Puma Deviate Pure Nitro First Run: An Energetic Daily Trainer With Real Versatility

Introduction

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro is an energetic daily trainer built to go toe to toe with fast daily trainers like the Adidas Evo SL and the Saucony Endorphin line. We took it out for an early set of test miles, and the short version: this shoe got exciting very quickly.

Quick Details

The stack height has been reported at around 38 or 37 mm in the heel and 29-30 mm in the forefoot, for roughly an 8 mm drop. In a UK 8.5 / US 9.5 test shoe it weighs 7.7 oz (217 g). On price, expect 130 pounds in the UK or 150 dollars in the US.

Design and Midsole

Starting with the midsole, you get a 100% PEBA wedge of Puma’s nitrogen-injected Nitro foam. That PEBA has been tweaked from the usual race-day formula, keeping energy and responsiveness but adding a bit more daily training durability. Unlike the Puma Deviate Nitro 4, which has a plate, this is a non-plated daily trainer, in the same spirit as the Evo SL and the Saucony Endorphin (no-plate variants).

There is a gentle forefoot rocker, not too steep, and a platform that sits on the slimmer side compared with a lot of daily trainers, aiming for a bit more precision and agility. Underneath, a really generous covering of Puma grip rubber handles traction and adds that all-important daily mileage durability.

Upper and Fit

Up top you get a light, flexible, breathable mesh that feels soft, comfortable and airy, along with flat wrapping tongues with light padding. Those tongues are gusseted, lacing is standard, and there are medium padded heel collars with a notable heel counter. The heel area leans medium to narrow.

Puma shoes tend to come up narrow, and that is still largely true here, though the Deviate Pure offers a bit more room through the midfoot. The toe box is not spacious, but it is roomy enough with decent clearance for length and some space to flex. Going half a size up would add length that starts to feel boat-like, so true to size works well here. Runners with really wide feet may still want to size up, but that trades away length fit. In practice: good midfoot lockdown, security without lace pinch, no heel slipping, and no heel kick-back issues around the Achilles.

First Run Impressions

The first run was a 6.5-mile outing, mostly easy, with some miles pushed around 7-minute pace, on legs tired from roughly six days of running in Cape Town. Within the first mile and a half, the midsole ride stood out as brilliant: poppy, bouncy and springy, with protection and softness plus a light cradling feel, but never sinky or mellow.

The foam delivers softness and then, at just the right moment, connects with the road and springs back for a lively, energetic ride that still feels nicely controlled and smooth. It felt like it wanted to go faster, and the shoe coped very well at slow paces and at cruising effort. There is a real balance and consistency to the feeling underfoot: reliable, but reliably energetic.

Buying Advice

If this shoe can also handle marathon pace and faster, it will be a very versatile trainer. Based on the early miles, it sits in the same ballpark as other non-plated, high-energy daily trainers that can cope with slow running and go fast, while feeling light on the foot. For daily training, it has all the hallmarks of possibly the best Puma shoe for that role, and it looks like a candidate for long efforts, even very long runs, though more testing at 2 hours on feet is still needed.

Conclusion

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro made a very strong first impression: comfortable, energetic, protective and precise, with a fit that works true to size for most runners. If you are shopping in the fast daily trainer space, this is one to watch closely.