Puma Deviate Nitro Review: A Balanced Non-Plated Daily Trainer

Introduction

The Puma Deviate Nitro is Puma’s new non-plated daily trainer, and it has generated serious buzz so far. It goes head-to-head with the big hitters in this space, such as the Adidas Evo SL and the Saucony Endorphin Azura, at a similar price point and across a similar range of runs. After the requisite test miles, from easy 45-minute runs to track sessions and long runs, it is clear this shoe earns its place in the conversation.

Quick Specs

The stack height has been reported at around 37 to 38 mm in the heel with 29 to 30 mm in the forefoot, for an 8 mm drop or thereabouts. In a UK men’s 8.5 (US 9.5) test shoe, it weighs 7.7 oz or 217 g. Pricing comes in at £130 in the UK and $150 in the US.

Strengths

Starting with the midsole, you get a full PEBA wedge of Puma’s nitrogen-injected Nitro foam. The PEBA has been tweaked from the usual race-day formula to keep energy and responsiveness while adding more daily-training durability. Unlike the plated Deviate Nitro 4, this is a non-plated shoe, with a gentle forefoot rocker and a platform that sits on the slimmer side compared with many daily trainers, aiming for a bit more precision and agility.

Up top there is a light, flexible, breathable mesh upper with a soft, airy, gusseted tongue, medium-padded heel collars, and a notable heel counter. Flip the shoe over and there is a generous covering of Puma Grip rubber for traction and daily-mileage durability. That outsole proved solid across various surfaces, including public footpaths and track.

The ride is best described as balanced, energetic, lively, agile, fast, and reliable. The foam has a mid-level compression that springs back quickly with a nice amount of energy: not overly bounding, not mushy, just controlled with a moderate pop in each step. The lack of a plate makes it feel less rigid, which helps comfort on slower, longer runs, and stability is good for such a lightweight shoe. It is smooth and natural rather than explosive, so you can run the shoe rather than the shoe running you.

On fit, the Deviate Nitro is still narrower than a lot of shoes on the market, but testers found it the best-fitting Puma shoe they had run in. One tester used it in their regular UK size and was happy over the long haul; another found going half a size down worked well because the shoe runs a bit long. If you are between two sizes, the smaller one is likely the better bet, and wide-footed runners may feel their feet touching the sides.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The main trade-off is top-end speed. At a tough track session and at half-marathon-pace tempo reps, the shoe capped out a bit. The foam is not the bounciest off the forefoot, you sink in slightly at the heel, and the geometry has no extreme rocker or stiffening agent, so sustaining a fast pace takes more work than in a plated or more aggressively rockered shoe. If your priority is fast intervals or race pace, faster shoes do it better.

The toe box also tapers quite sharply around the little toe, so if you regularly experience rubbing there, it is worth checking on your feet. And if you love marshmallow softness for the slowest recovery plods, this is not quite that shoe.

Who It’s For

This is a shoe for runners who want one versatile, comfortable daily trainer for easy runs, steady efforts, tempo runs, progression runs, and long runs up to 90 minutes and beyond. It is the kind of shoe that could happily cover a 40-mile ultra or serve as the one-shoe holiday pick in a suitcase.

Buying Advice

Against the Adidas Evo SL, the Deviate Nitro is less fast and less rockered but more stable and more comfortable at the easy end. It is a slight preference over the Saucony Endorphin Azura for day-in, day-out use, thanks to being lighter and softer at easy paces. It also edges the New Balance Rebel V5 and holds its own against the Asics Novablast 6, which offers a bit more comfort but less speed. Within the Puma range, it is the daily trainer to choose over the Velocity Nitro 4, and it is a fair bit cheaper than the plated Deviate Nitro 4 while handling many of the same runs.

Conclusion

The Puma Deviate Nitro is a simple but very effective daily trainer: lightweight, comfortable, grippy, and excellent value for what it offers. It is not an Evo SL killer, and it lacks the efficiency gains of more speed-focused shoes at the top end, but as a reliable, balanced all-rounder in the competitive non-plated trainer category, it is one of the strongest shoes to consider.