Shoe Review: Mizuno Wave Enforce Tour

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Price: $135 (Purchase now at TennisShop.com)
Weight: 13.4 oz. (men’s 9); 10.9 oz. (women’s 7.5)
Size Run: 7-12, 13 (men); 6-11 (women)
Outsole Warranty: 6-month

What’s New

Launched in April, the Wave Enforce Tour is an entirely new model in Mizuno’s tennis category. Equipped with Mizuno Enerzy throughout the footbed, the shoe offers plush cushioning on court landings and high energy return for quick transitions. The Dyna-Heel Lock is an integrated lacing system that improves foot and shoe alignment during movement. And the DuRubber outrigger outsole provides a powerful base for rotational movement, and comes with a six-month warranty.

What Works

Mizuno classifies the Enforce Tour as a baseliner’s shoe, and given its prowess during lateral movement, it’s an apt description. When compared to the brand’s more minimalist Exceed Tour franchise, the Enforce Tour is a more robust offering. It brings more cushioning and support features, and the accompanying weight with it.

The shoe has a medium-width cut; a narrower foot won’t swim around in it, but it does take some lace cinching—or even some thicker socks—to get a locked-in feel. It does have rather long laces which helps to this end, although can also be a nuisance. I’m often between sizes, and dropped down for this shoe which worked out well.

Having the tongue gusseted helps the shoe stay nicely centered over the foot. It’s also longer and more padded than the stubby and wafer thin offering on the Wave Tour 5, which was a real detriment to that shoe. So players needing to cinch the laces tightly, won’t suffer irritating pinching and pressure on the top of their foot.

Another aspect which helped with the fit—and arguably my favorite technical aspect of the shoe—is the Dyna-Heel Lock. It’s a clever design element in which the padded ankle collar is integrated into the lacing system. So the tighter the laces, the more the back of the shoe hugs the foot. It does an excellent job of providing extra security to that area of the shoe and preventing any sort of heel slippage.

The 3D-Solid upper is a nice marriage of flexibility and support. It has just enough give to contour and cradle the foot during movement, while still providing the necessary rigidness when slamming on the breaks. While I never tried the shoe in overly hot conditions, there’s plenty of cutouts in rubber caging to enhance ventilation.

Cushioning comes via the combination of Enerzy Core concentrated in the heel, and Enerzy Foam throughout the midsole and sockliner. It’s quite plush and effective at absorbing court landings. The padding in the back of the shoe is more dense than the forefoot, which gives a noticeable lift in the heel. This naturally puts you on the balls of your feet for quicker reactions.

The outrigger outsole is flatter and wider to provide a more stable base, especially when planting and changing directions. It has a big channel running down the middle which helps with slides and keeping weight off. A healthy chunk climbs up the medial side to offer extra durability for foot-draggers. Having a six-month outsole guarantee on a lighter weight stability shoe at this price point is also appreciated.

What Needs Work

Any issues with the Enforce are mostly of the nitpick variety. For instance, your mileage may vary on the sensation of the raised heel. It can feel rather pronounced before the heel gradually sinks more into the shoe with extended wear. It may also lack some of the court connection that can be found in a lower, lighter model.

Along the same lines, the shoe may not have a standout feature. The cushioning, security—especially the Dyna-Heel Lock—comfort and support are all laudable. However, a shoe can set itself apart with an exemplary category and that’s debatable with this one. Still, if the worst thing that can be said of a shoe is that it checks every box for high-performance footwear, it hardly rises to the level of a genuine shortcoming.

Bottom Line

For many sports enthusiasts, Mizuno may still be thought of as a running brand. But as the Wave Enforce Tour proves, it’s a legitimate tennis player.