Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 7 review

We firmly believe that the Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 7 should be on your radar if:

• you need a fast-feeling shoe for your agile playing style in tennis and pickleball
• you prefer flexibility and freedom of movement to rigid stability
• you have medium-to-narrow feet and prefer close-fitting uppers

If you want an equally fast and light tennis shoe but with a more substantial lateral support, the ASICS Solution Speed FF 4 is the Exceed Tour 7's closest competition.

And if you need a more affordable and beginner-friendly option with similar features, the K-Swiss Ultrashot Light and the ASICS Solution Swift FF 2 both offer amazing value for money!

Mizuno swaps the ENERZY NXT foam for the ENERZY XP in the Exceed Tour 7, claiming the latter to be the brand's 'most cushioned and responsive' to date.

But in our lab test, we found the Tour 7's shock absorption to be identical to the Tour 6! At 100 SA in the heel and 67 SA in the forefoot, it offers a balance of impact protection and court feel similar to an average tennis shoe.

Mizuno also promises 'superior energy return' with the ENERZY XP, and our lab test proved it to be true with above-average readings of 55.7% in the heel and 58.5% in the forefoot.

This makes the Exceed Tour 7 notably more responsive and spring-loaded than most other tennis shoes, and along with its lightweight build, it helps reduce effort during sprints and jumps.

But is it an improvement over the Tour 6? The data actually shows a slight reduction because the earlier version had even higher readings (57% and 62.6%, respectively).

Having sliced the shoe in half, we also found that its stack height remained unchanged from the previous iteration. At 30.4 mm in the heel, it also falls squarely into the category average, neither too low to the court nor too isolated from it.

Its forefoot stack also remained at 19.3 mm, which is common for tennis shoes. 

The difference between the two stacks resulted in a predictable heel-to-toe drop of 11.1 mm.

Consistent with the previous Exceed Tour and with the category average, it offers an ergonomic foot placement for both tennis and pickleball, accommodating a forward-leaning position and taking the strain off the Achilles and calves.

The blue full-length ENERZY XP foam proved firm, measuring 47.7 AC on our durometer.

Yet it doesn't feel brick-like at all, thanks to its responsive nature.

A slightly firmer POWNCE foam acts as the shoe's carrier foam and is concentrated in the heel area for enhanced stability. Measuring 50.1 AC, it is harder than the average tennis shoe foam.

The Wave Exceed Tour 7 offers a snug, one-to-one fit that caters to narrow and medium-width feet.

Retrieving a one-to-one gel cast of the shoe's interior, our calliper measured its widest part at 90.9 mm. This is likely to fit too tight for players with wide feet.

The rest of the shoe's toebox also proved to be close-fitting, measuring 68.5 mm in the big toe area. Not aggressively tapered but snug.

At only 23.1 mm, the low toebox height of this Mizuno shoe doesn't help make its fit any more relaxed.

Its limited vertical space can cause some undesirable pressure on the toes and toenails.

Swapping DuRubber for a new DX Rubber outsole, Mizuno brought the Exceed Tour 7's outsole traction up a notch. Recording the shoe's friction coefficient at a high 1.04, we were impressed with the tacky grip it offers on hard court!

The shoe grabbed the court firmly, keeping us planted on quick cuts and hard stops, inspiring plenty of confidence for high-speed play.

Even though it features a different rubber compound, the Exceed Tour 7's outsole design and traction pattern remained exactly the same.

We still see two separate rubber pods with a mix of razorblaze and herringbone treadlines to support multi-directional movement.

The D-Flex Groove is still in place as well, making the shoe more pliable.

The Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 7 remains almost as pliable as its predecessor, bending effortlessly with the foot.

Requiring a moderate force of 12.4N to bend by 30 degrees, it feels more manoeuvrable for nimble footwork than the average tennis shoe.

The brand positions the Wave Exceed Tour 7 as 'one of the lightest and fastest shoes on the market,' but our scale tells a different story.

Weighing 12.1 oz (343g) in a men's US size 9, it lands right around the average for tennis shoes. Meanwhile, the ASICS Solution Swift FF 2 is by far the lightest tennis shoe we've tested in our lab at 10.7 oz (302g).

Inheriting its predecessor's approach to stability, the Exceed Tour 7 offers the same reliable support for fast-paced and agile playing styles.

Its firm and grounded sole is reinforced with a stiff Mizuno Wave plate in the midfoot to prevent undesirable foot and ankle twisting during side-to-side movements.

However, our lab test showed that this Mizuno shoe is not as torsionally rigid as the more stability-oriented tennis shoes. At 12.9N, it takes 30% less torque to twist by 10 degrees in both directions than the average tennis shoe.

So if you are an ankle sprainer or are used to relying on stronger arch support, we'd be cautious about choosing the Exceed Tour 7.

In our manual test, we found virtually no change in the shoe's heel counter stiffness compared to the Exceed Tour 6. Structured and padded as before, it earned the same high stiffness score of 4 out of 5.

It also retains the same extended heel collar, which rises high along the Achilles to reduce pressure and heel slippage.

Our calliper measurements showed that the Exceed Tour 7's platform got slightly broader than before, but it still falls below the category average.

Its slim and streamlined silhouette showed a moderate 110.8 mm in the widest part of the forefoot.

Its heel also proved slightly narrower than average, measuring 86.4 mm between the most extended contact points.

While there is no dedicated toe drag guard on the medial side of this Mizuno shoe, its integrity is protected by an extended rubber outsole and chain-link PU coverage on the upper.

Taking the latter through a demanding Dremel test, we found that it resists abrasion surprisingly well! Thus, we confidently rated its toe guard durability as high as 4 out of 5.

The same PU net also covers the top of the shoe's toebox, sustaining abrasion brilliantly and scoring as high as 4 out of 5 in our durability test.

We were elated to see the same wear-resistant fabric inside the shoe's collar as in the previous version. Hardly damaged by the Dremel, it earned the shoe another high durability score of 4 out of 5.

In addition to offering better traction, the new DX Rubber also showed fantastic durability!

After subjecting it to a demanding 18-second drilling session at 10K RPM, our tread gauge measured the dent at just 0.7 mm. A solid result for an all-court tennis shoe!

Because of its hard-wearing nature, we are not concerned by the fact that the shoe's outsole measures slightly thinner than average at 3.1 mm. Especially given that Mizuno offers a 6-month outsole warranty!

The shoe packs an adequately padded insole, measuring a standard 4.8 mm in the heel.

The insole can be removed in favour of a custom orthotic, but we doubt the shoe's low toebox can fit most inserts comfortably.

Mizuno puffed up and extended the Tour 7's tongue, minimising the risk of lace bites even if you use a top pair of eyelets to make a runner's knot.

The shoe features a free-floating tongue with no side attachments. This could result in some tongue shifting, but we aren't too concerned given its width.

No pull tabs or finger loops are included in the Exceed Tour 7, but its extended heel collar is handy for putting the shoe on.

The Mizuno Wave Exceed Tour 7 took a £10 price leap, landing in the premium speed shoe segment. And we think it has the right to be there based on the lab test results and the overall performance it showed compared to its close competition.