Contender

The Contender is one of the latest styles that has been brought back to life among Mizuno’s impressive archives. Straight from the 1995 running offering, this was an impressively lightweight, neutral trainer for entry level runners. Its design aesthetic created a fil rouge between the Sky Medal and the Mondo Control, and it still provides a counterpoint for their current iterations even now. The Japanese crane takes center stage in this version of the Contender, its slender silhouette soaring on a red backdrop, exactly like the original on show at the museum. The crane pattern is interspersed on the upper and tongue, playing hid and see among the red mesh and suede.