BOOT TEST: MIZUNO WAVE IGNITUS

28th July 2010
in: Football Boots,Mizuno Football Boots

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So – here it is at last! The Footy-Boots.com official wear-test of the Mizuno Wave Ignitus football boot.

But has it been worth the wait? We’ve already read about the Mizuno Wave Ignitus selling out in Japan during the World Cup – but is it likely to ‘Ignite-us’ in the west, too (HA!)? Read on to find out

Comfort/Fit

The Mizuno Wave Ignitus has a very unique fit, certainly unlike any boot I’ve ever tried before. The shape of the boot is very much like a Mercurial Vapor, as it has distinctly low-profile shape, with the ankle ‘cuff’ being much lower than your average boot.

As with many ‘unique’ things, this certainly might not be to everyone’s taste – personally I loved the fit, but others who might be more used to a particular brand of boot might find it a little weird.

This lower cuff is certainly no bad thing, the extra room around the ball of the ankle means that your foot is completely free of the boot, meaning that you get a nice feeling of your feet being loose and nimble, perfect for flicks, tricks and turns.

One thing that it does mean, though, is that you don’t get that nice weight-y sensation of the boot locking your foot in place as you strike through the ball.

Another aspect of the boot, is that they’re distinctly un-Mizuno in terms of width. Previous tests of the Wave Ghost, Wave Shinken II and Morelia have seen us try out the boot half a size down for a better fit; However, the Mizuno Wave Ignitus runs more true to size – of course there’s minor variations between manufacturers – but the Wave Ignitus is a pretty standard length/width.

Just as an aside, they were a little bit roomy in the toes at first, but after a few wears the boot did mould to my feet better – the K-Leather upper is also very forgiving, so it might be an option for any wider-footed players out there!

As for the comfort of the boot, it’s phenomenal. Despite being shaped like a speed boot, the Mizuno Wave Ignitus is nice and padded throughout the lining, meaning there was no need to break these football boots in – just lace up and go.

Durability/Protection

As mentioned before, the boot is extremely well padded – so straight off the bat there’s something there to absorb some of the impact that comes with playing the beautiful game.

The heel counter – in it’s own way – is a great piece of construction. Made of triple-density Tepex, the 1st layer covering the whole heel, the second being in the bottom of the heel for stability, and the 3rd being those ‘fingers’ that you see in the heel.

What this means is that the heel is re-enforced in the places that matter – for protection and securing the foot – yet is flexible in others to make it comfortable – in short, it’s the perfect follow-up to Mizuno’s ‘Wave System’ series of heel counters that saw them score highly in this department with their previous football boots.

The outsole of the Mizuno Wave Ignitus is also first-rate. Sort of a mish-mash of a single and two piece outsole. There’s two distinctive segments, each with their own Carbon Fibre panel – but there’s an added layer of Tepax that runs between the two pieces, keeping them joined – more on how this effects play later…

Feel

To go along with the unique fit, the Mizuno Wave Ignitus also has a very unique feel when playing.

Firstly, it’s light – perhaps more light than you’d ever expect K-Leather ‘Power’ football boots ever to be, which plays both in and against the Ignitus’ favour.

The light feel it great when running, passing and wrapping your feet around a cross. However, the boot loses some of the ‘meat’ when hitting straight through the ball.

The quasi-two-piece outsole means there’s not a proper ‘shank’ through the boot, like the adidas Predator_X‘s PowerSpine, and the light weight means there’s none of the ‘punch’ that we’ve come to love from the Puma PowerCat or Predator PowerSwerve.

The other features that you’ll want to have a play with are the Bio-Panels and Mukaiten panel.

For those who might not know, the Mukaiten is a style of free-kick designed to be almost bereft of spin, which causes the ball to dip and move in the air. For those who want to try it – it’s really difficult, and be prepared to spend a lot of time pulling it off with any consistency.

The idea is to swing the inside of the foot into the centre of the ball, almost imagining your leg is like a wrecking ball. The flat Mukaiten panel has a big enough surface area to ‘shunt’ the ball off the ground and get it moving.

As you can guess, it takes a strong leg to get the desired effect, and it’s a really awkward motion to try and get used to. However, if you pull one off, it’s an awesome feeling.

