tldr; Reddit overwhelmingly recommends the Mizuno Neo Zen. With 86% positive sentiment across 462 mentions, this is a clear community favorite.
$119.95 on AmazonScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for Mizuno Neo Zen
“Completely agree, though similar in pep and softness they are different, I always say the Evo SL is a tempo show that can handle slow paces and the Neo Zen is a daily shoe that doesn’t mind picking up the pace. I understand your comparison to the Nimbus but the big difference being if you try to push in the Nimbus it feels like it’s absorbing your energy instead of bouncing back like the Neo Zen.”
“I have both, Neo Zen is softer. It's also bouncy like NB5 but somehow I didn't feel the energy return. Also, it became soggy on faster pace. I solely use Neo Zen as my Nimbus replacement for easy recovery run. It's also 70g lighter than my Nimbus which is a huge plus for recovery shoes. Personally I'll choose NB5 for long run (Superblast even better). I feel Neo Zen turn into mush at half marathon distance.”
462 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 4/5/2026