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The Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite is the middle shoe in Mizuno’s Hyperwarp line-up, offering a little more stack height and stability than the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure. We rate the Pure as one of the best carbon plate running shoes out there and found the Elite impressively fast and light, but it doesn’t quite hit the heights of our favourite racers.
If you want a higher-stack option than the Pure for long events the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo or Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 would get our nod, while the Pure is a bouncier, lighter and more exciting shoe than the Elite for shorter races.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £235/$275
- Weight: 170g/6oz (UK 8.5/US 9.5)
- Drop: 3.5mm
- Stack: 38mm heel, 34.5mm forefoot
- Upper: Monofilament woven upper
- Midsole: Mizuno Enerzy XP PEBA top layer, TPEE bottom layer with full-length carbon plate
- Outsole: G3 rubber on forefoot and heel
Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite review
How’s The Fit
Nick and Kieran tested the Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite for our review and had a half size down on their normal running shoe size, which was OK if a little snug. We’d recommend sticking to your normal size, but you could go half down for a tighter fit if you prefer that in racing shoes.
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The Run Test: Likes
The Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite is not as light as the Hyperwarp Pure, but it’s still an incredibly light racing shoe and feels it on the foot. It’s nimble, it has a rapid turnover, and it’s a shoe that certainly supports fast running whether you’re tackling a tempo 10K or a 400m rep on the track.
There is more foam underfoot than with the Hyperwarp Pure, and with the firmer bottom layer it does have a more supportive feel as well, though we’d stop short of calling this a very stable shoe. It’s clearly built for speed first and foremost, but isn’t as stripped back as the Pure.
We found it help to keep the legs ticking over nicely on longer efforts, but also has the raw speed for all-out stints. Nick did a progression 10K working from 3:45/k to 3:08/k in the shoe, and it felt good at all the paces in between.
The grip was also good for us when running in wet conditions on the road and track. For such a lightweight shoe, it has a pretty substantial outsole that will hold up to lots of running.
The Run Test: Dislikes
It’s impossible not to compare the Hyperwarp Elite to the Hyperwarp Pure, and the latter is lighter, softer and faster. The Pure has two layers of PEBA foam in its midsole, whereas the Elite has a firmer TPEE bottom layer, and the Pure feels a little springier as a result.
Even though it is more cushioned than the Hyperwarp Pure, we’re not sure the Elite would be much more comfortable for a marathon in particular, and other brands do have shoes that offer a softer and/or more supportive ride for long distances.
While the Hyperwarp Pure feels like a special shoe that is a standout on the market at large for those who want a very light racer, the Hyperwarp Elite slips more into the pack alongside her excellent racers like the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4.Â
It’s very good and can stand up to almost anything on the market, but doesn’t necessarily have the wow factor and isn’t standing out on value either, though it’s cheaper than the Pure.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Mizuno Hyperwarp Elite is a highly impressive racing shoe and should you pick it up it will serve you well for events of any distance, though only those who like leaner, firmer racers will fancy it for a marathon over more cushioned picks like the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo or Saucony Endorphin Elite 2.
We prefer the incredible lightness and softer, springier feel of the Mizuno Hyperwarp Pure ourselves, and the difference in stack height is quite minimal. If you could handle a half marathon or marathon in the Hyperwarp Elite, the Hyperwarp Pure will probably work as well, and it’s faster for shorter races.
It’s also not the most rockered shoe, and some might like the more aggressive feel of the Puma Fast-R 3, which almost throws you forward with each stride, or the bouncy, wild ride of the Hoka Cielo X1 3.0.
All of this is not to say the Hyperwarp Elite is by any means a bad shoe. it’s terrific, but there are a lot of terrific racers available now, and one is the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4, which felt similarly impressive to the Elite but has a higher stack and a lower price tag.