The Mizuno Neo Vista 2 is a max-cushioned plated trainer that has a soft and springy ride. It’s not built to be as fast as super-trainers like the Hoka Mach X2, but instead focuses on delivering comfort and spring for daily training.
It’s has a different feel to its predecessor thanks to a new midsole setup, and we have mixed feelings about the ride of the Neo Vista 2. It’s one of the best running shoes for cruising through long runs, but doesn’t feel great for faster efforts, and might just be a little too squishy for our tastes.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £150/$200
- Weight: 268g/9.5oz (men’s UK 8.5 / US 9.5)
- Drop: 8mm
- Stack: 44.5mm heel, 36.5mm forefoot
- Upper: Engineered mesh with bootie fit
- Midsole: Dual-density Enerzy NXT midsole with nylon plate
- Outsole: Rubber surrounding midfoot cutout
Mizuno Neo Vista 2 review
How’s The Fit
Nick, Tom and Kieran tested the Mizuno Neo Vista 2 for our review and found that it came up a little long. It has a very roomy forefoot, and we’d say going at least a half size down is a good idea. The bootie fit holds the foot securely at the heel though, and it’s a pretty comfortable upper all round.
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The Run Test: Likes
The new midsole setup on the Neo Vista 2 creates an even softer and bouncier feel to the ride than the original Neo Vista. It’s a shoe that will never bottom out thanks to the high stack of springy foam, and it is undoubtedly fun and comfortable to run in.
Nick found that the shoe excelled over long distances in particular, with the rockered design and bouncy foam making the miles fly by. You can mix your paces up well on these long runs too, and the Neo Vista 2 can handle some steady or tempo efforts thanks to the plate and fairly lightweight design.
The Run Test: Dislikes
The soft midsole foam does detract from the performance of the Neo Vista 2 for faster efforts. It bounces back, but not rapidly enough to make fast running feel smooth and easy, and Kieran found the midsole too soft and squishy for his preferences in general.
It’s a shoe that does end up being less versatile than most super-trainers as a result. It’s a good daily trainer and long run shoe, but there are a lot of those about that have simpler and more stable designs.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Mizuno Neo Vista 2 is a fun shoe to run in if you enjoy soft, springy rides, and if you’re tackling a lot of miles as part of marathon training then you could well enjoy using it for your easy long runs.
It doesn’t have the spark you might expect from a plated trainer though, and in the US its price is too high, putting it up against superior, more versatile shoes like the Asics Superblast 2. It’s also pricier than the Nike Zoom Fly 6, a comfortable but faster plated super-trainer we’d pick up ahead of it.
In the UK the price is much more reasonable, and you could even view the Neo Vista 2 as an alternative to classic cushioned daily trainers like the Asics Novablast 5 or Hoka Clifton 10. It’s great for picking up easy miles and bouncier and lighter than those shoes, even if it doesn’t live up to its super-trainer billing.