When these guys appeared on the shoe wall at my sports store, I knew I would need a pair. I had already heard good things about their efficiency and comfort. Actually seeing them, though, I fell in love. They look like little samurai retainers, appropriate since “musha” is japanese for “warrior.”

I didn’t just buy them for the asthetics, however. I’ve been searching for new performance shoes for my shorter workouts and, of course, for The Broadstreet Run. The Green Silence is a good shoe, but my own pair give me blisters. I need the classic Mizuno fit, and I wanted to see how the waveplate technology works in a racing shoe.

I took them on their first road test yesterday, and they performed well. I like how smooth they feel, even though they lack the bounciness of the ‘Silences. I also favor a slightly stiffer forefoot in performance shoes; while the Musha is far from rigid, it’s not as flexible as, say, the T5, Kinvara, or Free. This means less comfort but a quicker snap-off in my stride– something to help a turtle with turnover.