At first glance, the Supersonic Wave III looks to be just another modern take on a classic leather soccer shoe, but upon further inspection, you will see that it’s so much more. As far as comfort elements are concerned, the shoe features an extremely soft kangaroo leather upper, offering a soft and comfortable feel from right out of the box. The central lacing system allows for the most customizable fit, allowing you to get the shoes as tight as you would like, without discomfort or lace bite. The tongue is a combination of mesh and synthetic leather with just a little bit of padding to it, again adding to the overall comfort of the boots. The heel and ankle collar are lined in suede, making for a very comfortable and secure fit, locking your foot in place. Another awesome feature that you will only find in a Mizuno boot is the insole, which features a rough finish, which does a fantastic job of securing your foot in place, eliminating any kind of sliding around in the boot. The Wave heel is also a very nice feature, providing some extra cushioning under the heel, which I found to be very noticeable when switching to a different pair of shoes after wearing the Supersonic Wave III. Comfort-wise, there isn’t much to complain about. This is one of those shoes that you can wear from right out of the box with no discomfort whatsoever.
As far as the fit of the shoe is concerned, I would say that the Supersonic Wave III is a wider fitting shoe overall. The heel and mid-foot of the shoe are definitely on the wider side, and should accommodate nearly any foot type comfortably, where as the forefoot and toe box area of the boot is slightly tighter fitting, allowing the leather to stretch a little bit, making for a perfect fit after break-in. What I really like about the Supersonic Wave III are the two synthetic bands that cross the forefoot area of the shoe, ensuring that the shoe will not overstretch. Sizing remains true, as are all of the boots from Mizuno. I wore my usual size 9US for review, and the fit in the length was perfect. If you’re looking to order a pair, I would strongly recommend going for your normal size for the best fit.
Weight
The Supersonic Wave III weighs in at 9.5oz, but I have to say that they feel much lighter. The soleplate of the boot is very light, weighing only 80 grams, so all of the shoes weight is mainly in the upper. This gives the shoe a very lightweight feel because of how it is unusually balanced, so even though the scale may give you 9.5oz, I would say that they feel as if they were closer to 8oz. At the end of the day, the weight of the shoe is not as big of a deal as most people make it out to be, and for me, the weight of this particular shoe is just right.
Traction
The soleplate and stud pattern of the Supersonic Wave III uses the exact same soleplate and stud pattern as the previous model, with the only changes to the shoe being in the upper. Like I said earlier, the one-piece plastic soleplate, called the Tiger Claw, weighs only 80 grams, which is incredibly light. But unlike most ultra-lightweight soleplates, this particular one has a surprising solid feel to it, and provides plenty of stiffness through the mid-foot, which is great. As far as the stud pattern is concerned, the studs are essentially winged conical studs. If you take a look at the pictures above, you might get a better idea of what I am talking about. You get four studs on both the inside and outside of the forefoot, with a single support stud in the middle, and then the standard four studs in the back. The each conical stud on the shoe features either one or two bladed hang offs, of varying length and depths. The concept for the design is to provide a combination of freedom movement and straight grip when pushing off or changing direction. This stud pattern falls under the multi-directional grip category, and honestly does a very good job of it. It offers a very stable, low to the ground feel, while still offering plenty of grip when pushing off, which is great. Whether you prefer bladed studs or conical studs, this particular stud pattern should satisfy either preference, offering the best of both worlds.
Touch
The Supersonic Wave III was designed with touch and dribbling in mind, offering easily one of the most unique control elements of any shoe out there. This “control” element is called the Feather Touch System, FTS for short, and is something that is pretty much invisible on the boot, but is very noticeable when you have the shoes in your hands, or on your feet. The just of the FTS is to provide the softest touch on the ball possible, and I can back up that claim. Basically what Mizuno have done is modified the touch of the classic kangaroo leather upper. They have taken a very high quality kangaroo leather upper, and implanted some type of foam material, which Mizuno calls “Rebound Sponge”, of varying thicknesses in the leather. When you have the shoe in your hands, you can see how the leather upper is slightly more cushioned than it would normally be, almost as if the leather was stuffed. You can probably get a better idea of this by taking a look at the pictures above. Notice how the leather seems to pop an unusual amount in between each of the stitched areas of the upper. Pressing the upper with your finger you will notice how soft the leather is, and how it has an unusual density to it, where it seems to bounce back when you push it in, this is because of the foam. Imagine a very soft memory foam pillow, and how it bounces back when you push your hand into it.
