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Mizuno Neo Vista Review

An all-around excellent max-cushioning shoe that is fun to run in
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Mizuno Neo Vista Review
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Price:  $180 List
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Manufacturer:   Mizuno
By Nathaniel Bailey ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 3, 2024
74
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#2 of 30
  • Landing Comfort - 30% 8.8
  • Responsiveness - 20% 7.5
  • Stability - 15% 5.5
  • Upper Comfort - 15% 9.5
  • Weight - 15% 5.4
  • Traction - 5.0% 4.0
Length Sizing
Runs Small
Runs Large
Width Sizing
Runs Narrow
Runs Wide

Our Verdict

The Neo Vista is a phenomenal shoe. It packs a compressible, resilient foam around a plant-based plate to create an energetic, bouncing experience. It's comfortable at a range of paces, and you can turn it over, too. The sock-like upper is simple, well executed and comfortable. Lockdown is excellent, and the fit is spot on. There isn't much we don't like. Sure, it's pricey, but it's on par with other super trainers. The traction is a little below average on loose gravel, but this is a road shoe that thrives on pavement. This shoe came very close to winning one of our top awards (but lost out due to price and niche) and has remained in our tester's daily rotation long after the testing was complete. This shoe should be on the shortlist for runners who want a well-cushioned, fun, and reasonably fast shoe that thrives on long runs, can handle workouts, and remains comfortable for everyday mileage.
REASONS TO BUY
Extremely versatile
Fun ride
Comfortable upper
REASONS TO AVOID
Pricey
Below average traction on loose surfaces

Compare to Similar Products

 
mizuno neo vista
This Product
Mizuno Neo Vista
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Running Shoes for Uptempo Training
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Men's Running Shoes
Top Pick Award
Excellent Performance without a Plate
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for Your Buck
Price $180 List
$154.80 at Amazon
$169.95 at Amazon
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$139.95 at Amazon
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$135 List
$135.00 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line One of our favorite shoes with plenty of cushion, lots of versatility, and a fun factorAn all-around standout that can handle easy days as comfortably as hard workoutsA daily trainer that can handle most runs, the Novablast 4 is fun and extremely comfortableBouncy, responsive and well-cushioned, this shoe is performance-oriented but still versatileA daily trainer that blends comfort and versatility at a reasonable price
Rating Categories Mizuno Neo Vista Saucony Endorphin S... Asics Novablast 4 New Balance FuelCel... Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Landing Comfort (30%)
8.8
8.0
8.3
8.5
8.0
Responsiveness (20%)
7.5
8.0
7.0
7.5
7.0
Stability (15%)
5.5
5.7
7.0
4.0
6.0
Upper Comfort (15%)
9.5
7.5
8.0
6.0
7.0
Weight (15%)
5.4
6.8
5.8
8.4
5.3
Traction (5.0%)
4.0
5.0
4.0
6.2
9.0
Specs Mizuno Neo Vista Saucony Endorphin S... Asics Novablast 4 New Balance FuelCel... Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Measured Weight 9.98 oz 9.03 oz 9.76 oz 7.98 oz 10.07 oz
Measured Heel Stack Height 50 mm 38 mm 43 mm 30 mm 38 mm
Measured Heel-to-Toe Drop 9 mm 11 mm 7 mm 7 mm 11 mm
Plate Type Full Length Plastic Nylon None None None
Rocker Angle 18.5 deg 25.0 deg 22.5 deg 19.5 deg 18.0 deg
Rocker Apex Location 65.6% 67.7% 66.5% 62.2% 66.7%
Style Max-Cushioning Daily Trainer Daily Trainer Daily Trainer Daily Trainer
Upper Engineered knit Engineered mesh/knit Engineered woven/knit FantomFit Engineered knit
Midsole Enerzy NXT PWRRUN PB FF Blast + Eco FuelCell NITROFOAM
Outsole Rubber Rubber AHAR Lo Rubber PumaGrip
Heel Tab Type Finger loop None Finger loop None None
Sizes Available 7-14 US, regular 7-15 US, regular 6 - 15 US, regular 7-16 US, regular & wide 7 - 14 US, regular

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Neo Vista was one of the biggest surprises in testing. We expected it to be good… just not this good. It has similar scores to one of our highest-scoring daily trainers, the perennial favorite Endorphin Speed. The main difference is in comfort. This Mizuno provides much better comfort at a wider range of paces but doesn't perform quite as well at the fast end. Regardless, we think it is an excellent training partner.

Performance Comparison


mizuno neo vista - the neo vista is one of the most fun daily trainers in our lineup.
The Neo Vista is one of the most fun daily trainers in our lineup.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey

Landing Comfort


Mizuno optimized the Neo Vista for daily training. The cushioning is happiest at easy to threshold paces, where the Enerzy NXT foam pairs excellent compressibility with well above-average resilience. It combines smooth on landings and bouncy on takeoff, making for a very fun ride.

mizuno neo vista - the max stack height of the neo vista has surprisingly smooth and...
The max stack height of the Neo Vista has surprisingly smooth and supple feeling transitions.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey

Using World Athletics guidelines to compare stack height measurements, we measured 50 mm (!!) of foam under the heel, with 9 mm of drop. With 50 mm of foam underfoot, the Neo Vista is the highest-stack shoe in our lineup by a large margin. It's noticeable when you run. Landings are plush and well-damped, although the shoe does retain a slight amount of ground feel, which is surprising (and appreciated). The midsole design is interesting, with a large, nearly full-length cutout in the middle of the foot. We think that plays a significant role in the uniquely smooth ride of the shoe.

mizuno neo vista - the neo vista has a massive overall stack height.
The Neo Vista has a massive overall stack height.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Compared to the rest of our lineup, the Neo Vista scores nearly as well as shoes designed for maximal cushioning and comfort, like the Skyward X or the Triumph 22. But there is a key difference — those shoes are optimized for comfort at the expense of versatility. The Neo Vista is a highly versatile shoe that stays comfortable at a much wider range of paces.

