New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 vs Mizuno Wave Sky 9:
Which to Choose

Start with what they share, because it's a lot: both are maximum-cushion (6/6) neutral shoes with a 6mm heel-to-toe drop, a broad stable-but-not-corrective platform (stability 4/6), and no carbon or composite plate. Neither is a tempo or race shoe — push either past a relaxed cruising effort and the tall, soft stack starts to feel vague. The clearest concrete difference is weight: the Balos comes in around 261g in a men's US 9, while the Wave Sky 9 lands near 295g in the same size — a gap of roughly an ounce that you'll feel over long outings, with the New Balance being the noticeably lighter, nimbler-feeling of the two. That carries into the ride. The Balos's Fresh Foam X is tuned to be springy and lively, earning it a slightly higher responsiveness rating (4/6) and a genuine 10K-to-marathon range; it rewards a smooth forward roll at conversational effort and feels a touch more energetic underfoot. The Wave Sky 9 takes a different approach to the same softness: a plush nitrogen-infused Enerzy NXT top layer sits over a firmer Enerzy carrier, a dual-density setup that keeps the shoe from feeling bottomless and delivers deep, forgiving impact absorption rather than spring (responsiveness 3/6). Its transitions are smooth and cushioned but more damped than snappy, and its wheelhouse is squarely long-run and recovery cruising at the half and full marathon rather than quicker 10K work. Mizuno also leans into durability with an X10 rubber outsole over the high-wear zones. In short: same mission, two philosophies — the Balos is the lighter, bouncier cruiser, the Wave Sky 9 is the more substantial, deeply damped protector.