As someone from the ‘Beckham’ generation of set-piece takers, I’ve always prided myself on the swerve it takes to get a ball into the top corner – but after seeing a Mukaiten hit the target, I can safely say that it’s just as satisfying (if not a little bit more!).

Conclusion

The Wave Ignitus is a boot that tries to tick just about every box in the football boots world, and comes agonisingly close to accomplishing that task.

With a K-leather upper, minimal breaking-in required and an inner that’s as focused on comfort as it is performance, it’s a real ‘Players’ boot. But by looking at all the bells and whistles on the boot, you can also see it’s just as much suited to the ‘technical’ player, who likes his boots to give him an edge.

There’s no disputing that the Mizuno Wave Ignitus is a great, great boot – and hopefully one that sees manufacturers Mizuno turn a corner in some of it’s less favoured markets (I’m looking at you; the UK & US!)

But they’re not the perfect boot; firstly, don’t go out and buy them thinking you’ll be able to whip out Kensuke Honda-esque free-kicks at will, whilst these boots are instantly wearable, the Mukaiten is an art-form that you’ll have to dedicate a considerable amount of time on and I’d have loved to see the sole more re-enforced, for a more satisfying strike through the ball.

But these are minor quibbles – based on my personal opinion. Even if you don’t even plan on learning to pronounce ‘Mukaiten’, let alone learn to take one, they’re still well worth a look.

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37 Comments

jun
July 29, 2010
2:32 am

where’s the video?!

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teflon
July 29, 2010
6:59 am

keisuke honda* (:

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BiyiAdetunji
July 29, 2010
7:33 am

Ive Been Planning To Get These For Ages, But I Dont Wont Them In The Bold Yellow/Bumble Bee Colorway.

Im 100% Sure That A White Colorway Has Been Made, Ive Seen Keisuke Honda Wearing Them, Plus The Wallpaper On My PC Is Made Up Of A Collage Of Like 14 Different Pics Of Them (yes its sad i know).

I also Saw Them On Sale On A Japanese Football Equipment Website, But They Wear Sold Out

Does Anyone Have Any Ideas Of When This Colorway Is Gonna Be Released????????

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daniel
July 29, 2010
8:08 am

BiyiAdetunji, the white colourway is a japanese exclusive wont be released anywhere else.

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jason
July 29, 2010
8:56 am

I heard the white colourway will be coming to Europe later this year – saw a video of the Middlesbrough team trying on a white/red version…so must be being released soon : )

I’ve got a pair of the yellow ones and they’re awesome.

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tom
July 29, 2010
9:42 am

shame lol

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Ronaldo9
July 29, 2010
9:49 am

yea just followed the link some of the boots are not even out yet!!

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Gus
July 29, 2010
10:08 am

Would love 2 get these, as I am a striker but can’t find them in my size!! Nice review!!

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veugn
July 29, 2010
10:15 am

These Mizuno Wave Ignitus are a perfect substitute to the major brands, it just shows us what you can achieve without a huge budget. The boot has taken all of the things that make a great boot and put them on one boot rather than bringing out different ranges of boots for speed, touch, control and power. Sure some players say that they are very specific in what they were and dont want any gimmicks, but i say if it does the job of your required field and gain some extra touch/ power/ control then so be it great review 10/10 maybe a video link?

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preds7
July 29, 2010
10:23 am

I have been wearing these for a couple of months!
They are great, really soft k-leather, great touch and I don’t know if it is because of the boot or the practise but I finally managed to succeed Mukaiten

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Mark
July 29, 2010
11:07 am

The current white colourway was designed to avoid unwanted attention during the development stages and has been released excusively in Japan. However there is supposed to be a white version coming out over here towards the end of the year with red logo and laces.

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Jammy
July 29, 2010
2:37 pm

Is there a black coulerway coming out as the academy I play for only allow black boots and i want a pair of these

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channo
July 29, 2010
8:30 pm

finally! i’ve been waiting for this boot test

….

so in the end, it’s an all around boot -with a *really* badass powerboot-looks huh…
kinda something u would expect from mizuno. i am SO ordering this one!!!

