Mizuno Wave Inspire 19 2E

First worn on 28 June 2024, these shoes were doomed from the start. Black—just black. Not stylish black. Not stealth black. Just the kind of dull, budget black that screams “clearance rack at 50% off.” They offended my sense of style instantly. I like colour. These were the absence of joy. But I have duck feet—short, wide, and flat—and shoe… Read more ·  1

shopping is a special form of torture. Everything else was too tight, too high in the toe box, too narrow in the midfoot, or too “performance curved,” as if designed for gazelles. The Black Blocks, as they were quickly dubbed, didn’t feel good—but they didn’t actively injure me either. So they stayed.

Despite their cement-brick ride and total lack of personality, they racked up 107 activities, including an accidental career peak. I took them hiking in the Balkans to give my feet a break from boots, and they held their ground. I should have left them behind. I didn’t. They then went to Vietnam, where I had noble plans to offload them post-race. After all, they were made there. A full-circle donation. A minimalist gesture worthy of a Christmas charity special—“Don’t they know it’s Christmas in Africa?” to misquote the tune. They survived the Hoi An Marathon. I even bought a replacement pair overseas, determined they would remain where they came from.

And yet—somehow—they made it back to Australia. I didn’t love them. I didn’t even like them. But they kept showing up at the start line. Useful. Reliable. Completely uninspiring.

Now, after 996 km, the Black Blocks have been officially demoted to “dress shoes”—a punishment they’ve earned in full. There’s some heel wear and mild breakdown in the heel counter, but otherwise they’re disgustingly intact. Like a bad idea that lasted far too long.

The Wave Inspire 19s were supposed to be temporary. Somehow, they became the standard. And now I await the arrival of the Wave 28s, silently hoping I hate them just as much—and that they are more responsive than the Blocks but equally hard-working. Because some shoes, it turns out, are easier to run in than to forget.