Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3 Review – A Shoe That Left Me Confused

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The Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3 is one of the most confusing running shoes I’ve tested in 2025. On paper, it looks like an exciting super trainer: Mizuno’s TPE-based Enerzy Lite+ foam (the same used in the Wave Rebellion Pro), paired with a dual-foam midsole and a glass fibre plate for propulsion. Add in a great-looking engineered mesh upper and durable outsole, and it sounds like a winner. But in practice, it left me scratching my head.

Stats & Features

• Price: £175 RRP (discounts available via clubs/affiliates)

• Drop: 3 mm

• Weight: 271 g (UK 9.5)

• Dual foam midsole: full-length Enerzy Lite+ (TPE) + Enerzy NXT (EVA)

• Glass fiber plate (same as previous version)

• Smooth Speed Assist geometry for roll-through

• Durable blown rubber outsole

• Engineered mesh upper with solid lockdown, true to size

The shoe certainly looks the part — Mizuno’s 2025 colorways are fantastic, and the upper is one of the highlights. Fit and lockdown are strong, and the outsole grips well in typical wet English autumn conditions.

Performance

Here’s the problem: I couldn’t figure out what this shoe wanted to be.

• Fast paces? Awful. It felt awkward and unstable.

• Easy runs? Worse — the shoe felt flat and clunky, loading too much in the heel.

• Marathon pace? A little better. Around 8:00/mile (~5:00/km), when landing more midfoot, I finally found a “sweet spot.” But it required me to consciously adjust my stride, which isn’t something I want to think about in a versatile super trainer.

Ultimately, I couldn’t take it long, couldn’t warm up in it comfortably, and couldn’t use it for the mix of paces I expect from a £175 shoe. For me, it failed the versatility test.

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What I Liked 👍

• The engineered mesh upper – breathable, secure, and genuinely comfortable

• Attractive colorways – Mizuno are nailing design this year

• Solid outsole durability – better than some rivals like the ASICS Novablast/Sonicblast

• Nice foam feel in isolation – the Enerzy Lite+ has pop and potential

What I Didn’t Like 👎

• Very narrow sweet spot – only felt decent around one pace/midfoot strike

• Lacks versatility – poor at both easy runs and faster efforts

• At £175, it’s a risky buy if it doesn’t suit your gait

• Simply didn’t “click” for me compared to other 2025 trainers

Conclusion

The Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 3 isn’t a bad shoe — it’s just not the shoe for me. The foams are good, the upper is excellent, and it looks fantastic. But the ride felt awkward outside of a narrow pace zone, and I don’t want to consciously adjust my foot strike every time I run.

If you get on with the Wave Rebellion Pro, this “baby brother” might work for you — the DNA is there, and you’ll probably know how to handle it. But if you’re expecting it to be a direct competitor to the likes of the Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 or Hoka Mach X3, you may be disappointed.

At £175, it’s a gamble. For me, it didn’t pay off. Sometimes, a shoe just doesn’t work for you — and that’s exactly what happened here.

Verdict: A sharp-looking, well-built shoe with great materials, but limited versatility. It left me confused, and ultimately, it’s not one I’ll keep in my rotation.

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