The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is a racing shoe with a soft, bouncy and supportive ride. Priced at $230, it undercuts the competition by $20 to $80 while serving an experience well above its price—the foam is fast and comfortable, the rubber is grippy in wet weather and the upper is dialed-in. Puma has nailed their foams across the board this year, and the version of Nitro foam in here is a great example. The midsole takes between 10 to 20 miles to get its true character, but once it does, it's one of the bounciest and most fun shoes on the market. The carbon plate in this shoe also isn't too aggressive, making this a more comfortabe option than shoes like the Nike Vaporfly or Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris. The main downside here is that the back of the shoe has a geometry that favors a heel to forefoot strike, so some runners may not get along with the underfoot feel at slower paces. For more support with the same fun bounce, check out the Hoka Cielo X1. For a even faster more streamlined feel, consider the Saucony Endorphin Elite.

Category

Race day

Release Date

August 2024

Plated?

Yes

Type of Plate

Full carbon plate

Foam

Nitro Elite

Foam Compound

A-TPU

Ride

Bouncy, Cushioned, Soft

Heel Stack (mm)

40.0

Forefoot Stack (mm)

32.0

Drop (mm)

8

Weight (mens size 9)

6.9

Support

Neutral

Fit

True to size