Which is lighter, the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 or the Wave Rider 26?

The Mizuno Wave Rider 25, by 0.3 oz in a men's US 9 (9.7 oz vs 10 oz).

Did the price change between the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 and the Wave Rider 26?

Yes. List price went up $5, from $135 to $140. Street prices differ: the older shoe usually sells under list once its successor ships.

Do the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 and Wave Rider 26 come in the same widths?

Yes. Both run in D, 2E for men's sizes, so a width that fit in the Wave Rider 25 carries over to the Wave Rider 26.

How do the stack heights compare?

32 mm heel and 20 mm forefoot on the Mizuno Wave Rider 25, against 38.5 mm and 26.5 mm on the Wave Rider 26. That is 6.5 mm more under the heel and 6.5 mm more under the forefoot. See the stack height note in the table above: the published figures changed convention mid-lineage.

Is the Wave Rider 26 still the newest Wave Rider?

No. The Wave Rider 27 replaced it in 2023, so the Wave Rider 26 now sells as an older model and usually below its $140 list price.

Mizuno Wave Rider 25 vs Wave Rider 26

Updated August 7, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.

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Refined, same shoe

THE SHORT ANSWER

The Wave Rider 26, by default. Amazon's Mizuno Wave Rider 25 stock is gone in both men's and women's sizes, so what follows is a record of what changed, not a choice you still have.

Wave Rider 25 · 2021

Wave Rider 26 · 2022

Every spec, side by side

Spec	Wave Rider 25	Wave Rider 26
FIT AND WEIGHT
Weight	9.7 oz	10 oz
	The extra foam's bill; the heaviest of the modern Riders.
Widths	D, 2E	D, 2E
Upper	Engineered mesh with recycled content	Soft, thin jacquard mesh with recycled content
CUSHIONING GEOMETRY
Heel stack	32 mm	38.5 mm
	Mostly a quoting change: the 24 and 25 were quoted midsole-only, the 26 onward in full-stack figures. The real foam gain is about 2 mm at each end, not 6.5.
Forefoot stack	20 mm	26.5 mm
Drop	12 mm	12 mm
MATERIALS
Midsole	Full-length dual-density Enerzy foam	Full-length Enerzy foam
Plate	Bio-based PEBAX RNEW Wave plate, heel-to-midfoot	PEBAX RNEW Wave plate, moved forward
VALUE
List price at launch	$135	$140
OTHER CHANGES
Outsole	Segmented X10 rubber	Full-contact X10 redesign
	The change you hear: smoother and less slappy at footstrike.

Weighing whether to switch at all, rather than which of these two to buy? What replaced the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 covers the verdict on the update, what loyalists made of it, and the closest alternatives from other brands.

Buy the Wave Rider 25

Old stock gone

Amazon's stock of the Mizuno Wave Rider 25is gone in both men's and women's sizes, and discontinued stock does not come back.

Old stock is gone. See what replaced it

Buy the Wave Rider 26

Old stock gone

Amazon's stock of the Mizuno Wave Rider 26is gone in both men's and women's sizes, and discontinued stock does not come back. The best current match is the Brooks Ghost 18.

Brooks Ghost 18 at Amazon

Questions runners ask

Which is lighter, the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 or the Wave Rider 26?: The Mizuno Wave Rider 25, by 0.3 oz in a men's US 9 (9.7 oz vs 10 oz).
Did the price change between the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 and the Wave Rider 26?: Yes. List price went up $5, from $135 to $140. Street prices differ: the older shoe usually sells under list once its successor ships.
Do the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 and Wave Rider 26 come in the same widths?: Yes. Both run in D, 2E for men's sizes, so a width that fit in the Wave Rider 25 carries over to the Wave Rider 26.
How do the stack heights compare?: 32 mm heel and 20 mm forefoot on the Mizuno Wave Rider 25, against 38.5 mm and 26.5 mm on the Wave Rider 26. That is 6.5 mm more under the heel and 6.5 mm more under the forefoot. See the stack height note in the table above: the published figures changed convention mid-lineage.
Is the Wave Rider 26 still the newest Wave Rider?: No. The Wave Rider 27 replaced it in 2023, so the Wave Rider 26 now sells as an older model and usually below its $140 list price.