Puma Deviate Nitro 2 Water Repellent Edition Review: A Winter Running Shoe With Serious Grip

Introduction

The Puma Deviate Nitro 2 Water Repellent Edition is Puma’s plated training shoe with a weatherized upper, and it arrived at an interesting moment for us. Our long-serving rainy day shoe, the Saucony Triumph 20 RunShield, was showing its age at around 350 miles with visible wear chewed into the outsole rubber. The Deviate Nitro 2 looked like a natural replacement: durable rubber, a protective upper, and enough responsiveness to pick up the pace when needed.

On a gray, damp test day with wet but not soaked pavement, we put in ten miles at recovery pace with a few pace pickups to see how the shoe handles relaxed efforts, whether the water repellent upper actually keeps water out, and how the grip compares to rivals like the Adidas Adizero Boston 12 with its Continental rubber.

Who This Shoe Is For

Puma positions the Deviate Nitro 2 in the plated daily trainer segment, competing with shoes like the New Balance SC Trainer V2, the Adizero Boston 12, and the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3. That segment has split into two camps: shoes built for everyday miles where the plate just adds some pop and fun, and shoes built as true speed workout tools. The SC Trainer V2 and this Puma sit in the everyday camp, while the Boston 12 and Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash lean toward fast running.

At 9.2 ounces, this is a souped-up daily trainer more than a track-focused speed shoe. The geometry tells the same story: a 37mm heel stack, a 31mm forefoot stack, and a 6mm drop that should work for most runners and most foot strikes. It suits runners who want one protective, grippy shoe to carry them through wet winter miles, from recovery runs through steady marathon-pace work.

Main Strengths

The midsole uses a dual foam construction. On top sits Nitro Elite, Puma’s top-tier racing foam also found in the Deviate Nitro Elite, giving a soft and bouncy character comparable to Nike ZoomX or Saucony PWRRUN PB. Underneath is a firmer supercritical TPU Nitro foam, the same material used in the Velocity Nitro 3. A carbon composite plate adds structure without making the ride harsh.

The ride feel is best described as peppy. Even at relaxed recovery paces around 8:20 to 8:30 per mile, the shoe felt comfortable and lively, and short pace pickups on flat sections responded well. Compared to the very soft and smooth SC Trainer V2, this feels more structured and hardy, closer to the Nike Vomero 17 with its similar dual foam setup and robust lugged outsole. It feels like a shoe you can push through winter miles without worrying about weather, mud, or muck.

Grip is the headline. Puma Grip is widely regarded as one of the stickiest, most durable rubbers in the running shoe market, and on wet pavement it was outstanding. The lugs look beefier than those on the Velocity Nitro 2, and this is the best wet-traction shoe we have tested so far, edging out the Boston 12’s Continental rubber, which relies on a flatter layout. A head-to-head wet-track test against the Mizuno Flash 2 is on the list, but on current evidence the Puma takes the cake.

The water repellent upper held up well too. It is not a Gore-Tex construction, so this is not a shoe for charging through puddles, but spray coming up off the road stayed out and feet stayed completely dry and toasty through the test run. In one final check, with the shoe fully submerged, no water got through. As a winter running shoe, it ranks among the best options we have tried, right up there with the Saucony RunShield line and Gore-Tex versions of rivals, with better rubber than what Nike offers in its weatherized shoes.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Fit is the main caution. Like the Velocity Nitro 3, this shoe has a snug, almost soccer-boot feel with a narrow toe box, and the size 10.5 test pair felt quite tight. Runners with wider feet may want to try a half size up, though that risks other fit compromises.

The plate is a mixed blessing for everyday use. On relaxed efforts, the carbon composite plate holds the forefoot in place more than some runners will want. If you prefer a flexible, natural-feeling ride for easy miles, a traditional daily trainer like a Vomero, 1080, or Clifton may still be the better daily choice, with this shoe reserved for wet days.

Price is worth watching. The Water Repellent Edition launched at $170, with the standard version at $160. That is on the steep side in the current market, and with the Deviate Nitro 3 expected to release soon, discounts are likely to appear in the coming months.

Buying Advice

As an all-weather daily trainer, this shoe makes a strong case. It handled recovery paces comfortably, responded well when the pace lifted, and should cover everything up to marathon pace and steady aerobic base-building work. Whether it has enough bite for true half-marathon-pace speed sessions remains to be tested, so dedicated speed-day runners may still want a lighter option in the rotation.

If you mostly run dry roads and prioritize a flexible forefoot, the standard Deviate Nitro 2 at $160 gets you the same midsole and outsole with a more breathable upper. But if wet pavement is a regular part of your running year, the water repellent version and that outstanding Puma Grip outsole justify the difference.

Conclusion

The Puma Deviate Nitro 2 Water Repellent Edition is one of the most convincing winter running shoes available right now. It pairs a genuinely protective, water-shedding upper with the best wet-surface traction we have tested, all in a plated trainer that can handle everyday miles and steady faster work. The snug fit and $170 price are the honest trade-offs, but for runners who refuse to let gray, wet days interrupt training, this is an easy shoe to recommend.