When the Puma Deviate Nitro 3 arrived at the Stuff offices two days before the start of the Olympics, we were instantly transported into the world of elite athletes. Just like the glow of those gold-winning athletes, the shoes – whose colour is known as ‘Sunstream sunset glow’ – ooze the glamour of those track and field stars on the global stage.
The shoe
The Puma Deviate Nitro 3 is the third version of the Puma super trainer and uses some of the tech from their racing shoes. However, it has the comfort and support ideally suited to an everyday running shoe.
The midsole has two different layers of foam, the standard nitrogen-injected foam at the bottom, and the Nitro Elite TPU foam on top. This is the same as Puma’s racing shoes. It also has a carbon fibre plate in between, which is forked towards the front of the shoe, as opposed to a solid plate. This adds more flexibility for everyday usage and assists in stabilising the midsole – while helping to transfer energy. It also reduces the weight of the shoe.
The top of the shoe is lightweight mono mesh, which breaths well and keeps your foot from overheating. This is helpful as we move into warmer spring weather. Interestingly, it is also made from at least 20% recycled materials. The outsole, or the base of the shoe, is made from the durable Pumagrip rubber and provides good traction on most surfaces. This outsole of the Deviate Nitro 3 makes the shoe a practical option for most weather conditions.
Puma has also strategically placed its ‘PWR’ tape to give more support in certain areas. The tongue is well-padded and the generous padding in the heel cover keeps the heel locked in well. There is an additional shark fin-shaped support on the heel, but its benefits weren’t immediately noticeable.
Our feet fit snugly with great cushioning and support. However, we found that we needed to lace the shoe almost all the way to the top – except for one eyelet – to get the tightness and stability we required.
A neutral runner will find the shoes’ stability and support light, yet exceptionally good. If you are a pronator you should test before purchasing as there may not be enough stability, but that said we had no issues.
The specs
For the tech-hungry runners, the Puma Deviate Nitro 3 has a higher stack height with 39mm at the heel and 29mm at the front offering a 10mm heel-to-toe drop, slightly higher than the Puma Deviate 2.
At 264g (UK 7) it is extremely light yet well cushioned and offers good stability. They aren’t terrible to look at either, especially when paired with burgundy Puma leggings, a matching top that fits in all the right places, and a sports bra.
Puma Deviate Nitro 3 verdict
The Puma Deviate Nitro 3 is comfortable for shorter, easy running as well as longer distance runs. It is a superb all-rounder shoe. It offers a great option for neutral runners of all levels and is worth the price of R3,799.
Puma continues to impress and evolve with outstanding running shoes.