@Mark: wow, i didn’t know that… so the white colorway for the rest of the world won’t be the white-black-yellow that are all over the internet right now??
could u share where did u got that info? a pic would be nice

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Mark
July 29, 2010
9:32 pm

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=954850&page=75

Theres a picture of the White/Black/Red Wave Ignitus on that page, theres also a couple guys on that forum that are very knowledgable on all things mizuno.

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channo
July 30, 2010
3:46 am

@Mark: those guys are sick! mizuno’s factory that made the ignitus are located here in my country, but even i didn’t know about the white-red colorway!

thanks Mark

anyway, i think i’ll go for the Japanese-exclusive white colorway. time to pull out some strings and cross my fingers

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BiyiAdetunji
July 30, 2010
8:02 am

Wow, i cant wait until december i need new boots for the season comming, does anyone know the best paints to use if i wanted to black, or white them out???

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Mark
July 30, 2010
11:16 am

I was really against buying the bright yellow ones as well, didn’t think it was really fitting for a full back, but i couldn’t wait for those white ones so i got them with the intention of having them blacked out.

Then when they arrived i went out in the garden to do a few kick ups a things and the way they popped in the sunlight it just seemed a shame to get rid of the yellow lol might go for the white ones in winter though if i need to buy some soft ground ones.

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Sir Prance Alot
July 30, 2010
3:28 pm

I cant get these in a UK 11 any where – seem to be sold out in the UK.

Do you have any video of the review Kyle?

Keep up the good work.

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Mark
July 30, 2010
6:05 pm

http://www.prosportuk.com

I bought mine from there, they had every size in stock and cheaper than anywhere else i found.

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Daniel
July 30, 2010
6:11 pm

Hey,
i love the wave ignitus, but basically i have a problem. I am a centre back and i don’t know what boots i should get. I currently have copa mundial’s and they are great but i want some more modern boots to pair with them for winter months. I am very suprised ‘football boot’ orientated websites don’t have articles about which boot is best for the different positions. So does anyone have any suggestions of which boots i should get ?
thanks in advance.

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Mike
July 30, 2010
7:59 pm

Have you seen the new Mizuno Supersonic Waves? Please, please review these (The ones from Japan).

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chris
July 30, 2010
11:37 pm

Guys I’m thinkin bout gttin new boots as my predator x’s are practically done,but I am Unsure wether to gt the superfly 2s adizeros adipures or new ctr360s which is the bttr boot for value, quality, comfort and durability..help plse

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thenewkid™
July 31, 2010
3:35 pm

they are called knuckle balls or knuckle shots in English and they are very cool once u learn them, very in accurate though.
its the first time i heard the name Mukaiten.

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Matthew
August 1, 2010
5:56 pm

Daniel in my opinion there isn’t really ONE boot for ONE position. Goalkeepers wear Superflys. Some defenders wear Puma V1.08s and they have practically no padding. You should just wear what makes you feel comfortable and feel confident.

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Daniel
August 1, 2010
6:11 pm

I understand what your saying and totally agree. It’s just there’s so many boots to choose from claiming to improve different things but no boots are made specifically for a defender really. I want to know what people think are best and i wish soccer boot websites would consider doing articles on people’s favorite boots for their position if you know what i mean. Maybe as a poll or something.

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Fifinho
August 2, 2010
1:51 am

I’ve noticed that studs have a strange shape/arrangement. I’m assuming you didn’t have any problems in terms of grip? thanks

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Benaldinho
August 2, 2010
3:26 am

Hey Daniel,

Good question. I agree that it’s pretty hard to decide on a pair of boots. What’s your email, because I have a couple of good links that answer that question?

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Daniel
August 2, 2010
10:10 am

Benaldinho;
its d.chipperfield@hotmail.co.uk i would be very happy if you could send the links. thanks in advance.

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Mark
August 2, 2010
10:41 am

If you’re a centre half Daniel maybe take a look at some of the old Puma V-konstrukt series, they recently got replaced by that V1.10 powercat range. For about £40 really solid hardwearing boot, wont be scared to put your foot in anywhere in those.

