Puma Deviate Nitro Elite: Review After 100 Miles

If you are looking for a Puma carbon-plated running shoe, then you can choose between the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 1 and 2. Right now, the first version is highly discounted and you can get it for less than 140€ or $150 (not sure if you can find it in the US). On top of this, the second version didn’t bring that many changes and it’s heavier.

So, should you just grab a pair of the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 1 and save some money? Let’s find out!

Introduction

Puma has been pushing hard trying to be on the top of the running shoe game and has delivered amazing running shoes. The Deviate Nitro Elite is one of them. It’s a super shoe designed for the marathon distance, extremely lightweight, cushioned, and propulsive. It features the nitrogen-injected Nitro Elite foam and a thermo-formed carbon fiber plate that Puma calls Innoplate.

I bought these shoes for races and did a couple of marathons, one half-marathon, and some 10Ks. With some training included, I have already logged more than 120 miles (195 km) on them. Note that the shoe that I bought is the second iteration of the Deviate Elite version 1. The first iteration is slightly different (for example: no semi-gusseted tongue).

Pros

• Comfortable
• Cushioned & Fun Ride
• Good lockdown
• Lightweight

Cons

• Lacks responsiveness
• The stack could be higher
• Outsole wears too quickly

Stats

 Heel Stack:

36mm

 Forefoot Stack:

28mm

 Drop:

8mm

 Weight (US 9):

6.74 oz | 191g

 Weight (US 11):

7.4 oz | 211g

 Stability:

Neutral

 Tongue:

Semi-Gusseted

 Carbon plate:

Yes

 Purpose:

Workout & Race

Upper

The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite has an extremely lightweight mono-mesh upper that has a plastic feel to it. At first touch, it doesn’t seem to be comfortable, but it’s perfectly fine.

The fabric is totally see-thru but it’s strong enough to last until the end-of-life of the shoe. Despite not having holes for breathability, the fabric is so thin that it allows the air to pass through it.

Both sides of the shoe have a reinforcement that Puma calls Pwrtape. These reinforcements give some structure to the shoe and they also contribute to a secure lockdown.

This shoe has a thin and breathable tongue with a small amount of padding, enough to protect your feet from the lace bite. I must say that I really enjoy this tongue design. It’s very comfortable and totally hugs the feet.

The tongue is semi-gusseted, it’s attached only to one side of the shoe and it slightly moves while running but not enough to be something to worry about.

Moving to the laces, they are thin, as one would expect from a racing shoe, and with a proper length. I got a secure fit with them and they don’t get loose while running.

Moving now to the back of the shoe, we have a very flexible heel counter, but it has some reinforcements that will help to secure the heel in place.

You’ll find some padding in the ankle area, both for comfort and lockdown, but the collar is not padded. Despite that, the entire heel area has a different fabric that is very smooth and comfortable.

This shoe doesn’t have much reflective material (and we don’t need it for racing…), but we have some reflective branding on the back of the shoe.

The toe box has enough space for your toes. It is a snug fit, but it’s a comfortable fit.

Midsole

The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite features Puma’s Elite foam. It’s a nitrogen-infused Peba foam, resulting in a very lightweight and springy foam.

In the middle of the foam, we have the Innoplate, Puma’s carbon fiber plate.

This shoe features a meta-rocker but is not very noticeable.

This foam is soft and squishy and you can feel it with your fingers. You can definitely feel the spring in it.

I found that there is no break-in period for this shoe.

Outsole

The Deviate Nitro Elite features PumaGrip LT. This is a lightweight version of PumaGrip but they are identically grippy.

What I did find is that the LT outsole is thinner and for that reason, it’s going to wear quickly.

The PumaGrip is loved by all, but for me, it’s too soft and it will wear too quickly. I would change some of this grip for more durability.

With 120 miles logged, this shoe lost the outsole pattern on the exterior side of the heel, where I land first. Because this is a super-shoe, I don’t expect it to last more than 300 miles. If it lasts 100 miles more (220 total), then I think that the outsole's durability is perfect for a racer.

The outsole coverage is more than needed. The heel coverage is adequate, with the rubber covering the high-impact zones, but the forefoot is completely covered. Puma could have opted to cover only the forefoot high-impact zones as well and that would reduce the weight even further. Nevertheless, this is already one of the lightest super-shoes.

I never ran with the Deviate Nitro Elite in the rain but the PumaGrip outsole has nothing to prove. Despite that, I did run on wet pavements (it’s hard to miss a wet pavement in the water stations) and didn’t have any issues, as expected.

Fit

This is a racer so you should expect a snug fit and a great lockdown and you’ll get precisely that.

It’s not very easy to slide the foot in, and this shoe doesn't feature a pull tab, but as soon as you slide your foot into the shoe, you feel that everything is secure like you were putting on a glove.

I found the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite to be true to size when choosing the size equivalent to 29cm (US 11).

Ride

The Deviate Nitro Elite ride is extremely comfortable for a racing shoe. The foam is soft and squishy and you can’t feel the plate's firmness, probably because it’s in the middle of the Nitro Elite foam, like a sandwich.

In fact, I can say that the Deviate Nitro Elite could be used every day in all your training sessions. You don’t have the padding of a max-cushion shoe, but you have the foam softness and it would be a great shoe for easy runs, tempos, and of course, races. But, if you use them in your training, you are going to wear them very quickly.

Due to the foam's softness, the heel stack height seems to be lower than 36mm. You can definitely feel this when comparing, for example, with the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 which has the same stack height and drop.

This softness could bring some instability, but for me, this shoe is pretty stable. I can’t find any stability elements on it, but the lower stack and the carbon plate are certainly working toward that stability.

The foam is not as bouncy or responsive as other top-tier super-shoes, like the Nike Vaporfly or Saucony Endorphin Pro, but the more you push into it, the more energy return you will receive from the foam, and after 20 miles, you’ll thank for the lightness of this shoe, one of the lightest super-shoes you can buy.

The rocker is not that noticeable, but it’s there and will contribute to a smooth toe-off, and because you can’t feel the plate and you don’t have that aggressive pop as the Vaporfly, you get a natural feel underfoot.

This is my marathon shoe, and in the end, I always felt that my feet and legs were protected by the foam’s softness which is great at absorbing shocks.

Verdict

If you are on a budget, you can’t go wrong with the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite. This is the best value-for-money super shoe.

At the actual price tag, you can buy this shoe for racing or for speed work. It’s cheaper than the Saucony Endorphin Speed and I would say more comfortable.

However, if you have money to spend on the best super-shoe, then look elsewhere because the Deviate Nitro Elite is not in the same tier as the best super-shoes.

If you are a heavy runner, this foam might be too soft for you.

Scoring

This shoe review scoring takes into consideration the shoes of the same category and technologies available at the time of the review. This score might not be comparable to future reviews of shoes that present unseen features and/or technologies.

 Upper

 Midsole

 Outsole

 Fit

 Ride

 Value

 Overall

The Puma Deviate Nitro Elite scores 4.5 out of 5. It has a great upper, fit and it’s one of the best value-for-money running shoes, but the midsole lacks propulsion, and that will affect the ride experience that one should get from a super shoe. Also, the outsole could be more durable and, at the same time, Puma could remove some rubber from the forefoot.

Have you already run in the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite? Tell me about it in the comments below.

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If you're interested in buying the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite, follow the links below:

• Global: Amazon
• EU: Top4Running - Code "allaboutrunning" for an additional 5% discount.
• UK: SportsShoes.com | ProDirectSport.com

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