ASICS Novablast 6 vs Puma Deviate Nitro Elite: Which Everyday Trainer Wins?

Introduction

The ASICS Novablast 6 and the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite sit in the same lane: everyday trainers with up-tempo DNA, where race-day technology trickles down into a shoe you can run in most days of the week. Both are priced around $150 to $155, and both aim to be lighter, more responsive, and more fun than a traditional daily trainer.

That similarity is exactly what makes this comparison interesting. The differences show up in the details: upper comfort, weight, midsole construction, and how each shoe feels when you push the pace. Here’s how they stack up.

Where the Puma Pulls Ahead

The Puma wins on the upper, and it isn’t close. It’s one of the more comfortable-fitting shoes in this category, and it manages to be breathable and light at the same time. The detailing is woven neatly into the material, giving it a simple but genuinely good-looking design that just works.

Both shoes have gusseted tongues with nice padding, so that’s a wash. But the Novablast 6’s upper is a single knit with little visual detail. It’s a bit dull, though it remains solid and comfortable, with plenty of padding, so it still gets the job done for daily training.

Weight is the other clear Puma advantage. A women’s size 7.5 came in at 6.4 oz for the Puma versus 7.4 oz for the Novablast 6, a full ounce lighter. When a shoe is this light, you’d expect a race-like feel, and on paper the Puma delivers.

Midsole and Ride

This is where the comparison flips. The Puma uses a single slab of Nitro foam (a PEBA in this use case) at 38 mm in the heel and 30 mm in the forefoot for an 8 mm drop. The Novablast 6 stacks slightly more foam everywhere: 41.5 mm in the heel and 33.5 mm in the forefoot, also at 8 mm drop, with FF Blast Turbo squared in a trampoline pod under the forefoot and FF Blast Max for the rest of the midsole.

The ride difference is the heart of this matchup. The Puma feels like a lightweight slab of foam: nice underfoot, quick turnover, but flat. On longer runs into double digits there was no toe spring, no pop off the toe, and nothing pushing you forward. It feels like a premium-quality shoe, especially at $150, but for an up-tempo trainer it lacks the lively bounce you’d want.

The Novablast 6 takes the opposite path. The trampoline pod is made from the same material that makes up the entire midsole of ASICS’s Mega Blast, so when you pick up the pace and land and toe off over it, you get a genuine pop off the toes. The softer foam behind it keeps the daily-trainer character, so you get a comfortable ride at easy paces and a dynamic, bouncy sensation when you speed up. It almost feels like the shoe is doing some of the work for you.

That’s the deciding factor. The Novablast 6 was simply more fun to run in, with paces that came out quicker than expected. The Puma, despite the lighter weight, felt like it couldn’t hit that second gear during speed work.

Grip and Outsole

Puma’s grip has long been a fan favorite, and it remains excellent here. ASICS rubber, on the other hand, has historically drawn complaints, and wet traction on previous Novablast versions was sometimes lacking.

The Novablast 6 addresses that with ASICS Grip rubber in the forefoot, a grippier and more durable compound that solves the wet-traction problem. It’s sticky and does the job. Is it as intense as the Puma grip? Probably not, but it’s a huge improvement, and the gap is no longer a dealbreaker.

Which One Should You Buy?

If aesthetics and weight matter most to you, the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite is the pick. It looks great, fits beautifully, and won’t weigh you down. Just know that the ride stays flat, which suits runners who prefer a simple, cushioned bed of foam over a propulsive feel.

For most runners, though, the Novablast 6 is the stronger choice. It handles daily training better, stays lively for longer, and gives you that pop off the toe when you want to pick it up. It’s a great entry-level performance trainer, and it also earns a spot in a more advanced runner’s rotation. At $155 and available now, it’s the one we’d choose between these two.

Conclusion

The Puma wins on fit, looks, and weight, but the Novablast 6 wins where it counts most: the ride. Its dual-density midsole with the forefoot trampoline pod delivers a bounce the Puma’s single foam slab can’t match, and the improved outsole rubber fixes ASICS’s long-standing traction issue. If you can only pick one, the ASICS Novablast 6 is the champion here.