The Mizuno HYPERWARP PURE 2 is a buy if you're aiming to break 3 hours in the full marathon and choose racing shoes by lightness. About 135g (27.0cm, per shoe), with a sole 3.5mm thicker front and back than the original, and a carbon plate. It releases Nov 6, 2026, at the official online store, brand stores and some retailers.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
I'd buy the PURE 2 as a shoe whose weight per millimeter of thickness fell about 11%. The original is about 3.97g per millimeter, the second generation about 3.55g. It stacked 3.5mm more sole and still shaved 2g overall. It isn't a light shoe made lighter; it's a generation change that stacked more sole at the same lightness.
Key points
- The 38.0mm heel is the same thickness as the original ELITE, and it's 35g lighter (170 − 135)
- The plate is 8mm longer toward the forefoot. Mizuno writes that the sole shape was flattened with stability in mind
- The drop stays 3.0mm. The same 3.5mm was added front and back, so the original's slope is unchanged
What kind of shoe is the HYPERWARP PURE 2?
The HYPERWARP PURE 2 is Mizuno's carbon-plated racing shoe, releasing Nov 6, 2026 for JPY 35,200. About 135g (27.0cm, per shoe), with a sole 3.5mm thicker front and back than the original, yet about 2g lighter.
In a racing shoe, a thicker sole normally means more weight. At 500 km a month, I divide weight by sole thickness and compare in grams per millimeter. That puts shoes of different thickness on the same yardstick.
HYPERWARP PURE 2 release date, weight and thickness: official figures
| Item | HYPERWARP PURE 2 |
|---|---|
| Release date | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Official price | JPY 35,200 (incl. tax) |
| Weight | About 135g (27.0cm, per shoe) |
| Stack height | Forefoot 35.0mm / heel 38.0mm (27.0cm) |
| Drop | 3.0mm (calculated as 38.0 − 35.0) |
| Plate | Yes (carbon; 3D-shaped SMOOTH SPEED PLATE) |
| Midsole | MIZUNO ENERZY XP+ (whole sole) |
| Upper material | TPEE woven upper (see-through woven fabric) |
| Where it's sold | Mizuno official online store, brand stores and some retailers |
Drop is the height difference between heel and forefoot. The release has no "drop" line, so I subtracted from the two thicknesses. The ELITE 2 releasing the same day, and the RACER and PACER in December, all come to 3.0mm when subtracted.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Mizuno HYPERWARP PURE 2 (out Nov 6)
Pre-release: available from Nov 6How it differs from the original PURE: what changed from the last generation
The original HYPERWARP PURE released on Dec 19, 2025. It's 322 days to the release date of the generation 2. That means a redesign in less than 1 year.
| Item | First PURE | PURE 2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | About 137g | About 135g | −2g |
| Forefoot stack | 31.5mm (calculated) | 35.0mm | +3.5mm |
| Heel stack | 34.5mm (calculated) | 38.0mm | +3.5mm |
| Weight per millimeter | About 3.97g | About 3.55g | About −11% |
| Midsole | Lighter version of ENERZY XP | ENERZY XP+ | To a lighter material |
| Plate | SMOOTH SPEED PLATE | A plate of the same name | 8mm longer toward the front |
Thickness: the heel is about 10% thicker and the forefoot about 11% (3.5 ÷ 34.5, 3.5 ÷ 31.5). The same amount was added front and back, so the drop hasn't moved from 3.0mm. It's an addition that lets a foot used to the original's slope move over as is.
Weight: converted per millimeter, about 3.97g goes to about 3.55g. That's about 0.89 times, a reduction of just over 10% (3.55 ÷ 3.97). The 2g gap alone looks small, but it's 2g after adding thickness.
Midsole material: this is the part readers may not know. The original's sole was a "light version" of ENERZY XP. Mizuno writes that the second generation's ENERZY XP+ is "lighter than the material used in the previous model."
In other words, they made an even lighter material one step below the light version. The reason they could stack 3.5mm isn't the plate or the upper. It's this material swap.
Plate: the carbon plate is 8mm longer toward the forefoot. The role Mizuno describes is supporting the push at toe-off.
Sole shape: Mizuno writes that the sole was flattened with stability in mind. A thick, light sole tends to wobble, and the remedy for that is in the same paragraph.
How it differs from its siblings, the ELITE 2, HYPERWARP 96 and RACER
There are 3 second-generation racing shoes, and the limited HYPERWARP 96 joins them. All figures are for a 27.0cm, per shoe.
Scroll the table sideways →
| PURE 2 | ELITE 2 | HYPERWARP 96 | RACER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | Nov 6 | Nov 6 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| Weight | About 135g | About 160g | About 96g | About 200g |
| Stack (forefoot / heel) | 35.0 / 38.0mm | 36.0 / 39.0mm | 36.0 / 39.0mm | 34.0 / 37.0mm |
| Midsole | XP+ only | XP+ above, XP below | Limited XP+ version (carved out) | XP+ inside, NXT+ outside |
| Who Mizuno aims it at | Under 3 hours, lightness first | Under 3 hours, balance first | Limited model of 696 pairs | 3 to 4 hours |
Versus the ELITE 2: the gaps are 25g and 1mm (160 − 135, 39.0 − 38.0). If we assume a 1.2 m stride, 42.195 km is about 35,163 steps (42,195 ÷ 1.2). Stacking the 25g gap on each step comes to about 879kg (25 × 35,163).
