian Open. The Japanese brand works with 2 silos. This Exceed Tour series stands for lightweight comfort and speed. The Intense Tour for stability and durability. The Intense Tour is in line with the Adidas Barricade and Nike Zoom Cage and ASICS Gel Resolution. This Exceed Tour 3 CC has to compete with the Adidas Adizero Ubersonic, the Nike Zoom Vapor and the ASICS Gel Solution Speed. In practice, the shoe appears to be somewhere between an ASICS Resolution and Solution Speed.
Tester:
Name: Mike Playing strength: 4/4 Type of player: baseliner, counterpuncher, makes a lot of meters and puts a lot of strain on the shoes. Firm surface: gravel Recent shoe history: ASICS Gel Resolution 5, Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 1 CC, Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 2 and ASICS Gel Solution Speed 3 Clay
Judgement:
Fit: 8
Stability: 8 Damping: 9 Grip: 9 Durability: 8 Agility and speed: 8.5
Review
I previously had the opportunity to try the
Wave Exceed Tour version 1 . Last year
Stephan tested version 2 . What is striking is that the shoe is more similar to the first version in terms of fit. The Exceed Tour 2 CC was slightly wider. This old fit works very well for me. This 'snug' fit fits my narrow foot a little better. Furthermore, the shoe is quite large. With this model I have size 42.5, where I normally wear 43 with Mizuno and size 43.5 with ASICS tennis shoes.
What is immediately noticeable is that the Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 3 CC is slightly higher than my ASICS Solution Speed. The thicker midsole also offers significantly more comfort and cushioning, while the Solution Speed feels more direct. In terms of comfort, the shoe is more like the Gel Resolution or Nike Zoom Vapor than the Solution Speed.
The deep herringbone profile offers quite a lot of grip, even more grip than the ASICS Solution Speed 3. I had to get used to this during the first sessions on gravel with sliding. However, once the somewhat stiff top layer is removed, it plays wonderfully.
Comfort
The cushioning of the shoe is wonderful! I notice a big difference with my Solution Speed, especially in the heel area. This one is harder and more direct in that respect and sometimes gave me a sensitive heel during many hours of playing. That is not the case with this Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 3 CC. In terms of comfort, this shoe actually feels more like a Gel Resolution, but just a little faster. In that respect, in my opinion, the Exceed Tour 3 CC is somewhere between a Gel Resolution and a Solution Speed. Also in terms of stability by the way. The new upper grips the (fore)foot nicely with the PU lines. These provide good foot support, but also shape retention of the shoe. Between the PU strips, the upper is still slightly open for ventilation. The upper is strong enough for a lot of sliding and dragging. After 6 hours of play, the upper has been thoroughly tested, but hardly damaged.
As far as I'm concerned, this Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 3 CC is definitely one of the better tennis shoes currently on the market. The mix of speed, comfort, stability and durability is not found in many other brands/models. Absolutely recommended!