The plate seems to add some control to landings and contributes to a very smooth transition through the midfoot and off the toe. The shoe compresses well and bounces along nicely at a range of paces. For as tech-heavy as the shoe is, the ride feels surprisingly natural. We think the cushioning will work well for most runners, particularly those who land in front of the heel.

mizuno neo vista - transitions are smooth with a versatile geometry that works for a...
Transitions are smooth with a versatile geometry that works for a variety of footstrikes.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey

Responsiveness


The Neo Vista isn't the most responsive shoe in our lineup, but it scores above average, which makes it incredibly versatile. It feels great at easy paces and comfortable at moderate efforts. We love it for long runs with uptempo sections or progression runs.

The shoe's ability to remain fun at such a wide range of paces is largely thanks to the foam and specific geometry. The full-length plastic plate provides enough stiffness to help transfer power when running harder, and the Enerzy NXT foam is extremely bouncy. The Smooth Speed Assist rocker geometry is aptly named. It's subtle but works well.

mizuno neo vista - the smooth speed assist full-length rocker geometry results in a...
The Smooth Speed Assist full-length rocker geometry results in a very smooth ride.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

We think the Neo Vista feels similar to the Alphafly 3 in some ways, just optimized for comfort and smoothness rather than all-out speed. There is a similar plush landing at the midfoot and a similar propulsive bounce off the forefoot. The Neo Vista isn't as fast (it's optimized for daily training), but it's a much more comfortable and natural-feeling shoe. This is a good pick for daily training if you're a runner who likes bouncy and propulsive shoes.

mizuno neo vista - the bounce of this shoe is very enjoyable during easy mileage.
The bounce of this shoe is very enjoyable during easy mileage.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey

Stability


Surprisingly, this shoe has pretty average stability. The high stack and soft upper caused us to expect worse. The shoe's platform is reasonably wide, which helps provide some inherent stability. There's just enough sidewall to prevent slipping, and the plate helps direct and stabilize that thick chunk of foam. Put together, this shoe is actually more stable than some other max-cushioning options. We don't think this shoe is a good option for runners who need or want shoes with more support.

mizuno neo vista - in this cutaway, you can see the sidewalls that add some overall...
In this cutaway, you can see the sidewalls that add some overall stability to this very high-stack shoe.
Credit: Natalie Kafader


Upper Comfort


The Neo Vista takes home the highest upper score in our lineup. Its sock-like upper looks radical but works well. We didn't experience any slippage or rubbing, and it provided enough support around turns to keep us stable. We did note that putting the shoe on after it had been laced up could be a little tight, which led us to loosen the laces more than we usually would to put a shoe on. That meant we spent a moment longer getting the lacing right again. It's not a finicky process, but it took a second or two longer to get out the door. Overall, we think this is one of the best-executed uppers we've worn. Some runners don't like sock-like uppers, so if that's you, we recommend trying on this shoe before buying.

mizuno neo vista - the upper is one of our favorites in the test thanks to its...
The upper is one of our favorites in the test thanks to its sock-like comfort.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Weight


The Neo Vista is sub-10 ounces, although just barely. Our US Men's size 10.5 weighed in at 9.98 ounces per shoe. That's pretty middle-of-the-road for a daily trainer and is about average in our lineup. It's no lightweight champ, but it's exceptionally light for having 50 mm of stack height. It weighs the same as many shoes with 10 mm less foam, largely thanks to the midsole cutout and lightweight, breathable upper.

mizuno neo vista - the neo vista is suprisingly light for a shoe with so much overall...
The Neo Vista is suprisingly light for a shoe with so much overall chonk.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Traction


In our opinion, the biggest flaw of Neo Vista is its traction. It bites well on the road, and the rubber outsole that covers the entire contact surface is great for leaning into turns on wet pavement. But, the shoe doesn't hold particularly well on looser surfaces like dirt roads or gravel paths. When you run over some debris on the pavement, the large cutout in the midsole seems to be almost perfect for fitting a wedged rock.

mizuno neo vista - the large gap in the middle of the outsole likes to pick up rocks...
The large gap in the middle of the outsole likes to pick up rocks, and the lack of lugs limits the Neo Vista's ability offroad.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

If you plan to use it on pavement, you should have no concerns. However, if your runs typically have a slightly more mixed surface and you really value traction, this might not be the best option. That said, we use it regularly on dirt roads.

mizuno neo vista - pavement runners should have no traction concerns with this shoe.
Pavement runners should have no traction concerns with this shoe.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey

Should You Buy the Mizuno Neo Vista?


If you're after a fun, versatile, and durable shoe, this shoe fits the bill perfectly. It's not the cheapest shoe and sells for significantly more than many of our award winners. But it does have excellent cushioning, comfort, and performance at a price that is less than that of other super trainers. We don't recommend it to beginning runners or to runners who have issues with plated shoes. But if none of those things are issues for you, we think you will love this shoe.

What Other Running Shoes Should You Consider?


The Asics Superblast 2 comes closest to matching the performance of the Neo Vista. It is a little better at faster paces while sacrificing some comfort. It also sits in a higher price bracket. We highly recommend the Puma Velocity Nitro 3 or Asics Novablast 4 for runners who want a great combination of performance and comfort at a lower price point.

Nathaniel Bailey