In exchange, the ELITE 2 has a 2-layer sole and keeps a material for rebound and stability in the lower layer. The PURE 2 is 1 layer, on the side that goes all in on lightness.
Versus the HYPERWARP 96: the 96 is 39g lighter than the PURE 2 (135 − 96). But only 696 pairs exist worldwide.
Mizuno writes that it drops both the laces and the band inside the instep. Among racing shoes made and sold in numbers, the lightest is the PURE 2.
Versus the RACER: it's 65g heavier, with a sole 1mm thinner (200 − 135, 38.0 − 37.0). The plate is built less stiff than the two above, and Mizuno recommends it even for people new to carbon plates.
- Aiming under 3 hours and want lightness first → PURE 2
- Same goal, and you want stability material in the lower layer of the sole → ELITE 2
- In the 3-hour range, your first carbon plate → RACER (Dec 10)
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Mizuno HYPERWARP ELITE 2 (out Nov 6)
Pre-release: available from Nov 6What I like
It's the original ELITE's thickness, made 35g lighter. The PURE 2's heel is 38.0mm. The original ELITE's heel, worked out by subtraction, is also 38.0mm (39.0 − 1.0).
The original ELITE was about 170g, so at the same thickness this is 35g lighter (170 − 135). The thickness of last year's "balance shoe" now sits in this year's "lightness shoe."
It doesn't move the drop. The same 3.5mm was added front and back, staying at 3.0mm.
Mizuno's WAVE RIDER 30 was a generation change that thickened the sole, and its drop moved from 10mm to 8mm. The PURE 2 separates what it changes from what it doesn't.
It stays inside the limit. World Athletics (the international governing body for athletics) sets the road limit at 40mm.
38.0mm leaves 2mm to go (40 − 38.0). Even with 3.5mm added, it doesn't cross the limit.
Things to watch
- It's sold in fewer places than the original. The original was released at "retailers nationwide." The second generation is the official online store, brand stores and some retailers. It won't necessarily be on shelves near you.
- Check World Athletics approval on the list after release. The release that calls a shoe approved is the HYPERWARP 96's. Where the rules measure thickness is covered in the 10 max-cushion carbon shoes article.
Who is it for?
- A good fit for: runners aiming to break 3 hours in the full marathon who choose racing shoes by lightness. Runners who found the original PURE's sole thin. Runners who want to keep racing in shoes with a 3mm drop.
If you're aiming at the 3-hour range to 4 hours, the RACER fits better. For daily training, it's the WAVE RIDER 30. If you like the original's thin sole, wearing it out first is early enough (the weight gap is 2g).
Price and where to buy
| Model | Official price | Rakuten price range |
|---|---|---|
| HYPERWARP PURE 2 (out Nov 6) | JPY 35,200 | JPY 35,200 |
The order of deciding is thickness before price: the second generation at 35.0 / 38.0mm, or the original at 31.5 / 34.5mm. The weights are nearly the same, so once that's settled, you only need to look at the gaps in the table above.
In shops, look for the "2" in the product name. The original has no number. It's sold at the official online store, brand stores and some retailers, so if you want it on release day, the official side comes first.
It releases Nov 6, so it won't make a race before then.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Mizuno HYPERWARP PURE 2 (out Nov 6)
Pre-release: available from Nov 6Models releasing the same day, and ones releasing in December, are lined up by release date in the upcoming releases article.
FAQ
When does the HYPERWARP PURE 2 come out?
Nov 6, 2026, at JPY 35,200 (tax included).
What's the difference between the HYPERWARP PURE 2 and the original?
The sole is 3.5mm thicker front and back, and the weight is about 2g lighter. The foam changes to ENERZY XP+, the plate is 8mm longer toward the front, and the drop stays 3.0mm.
How does the HYPERWARP PURE 2 fit?
Sizes run 23.0 to 29.0cm and 30.0cm, the width is for 2E-equivalent (normal) feet, and there is no wide version. The upper is a light, see-through woven fabric. My foot is 25.0cm, so I'd start from my usual 25.0cm. Try it on in the evening with your usual socks.
Can I wear the HYPERWARP PURE 2 in a sanctioned race?
The sole is 38.0mm at its thickest point, the heel. That's 2mm under World Athletics' 40mm road limit.
But the release that calls a shoe approved is the HYPERWARP 96's. If you plan to wear it in a race where you're chasing a record, check after release whether its name has appeared on World Athletics' approved list.
Can I pick the HYPERWARP PURE 2 as a first carbon-plated shoe?
For first-timers, Mizuno recommends the RACER instead, saying its plate stiffness is kept lower than the higher models.
The PURE 2 is for people aiming to break 3 hours in the full marathon. The plate is 8mm longer toward the front than the original's.
Gear in this article
Ads and images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- Mizuno press release (Oct 8, 2026; HYPERWARP series generation 2)
- Mizuno official HYPERWARP feature (price checked Oct 14, 2026)
- Mizuno official online store: HYPERWARP PURE 2 (J1GU2700, sizes and widths)
- Mizuno press release (Dec 2, 2025; first-gen HYPERWARP)
- Mizuno press release (Sep 24, 2026; HYPERWARP 96)