Touching the ball in these shoes feel great, and is probably the softest feel of any shoe currently on the market. If you read my review of the Supersonic Wave II, you would have read how I was happy with the Feather Touch System, but I wish it wasn’t so minimalistic, and that is exactly how Mizuno have changed the FTS in the Supersonic Wave III. The FTS has been taken to a new extreme, and it changes the feel of the shoe dramatically. The feel on the ball is not too far off from a high quality kangaroo leather upper, but it just has that extra level of cushioning that just feels so good. I like that you get a super soft touch on the ball, but the upper does not feel bulky at all, and you still have plenty of feel on the ball. Juggling the ball in the Supersonic Wave III feels effortless, and something about that thin foam layer just gives the shoe such a controlled feel. Keep in mind that no shoe is going to improve your touch, but something about the softness of this particular shoe just feels fantastic. Another unique feature on the upper is the synthetic section on the instep of the boot. This synthetic section still features the foam inserts and keeps that same padded feel, and is finished with a very light dimpling. After using the shoes, I can honestly say that it isn’t something that I noticed at all, and for me, wasn’t something that any major impact on the overall feel of the boot.
Mizuno has always been an innovator when it comes to implementing new technologies into soccer shoes, and the Feather Touch System is one of those golden ideas. In the age of synthetics, we are seeing more and more quality synthetic uppers, but nobody has ever thought to modify a material that has been established as the original best material that is kangaroo leather. This is one of those shoes that I guarantee anybody would like.
Shooting
Striking the ball in the Supersonic Wave III is great. The shoe does not feature any kind of striking elements, and is going to feel like any other leather shoe. The Feather Touch System doesn’t seem to have as much of an impact on the feel of the ball when striking the ball. The soleplate provides plenty of rigidity to the boot and the secure fit of the boot give the shoe a very solid feel when striking through the ball, which is pretty much all that you can ask for.
Protection
The Supersonic Wave III is definitely not a shoe that is going to leave you exposed out on the filed. The leather upper, partnered with the thin foam inserts will provide an above average amount of protection should you get stepped on. There is also a an internal plastic heel counter will provide protection from kicks to the heel and it must be said that the Wave heel cushioning system plays its part in injury prevention, taking the edge off of hard impacts when running. Overall, the Supersonic Wave III is a very safe shoe that should be protective enough for pretty much anybody.
Durability
If you’re at all familiar with Mizuno, than you know that they produce some of the highest quality soccer shoes on the market. The shoe is built from very high quality materials. From the leather quality to the overall construction of the boot, everything is finished to a very high standard. Keep in mind that the Supersonic Wave III does feature a natural leather upper, so some maintenance is required to keep the upper in optimum condition. Also keep in mind that the Supersonic Wave III in the firm ground stud pattern is designed for use on natural grass playing surfaces. Use of this shoe, or any firm ground shoe on an artificial surface will have a major impact on the durability of the boots.
The Verdict
I couldn’t be happier with the Mizuno Supersonic Wave III. Mizuno have modified the Feather Touch System from the previous model, and it makes the world of difference. The Supersonic Wave III offers the softest leather touch that I have ever felt from any other shoe on the market. Along with a very comfortable fit and a great stud pattern, there isn’t much that I don’t like about the Supersonic Wave III. If you are looking for one of the more unique straight leather boots on the market, than the Supersonic Wave III should be on your radar.
| Comfort/Fit | 10 out of 10 |
| Weight | 8 out of 10 |
| Traction | 8 out of 10 |
| Touch | 10 out of 10 |
| Shooting | 8 out of 10 |
| Protection | 8 out of 10 |
| Durability | 8 out of 10 |
| FINAL SCORE | 61 out of 70 or 87% |