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Antonio
August 3, 2010
1:29 am

I LOVE these boots! mini review! : I’ve worn Adizeros, Vapor IIIs, IVs, Vs, Predator X (absolute and powerswerve) and Total90 Laser Is…None of them compare to these Mizunos. They are VERY comfortable. They aren’t as expensive as other top boots, which makes it an amazing deal! I really do recommend these boots. The only thing is that there is some sole separation starting to happen in my shoes (2 months use, but every day I’m shooting for 2 hours +, so I drag my foot alot)

Worth buying. Or at LEAST trying them..I think I’m officially converted to Mizunos! They also have a nice touch so you can still pull off some very nice footwork!

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kuuku
August 3, 2010
6:00 am

Yo Daniel, Im a rightback/DM with an interest in boots and an extremely light wallet Lemme see if I can give some useful input.

I also second what other people said, it’s about the comfort foremost because you are always on the move marking and closing down as well as supporting the attack. The shape of the boot is also important. You won’t get forward often so when you do you have to unleash a powerful shot or deliver the perfect pass. Choose a boot that suits your shooting/passing style. I like to shoot with the top of my toes so I look for boots that give me a good surface there. I like to pass with my instep and give it a bit of curl so I look for that in a boot as well. It’s not make or break but it means I don’t have to re-adjust my playing style to a boot.

I myself own a pair of konstrukts and have played with a mate’s powercats in one game. I would recommend both highly, especially the konstrukt. The konstrukt looks and performs like a tank without being as heavy as one (lighter than laser 2). Powercat has a great shooting surface. Make sure you do NOT get a plastic boot (ctr 360 is fine though, kanga-lite=!plastic ) because you will struggle with touch (touch for a defender is different to touch for a attacker) a little and in tackling cleanly (how many good defenders out there wear superfly?).

A lightweight boot like the adizero is fine as well but be prepared for those niggling pains in your toes after some collisions with attacking players. And speed is in the player and not in the boot. I’m the fastest player on my team without the help of the lighweight boots. Of course lightweight boots might make me faster but speed isn’t everything.

I hope that helped? So basically get the cheapest top level boot you can that you think looks good for you and can provide comfort. I recommend: konstrukt, powercat, laser, adipure, legend, ctr 360. Get the cheapest out of the above and you will be fine. Preferably something close to the copa in terms of materials and fit such as the adipure so you will have to adjust less.

Cheers!

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Daniel
August 3, 2010
9:32 am

Thanks a lot ‘Kuuku’ that was a great piece of info’ that i really needed. Thats the exact sort of article i feel that soccer boot websites should use. Choosing a boot isn’t very easy at all. Thanks again and i will be using your info when purchasing my new boots!

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kyle
August 3, 2010
9:52 am

Hey guys – thanks for all the comments – I’ve been away for the weekend, that’s why I haven’t been able to reply in the usual manner!

Sorry for the lack of video – as you know, this review’s been a while in the works and rather than put it off for even longer, we just thought we’d publish it as is – we might add a youtube review at a later date!

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kuuku
August 4, 2010
3:14 am

You are welcome Daniel. I too had a tortuous time selecting new boots and I’ve been through so many types at a high cost. So I’m glad to help out with this advice!

Indeed football boot websites should and do have these sort of stuff but in the event they don’t that’s where the readers/community can step in. I had a lot of help from here in getting a good ball for my club (puma v1.08) at a good price.

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Benaldinho
August 4, 2010
4:09 am

Hey Kuuku,

That’s good advice. You seem like you really know your stuff! What’s your email address? I have a few questions I’d like to ask you.

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Alan
August 9, 2010
5:01 pm

I have a pair of the ignitus which i have now worn for 3 games. I like the boots a lot but have issues with comfort, i have found on the arch of my feet has rubbed badly after just one half, had to change boots at half time.

Felt a bit better on the 3rd game but I have been wearing a tubigrip to help stop the rubbing, so dont really know if they have worn in or not.

Also, the biggest issue i have found is the boot is already coming apart, I am returning the boot to the company I bought them off for an exchange/refund. The front end of the boot has come away from the base and after only 3 games have found this very disappointing .

Back to the laser 2′s for now.

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Sir Prance Alot
August 17, 2010
11:48 am

Alan,

A couple of months ago I spoke to the Mizuno football guy about sizing on the morelia. Im sure he’d help you out if you have a problem with the Ignitus.

If your in the UK call 01189362100, ask for someone in the football dept.

Thanks

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